Today, ahead of World Ducati Week 2026 (3-5 July, Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli), Lenovo, Ducati, and Garage 51 announce a multi-year partnership that will see the global technology powerhouse become Title Partner of the ‘Lenovo V2 Future Champ Academy – Garage 51 | DUCATI’ – a newly created championship dedicated to developing young riders.
The Lenovo V2 Future Champ Academy – Garage 51 | DUCATI is a single-brand trophy born from the collaboration between Ducati, Michele Pirro, and Garage 51, with the mission of discovering the next generation of racing stars – both under and over 21 years of age – and creating a pool of Ducati talent. Competing in six rounds and three official tests, riders will follow a training program focused on their riding skills, personal growth and communications competencies, developing all the skills and experience required to one day compete professionally.
Lenovo’s technology will support the academy in developing the riders’ physical preparation, technical understanding and data analysis capabilities. Through a bespoke riders’ visual data dashboard, tomorrow’s racing talent will be able to track their individual performance through lap-time trends, performance stability, and sector-performance mapping, enabling them to access insights normally only available to professional riders.
“We are delighted to welcome our longstanding partner, Lenovo, to this new venture. Our well established relationship is much more than a sponsorship; it is a true collaboration reflecting a shared vision and commitment,” commented Francesco Milicia, VP Global Sales and After Sales Ducati. “Just as Lenovo’s cutting-edge technology enables Ducati engineers to refine bike set-ups and drive innovation for the Ducati Lenovo Team in MotoGP, together we will provide aspiring riders with advanced data analysis tools and insights which will be priceless in their development.”
“This new partnership brings together Lenovo’s strong commitment to developing the next generation of talent and our long-standing role in driving innovation in motorsports. This is particularly significant as it allows us to invest in the future of the sport, helping young riders develop the technical, physical and personal skills that will benefit them throughout their careers and beyond,” commented Lara Rodini, Global Sponsorships and Activation Director at Lenovo. “Together with Ducati and Garage 51, we are united by passion, a commitment to performance and innovation, and a shared desire to nurture young talent, driving excellence both on and off the track.”
“Knowing that Lenovo has chosen to support the Lenovo V2 Future Champ Academy – Garage 51 | DUCATI as Title Sponsor is a source of great pride and satisfaction. This partnership is a tangible confirmation of the value and credibility of a project created with the aim of identifying, developing and guiding the motorcycle racing talents of tomorrow through a structured and professional growth pathway,” commented Michele Pirro, Ambassador, Lenovo V2 Future Champ Academy – Garage 51 | DUCATI. “We are building an innovative programme that places the athlete’s overall development at its core, through the monitoring of physical and sporting performance before, during and after on-track activities, with the objective of providing practical tools to improve preparation, awareness and performance. Technology is now a fundamental element in the development of a modern rider, and being able to rely on Lenovo’s expertise and know-how will allow us to offer our young riders an even more advanced training experience.”
As one of the world’s largest providers of computing devices to the educational sector, Lenovo is deeply committed to developing future talent and advancing STEM learning, through a range of global initiatives and partnerships like the Lenovo Kalì Kart Team and STEM Racing.
The upcoming round, taking place in Misano this week, on July 3-5, will be the first opportunity to see the Lenovo V2 Future Champ Academy – Garage 51 | DUCATI taking to the track under its new name and branding, as the program enters an exciting new chapter, reflecting Lenovo’s ongoing commitment to deepening its presence in motorsports and building on the success of its collaboration with Ducati.
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