No Ducati sale talks in Borgo Panigale, says Domenicali
Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali has moved to cool, if not completely extinguish, fresh speculation about the future ownership of Ducati, saying no discussions about a sale of the Italian motorcycle manufacturer are taking place in Borgo Panigale.
The comments came during a wide-ranging private discussion with MCNews.com.au at World Ducati Week, as renewed reports link Ducati to potential changes in Volkswagen Group’s portfolio.
The broader Volkswagen Group is under significant pressure from Chinese competition, tariffs, high costs and softer European demand, with Reuters reporting that the German government wants to prevent domestic Volkswagen plant closures after reports the company is considering shutting four German factories and cutting up to 100,000 jobs.
That backdrop has inevitably revived the Ducati question. Recent reports have suggested advisers are examining whether prized assets such as Ducati, and potentially Lamborghini in another form, could be used to raise capital or simplify the group, although there remains no evidence that Volkswagen has officially put Ducati on the market.
Volkswagen’s own response to the speculation has not amounted to a specific denial, with the group instead referring to a broader transformation and stating that relevant matters would be handled by the appropriate committees.
Asked directly whether any of that pressure had reached Ducati, or whether there had been any talks around VW-Audi potentially offloading brands, Domenicali said Ducati remains in strong shape and is not relying on shareholder support to fund its future model plans.
Claudio Domenicali
“The company is in very good shape. It is also completely self-standing. We do not really need support from the shareholder to make our investment plan for the future, to make the new models. It is a very solid investment plan.”
Domenicali did not claim that a future ownership change would be impossible. Indeed, he acknowledged that broader portfolio decisions ultimately rest with the shareholder and can shift depending on the cycle and the parent company’s needs.
But his answer was clear on the key point from Ducati’s perspective: no sale process has been directly broached with the company in Bologna.
Claudio Domenicali
“At the moment, there is no discussion happening in Borgo Panigale. That is part of the shareholder possibility, depending on their needs, to buy a new company or to disinvest something. So it is not something that is completely impossible, but actually for the time being, there is nothing going on in Borgo Panigale.”
That distinction matters. Domenicali’s comments do not rule out high-level strategic conversations somewhere within the Volkswagen Group, Audi, Porsche SE, or among advisers and shareholders. They do, however, make clear that Ducati’s own management has not been drawn into any current sale process.
It also underlines Ducati’s unusual position inside the wider group. The Bologna manufacturer is small in Volkswagen terms, but highly visible, emotionally powerful and commercially valuable. Its recent racing dominance, premium positioning, and brand strength make it an attractive asset, but those same qualities also make it difficult to part with.
For now, then, the Ducati sale rumours remain exactly that: rumours. The pressure on Volkswagen Group is real, and the possibility of future portfolio moves cannot be dismissed. But according to Domenicali, there is no sale discussion taking place at Ducati itself.
A full 20-minute one-on-one discussion with Claudio Domenicali will feature on MCNews.com.au in the coming days, covering the broader Ducati story as the marque enters its second century. That conversation touches on the sheer scale of World Ducati Week 2026, Ducati’s increasingly reactive production model at Borgo Panigale, the company’s position inside the Audi/VW Group, the strength of Motor Valley, the challenge from fast-rising Chinese and Indian manufacturers, and why Domenicali believes Ducati’s future depends on selling not just motorcycles, but the whole Ducati experience.
