Domenicali says there will be no talks over Ducati sale at Borgo Panigale
Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali has moved to quell, if not completely, fresh speculation about Ducati’s future ownership, saying there are no discussions taking place about the sale of the Italian motorcycle maker to Borgo Panigale.
The comments come during extensive private discussions with MCNews.com.au at World Ducati Week, as renewed reports link Ducati to potential changes to Volkswagen Group’s portfolio.
The wider Volkswagen Group is under significant pressure from Chinese competition, tariffs, higher costs and soft European demand, with Reuters reporting that the German government wants to prevent domestic Volkswagen plant closures as the company considers closing four German factories and cutting 100,000 jobs.
That background has inevitably revived the Ducati question. Recent reports have suggested that advisers are investigating whether prized assets such as Ducati and potentially Lamborghini in another form could be used to raise capital or simplify the group, although there is no evidence that Volkswagen has officially put Ducati on the market.
Volkswagen’s own response to the speculation did not sound like a specific denial, with the group instead mentioning a broader change and saying that relevant matters would be handled by appropriate committees.
When asked directly whether any pressure had reached Ducati, or whether there had been any talks about VW-Audi potentially selling the brands, Domenicali said Ducati is in a strong position and is not dependent on shareholder support to finance its future model plans.
Claudio Domenicali
“The company is in a very good position. It is also completely self-sufficient. We don’t really need shareholder support to build our investment plan for the future, to create new models. It’s 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 may change depending on the cycle and the needs of the parent company.
But his answer was clear on the main point from Ducati’s perspective: no sales process has been directly discussed with the company in Bologna.
Claudio Domenicali
“At the moment, there are no discussions taking place at Borgo Panigale. It is part of the possibility of buying a new company or doing some divestitures, depending on the shareholder’s needs. So it is not something that is completely impossible, but really at the moment, there is nothing going on at Borgo Panigale.”
That distinction matters. Domenicali’s comments do not rule out high-level strategic talks somewhere between Volkswagen Group, Audi, Porsche SE, or advisers and shareholders. However, they clarify that Ducati’s own management is not involved in any current sales process.
It also underlines Ducati’s unusual position within the wider group. The Bologna manufacturer is small in terms of Volkswagen, 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 make it difficult to differentiate itself.
Then again, Ducati sales rumors are just that: rumors. The pressure on Volkswagen Group is real, and the possibility of a portfolio change in the future cannot be ruled out. But according to Domenicali, there are no sales discussions at Ducati.
The full 20-minute one-on-one discussion with Claudio Domenicali will be shown on MCNews.com.au in the coming days, covering the wider Ducati story as the marque enters its second century. The conversation touched on the sheer scale of World Ducati Week 2026, Ducati’s increasingly responsive production model at the Borgo Panigale, the company’s position within the Audi/VW Group, the strength of Motor Valley, the challenge from rapidly emerging Chinese and Indian manufacturers, and how Domenicali believes Ducati’s future depends not just on selling motorcycles, but the entire Ducati experience.
