Seewer & Ducati 2026: A game of patience or a warning sign?

January wasn't a typical preparation month for Jeremy Seewer, filled with endless training sessions, but rather a period of intense technical fine-tuning. While others were already gaining race experience, the 31-year-old spent many days in Sardinia in test mode – gathering data instead of waiting on the starting gate. The goal: to bring the Ducati to a level where he could not only keep up, but also be himself again.

Jeremy Seewer go with Ducati Corse into the next MXGP season – but there's little sign of euphoria. Instead, sober analyses, technical issues, and the hope for new parts dominate.

Lots of analysis, little racing experience

Seewer skipped the first pre-season races. A move that raises questions – but also reveals a lot about the current state of the project. The direction is clear: more groundwork than cosmetic results in February. But the downside is obvious. Race toughness isn't developed in testing programs, but in direct competition. And that's precisely where it will become clear whether the development work pays off.

According to Seewer, the Ducati is noticeably better than last year. Nevertheless, the final piece of the puzzle is still missing. That sounds like progress – but also like a project that isn't yet where a title contender should be in February. However, anyone still waiting for crucial frame components in February isn't in attack mode – but rather in development mode. And that's certainly debatable in the second year of a factory project.

Wilvo effect: More structure, more influence

With the operational switch to the Wilvo-led factory team, several things have changed internally. More manpower, clearer structures, fewer financial constraints. Ducati remains the technical driving force, but the team is more involved. For Seewer, this means: more of a voice – but also more responsibility.

His assessment of the internal dynamics is interesting. According to the Zurich native, his taller teammates have apparently been coping better with the Desmo450 MX so far. This delayed the problem analysis. Only when the Results during the Internazionali d'Italia EICMA Series 2026 When things weren't quite right in the race setup, it became clear that the limit wasn't solely due to the rider's skill. An honest, almost brutally honest assessment – ​​and an indication of just how fine the line is between "works" and "isn't enough" in MXGP.

The bike sets the limit.

Particularly revealing is his assessment that everyone is currently performing at a similar level at the absolute limit, and that additional speed is only possible through increased risk. This sounds less like the self-evident assessment of a contender for victory and more like the reality of a driver still grappling with the technical limitations of the package.

It's clear that for 35 minutes at the limit, he needs not only fitness but also confidence. Seewer intends to work on precisely that in Belgium before his first race in Sommières. Argentina is coming soon – and the competition is fierce.

Broad tip, small margin of error

The 2026 MXGP season promises an even closer competition. New faces like Kay de Wolf and Andrea Adamo will be in the mix at the front, while returning riders like Tom Vialle will bring additional quality to the field – the room for experimentation will shrink. In such a densely packed starting grid, every technical detail will become a factor. A bike that isn't perfectly suited won't just cost tenths of a second, but positions.

That's precisely why the situation surrounding Seewer and Ducati seems like a balancing act. In motocross, nothing can be forced. Anyone who tries to compensate for a lack of performance by brute force will pay the price sooner or later – either on the track or physically.

The focus is therefore not on grand pronouncements, but on substance. Crucially, the Ducati must function in such a way that Jeremy Seewer can once again ride intuitively – without overthinking, without constant corrections, without compromises when entering corners or braking. Only when this fundamental confidence returns can the foundation for consistency be built. And only on this basis can progress translate into genuine aggression.

Will the new parts make the decisive difference? That won't be revealed in the test, but in the first Grand Prix, when for 35 minutes no excuses will count.

And that's exactly where the real test begins – for Seewer and for Ducati alike.