MotoGP Ducati Lenovo Factory Team: Remote Garage Shifts Data into High Gear

MotoGP Ducati Lenovo Factory Team:

 Remote Garage Shifts Data into High Gear

IT’S THE PITS: This past weekend, I received a unique invitation to spend time with the Ducati Lenovo Factory Team at the Circuit of the Americas, but not to watch the race. I was invited a day early to watch and learn how the team uses the latest in Lenovo tech to streamline Ducati’s horsepower on the track. Prior to the actual MotoGP US Grand Prix I sat courtside, watching the team and the rest of the grid dial in their land rockets before the race.

This was my first time experiencing MotoGP in person. One thing that caught me off guard (as a rookie) was the level of security involved. Security at COTA is tighter than a US embassy, with multiple checkpoints and dedicated staff ready to scan one of over a dozen different credentials, determining where you can and cannot enter. But that’s only the beginning. The pits are an entirely different ordeal with each team constructing a literal maze of walls to prevent anyone’s wandering eye from seeing their mechanical ‘eleven herbs and spices’ before the race.

Usually, a media pass is a golden ticket that can get you anywhere and get away with taking video and photos of anything. Not here. I was not allowed to take video of the garage while I was learning about the Ducati Lenovo MotoGP bikes. Nor was I allowed to post photos without the approval of the team’s organization, so the photos you’re seeing have been approved. Obviously, it’s understandable why the teams go through such lengths to protect their speed secrets.

LENOVO’S REMOTE GARAGE: Every bike on the grid is loaded with cameras to capture the action, but what you won’t see are the dozens of sensors monitoring the bike’s vitals, gathering valuable information for engineers to make educated decisions while hunting for an extra tenth of a second.

Ducati Corse began its partnership with Lenovo in 2018 and launched what it calls the Remote Garage in 2020. This innovative software puts a direct line between the rider, trackside engineers and engineers at HQ in Italy. When a bike is brought into the pits engineers will dive in with socket wrenches, and one wire connection begins the download process. Lenovo’s Remote Garage processes the information, providing split-second data analysis of the bike’s engine performance, electronics, and environmental effects like Texas heat.

The Remote Garage can also create aerodynamic simulations and scenarios to help set up the bike since MotoGP has limited practice sessions before qualifying.

2026 MOTOGP US GRAND PRIX RESULTS: With Lenovo’s Remote Garage and Ducati’s fierce team of engineers, it’s no surprise the Ducati Lenovo Team took first at the 2026 MotoGP US Grand Prix. Francesco Bagnaia crossed the checkered flag at COTA riding the Ducati GP26 bike for the team.

One thing I noticed in the garage with the team is the ambiance. I’ve spent my fair share of time in garages, and they typically have the same soundtrack. Profanity shouted, the ringing of metal tools falling onto cold concrete, power tools echoing off the walls and music blaring from an ancient speaker covered in dust and paint overspray.

The Ducati Lenovo trackside garage was – in contrast – a surreal scene. Four bikes were being worked on simultaneously, and it was quiet. Nobody was talking; no music, no power tools. The only sounds I heard were the subtle ratcheting of socket wrenches and a vacuum cleaner running across the carpeted floor. Even the engineers looking through the data were stoic in tone, busy looking through the information. The entire team was running in sync. No need to talk when everyone knows exactly what needs to be done and how to go about doing it.

If only life were this organized.Race result link:
2026 MotoGP US Grand Prix Results