Image: Octopi Media.

‘Fine-tuning’ is now what is required for Ducati’s Desmo450 MX development in Monster Energy Supercross, according to Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing recruit Dylan Ferrandis after recording an 11th-place result at Anaheim 2.

Ferrandis has been among the midfield group throughout the opening three rounds in 2026, recording 9-9-11 results to hold 10th position in the 450SX standings.

Round three was another encouraging outing for the Frenchman and Ducati, with a P11 ride in the main event not reflective of how competitive the pairing was. Qualifying eighth during the afternoon, he expressed that comfort levels are high on the bike and that it’s now up to him to do the rest.

“A2 was a pretty good day, I was feeling really good,” recalled Ferrandis. “I made some improvements on the bike, and I think it paid off today. Practice went well, and then in the heat race, I went a little softer on my fork, which was a little too much – I might have lost my night in the heat after getting taken out in the second turn, and then I had a bad gate pick for the main.

“I tried to play it safe by getting a better rut on the outside – I got a good start, but I was too far outside in the first turn and just got pushed, so I was pretty far away after that. I gave everything I had and was feeling really good, but the result on paper isn’t so great with P11. But, the speed is good, and I feel very comfortable on the bike, which is very important for me.

“I’m a little bit disappointed because the position doesn’t really show how my day went, but it is what it is. We’ll come back next weekend and try again. I feel like I can be part of the front group and fast, so that’s great, but I need a better start in the main event and no mistakes in the heat.”

The former two-time 250SX West champion explained that while the learning process continues, a comfortable base setting has been established on the Desmo450, with front-end refinements now the priority as the season develops.

“For us, we’re just learning – this bike has never raced before [in Supercross], so every different type of track we learn, and I think right now we have a really good base,” Ferrandis added. “We’ve done the big testing, now it’s going to be fine-tuning a little bit on my fork.

“Besides that, I feel really, really good. We made some improvements again this week for the start, I feel much more confident there. We’re in a sweet spot – we just need the rider to execute everything better.”