Mugello Racetrack, 28 August 2025. A unique opportunity and a real first, which saw all the professional riders come together in a non-competitive environment to contribute to the development of the protective gear of the future. Dainese Project Apex: an unprecedented day on the track, with athletes from all categories from MotoGP™ to Superbike, engaged by Dainese to test clothing and protective gear ahead of the creation of the final racing versions, long before mass production begins.
The professional riders were joined by the entire Dainese Research and Development team, from engineers and designers to those responsible for hand-crafting the racing suits, gloves and everything else, with the experience that only true artisans can boast. Valentino Rossi, Marco Bezzecchi, Franco Morbidelli, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Fermin Aldeguer, Luca Marini, Andrea Iannone and many others besides, all working towards a common goal: to improve the protection of tomorrow, both for their own benefit and for that of all motorcyclists. The skills and abilities of these professional riders enable them to push the materials to the physical limit, and their sensitivity and experience allows them to understand what needs to be pared back, and what needs to be added.
Dainese Project Apex is the result of the combination of a series of objectives that align with one another. The goal of the professional riders, who aim to achieve maximum performance, winning results - something which can prove elusive without the confidence provided by the perfect kit, with attention to even the most minute detail, to every stitch,however insignificant it may appear. The goal of Dainese, to provide the maximum available safety to anyone who rides a motorcycle, combined with the best possible comfort.
And finally, the goal of Dainese Racing apparel, which has a knock-on effect on all the rest of the garments in the range, with a view to making the solutions and technologies that are developed and evolve on the track - the most extreme environment of all - accessible to all road users.
“When I was first asked whether I would work with Dainese, I replied that I would do it on one condition: I wanted to be able to contribute to the development of garments and protective gear. Helping to improve safety is something that’s very important to me. I am very happy with the work we are doing together on apparel, because I can see the results we are achieving. It’s also very satisfying to hear that the feedback I have given has been appreciated by other drivers.”
Fabio Di Giannantonio
“It's an interesting and stimulating job, much more than a normal training session. It gives me a real sense of satisfaction to be able to help with the development; I really like the technical aspect behind the protective gear and clothing, and enjoy talking to the technicians to improve the products that we use as professional riders, but which will also reach the end consumer.”
Luca Marini
“I like working like this, and at the same time, it gives me peace of mind. It demonstrates a desire to continually improve, which we share as professional riders; we have to train, and we arrive at each race wanting to learn. This is also why I trust Dainese; I know that they always give their best.”
Fermin Aldeguer
