Building interest to an absolute fever pitch before finally unveiling a new model is a skill that Ducati has honed to the sharpest of points. This official Facebook teaser video ahead of Pikes Peak 2019 makes that fact abundantly clear.

Back in February, when Officine GP Design unveiled their gorgeous take on a custom V4 naked Panigale, we knew it wasn’t at all what we should expect from a factory version. Still, the possibilities of such a beast then—as now—were (and are) intriguing.  

Just a month later, in a March interview with Swiss publication Acid Moto, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali teased the matter further when he suggested a V4 Streetfighter might happen “as soon as possible.” Then, in May, came some super-grainy spy shots of a tracked naked v4 Panigale in our constant early-2019 drip-feed of Ducati amuse-bouchery.

Today, it seems, we have an official teaser trailer for an official announcement—officially. Ducati posted this 14 second video on its Facebook page. We already know from the 2019 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb list of competitors that Carlin Dunne will be riding a “2019 Ducati Pikes Peak Prototipo” in the Exhibition Powersport category.

His number? 5—which is, incidentally, also one of the few details you can see in this incredibly short teaser. Shortly after you see the “5” flash up on screen comes text that reads “The gloves come off at Pike’s Peak.” Viewers are then advised to stay tuned for an official announcement on June 13th.

The 97th Pikes Peak running takes place on Sunday, June 30, 2019. Considering Carlin Dunne and Ducati’s long and successful partnership—Ducati and Dunne together held the all-time PP course record from 2012 to 2017—all the math on this equation makes perfect sense. Does this mean we can look forward to a special Pikes Peak edition Streetfighter V4 as well? It’s Ducati, so probably.

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