While the Honda team tours the Andalusian circuit this Friday and Saturday, Ducati has announced its intention to do the same at the end of March, between the Grands Prix of Qatar and Argentina.
The next official joint tests will be organized for three days at Losail from March 10 to 12, then the GP will take place there on the 26th. It is then that Ducati plans to rent the Jerez circuit for two days, before going to Termas de Río Hondo for the “Gran Premio de la República Argentina” which will take place on April 9.
A test session in Jerez will certainly be beneficial to Ducati, whose results there were not extraordinary last year: If Andrea Dovizioso had qualified fourth, it was 0.8 behind the pole man Valentino Rossi, wheras'Andrea Iannone was eleventh on the grid. The race was not much more transcendent with the best Desmosedici seventh with Iannone 26 seconds behind the winner Valentino Rossi. Eugene Laverty brought the second Ducati into ninth position.
If the Bolognese manufacturer has decided to invest two of the five days of annual testing to which it is entitled, it is partly because the new aerodynamic equipment will not be ready for Qatar. As the Sports Director has just explained Paul Ciabatti, « I think you will see a bike at Losail similar to the one we had at Phillip Island. This season we can only approve two fairing versions, so we need to be very sure of the benefits before doing so. ».
For the first Grand Prix of the season, Ciabatti is not worried: “ We know our bike performs well in Qatar, Dovi has finished second there on two consecutive occasions, and Jorge won there last year. Everyone expects us to fight for victory, that's clear, but I think the important thing will be to reach the podium and bring home some points. Our goal has not changed, we want to constantly be among the leaders. We are not starting the season as favorites, but we want to try to fight for the title, although winning it is not our priority for 2017. »
Photos © Ducati
Source: gpone.com
