After finishing third in the World Championship in 2010, Valentino Rossi decided to leave World Champion team Yamaha to join Ducati in 2011. Seeing Valentino Rossi change teams around this time brought a lot of speculation and excitement in the paddock. In hindsight, the fairy tale did not go as planned, Rossi having had difficulty adapting to the Ducati GP11, radically different from the Yamaha M1.
But why was it such a struggle for Rossi during the two years he was at Ducati? Let's return to a victorious bike under Casey Stoner, but with which Rossi never managed to perform.
The Ducati Desmosedici GP11, the one with which Valentino Rossi started the championship in 2011
The Ducati Desmosedici GP11 was largely similar to the previous year. This prototype followed a different philosophy to the other bikes on the grid in that it did not feature a conventional aluminum twin-spar frame.
Instead, the GP11 was built following a carrier engine/airbox design. The airbox effectively acts as a sort of frame, extending from the fork crown and attaching to the engine between the front and rear cylinders.
Taking a closer look at the openwork parts of the fairing, we can see the two front cylinders, and the two rear cylinders can be seen above the Ducati D where they appear just below the tank. The engine is tilted forward, to add weight to the front axle.
The carbon air box is clearly visible here
The air box which acted as a frame was made of carbon fiber. This made it incredibly stiff and light. Add that with the fact that it was relatively short, running from the fork crown to the cylinder gap, it meant it wasn't susceptible to flex. The front part of the chassis was very stiff, even too stiff, as riders complained about the lack of feel. In addition, the bike was light from the front and this therefore caused the characteristic and unpredictable front losses that Ducati suffered during these years.
Additionally, due to the lack of a conventional frame, the swingarm and suspension tuning was also a bit different. The swingarm pivot bolts directly to the engine case (you can see it just to the left of “DUCATI” on the fairing). The rear shock linkage was also bolted directly to the engine housing and then attached to the underside of the swingarm. The GP11 also had a carbon fiber rear loop that was attached to both rear cylinders.
The GP11.1, whose biggest evolution was the switch from carbon to aluminum for the airbox
In 2011, Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi complained about the lack of feel in the front end. This caused Ducati to completely change their GP11 and create the GP11.1, as it was nicknamed.
The most crucial change on the GP11.1 was the change of material for the airbox. They replaced the carbon fiber version with an aluminum version, which helped soften the front end and give it more feel because aluminum flexed more than carbon.
If you look closely at this picture you can see the aluminum part we are talking about. It runs from the fork crown, up to the engine and was attached to the front and rear cylinders.
Both riders agreed that the GP11.1 update was a step in the right direction, but the bike was still too stiff at the front. It was said at the time that even with the switch to aluminum, the part was too short to achieve the desired flex characteristics and therefore needed more improvement!
The GP11.1 also had an updated gearbox, completely new swingarm and rear linkage among many other improvements! The swingarm was also a marked improvement as the GP11 had damping issues. This new swingarm was now upside down, much like the Yamaha that Rossi had ridden the year before.
We notice here that it is not the GP11.1 and even less the GP11. This is the next generation, the GP12.
With the regulations increasing from 800 to 1000cc for the 3 season, Ducati had been working on the development of the GP2012 for much of the 12 season.
The GP12 was the first twin-spar aluminum frame used by Ducati in MotoGP. The old carrier airbox and engine were gone and in its place appeared a much more conventional motorcycle.
With the new frame, the swingarm has been completely revised again. The upper part of the rear shock is now attached to the rear of the frame rather than to the engine. The bike was better, but Rossi and Hayden still struggled throughout the 2012 season with front end issues.
Ducati had completely transformed its Desmosedici Grand Prix motorcycle but still had a few problems to resolve.
Here is Valentino Rossi's GP12 after going off the track at Laguna Seca.
The GP12 has been updated throughout the year, just like the previous GP11. The swingarm pivot point changed slightly, but the biggest change was the shape and size of the frame. Ducati has refined its frame design to recapture a little more of the elusive feel they've been looking for in the front for several years. The changes were intended to get the GP12 to flex more in areas where they wanted it and less in areas where they didn't want it.
During Rossi's two years at Ducati, it underwent gigantic modifications
During Rossi's two years with Ducati, the Desmosedici underwent gigantic and radical changes. The bike has been completely redesigned several times, and not just once. Ducati really tried everything they could try and they never gave up on making Rossi and Hayden a race winner.
Many have blamed Rossi's struggles at Ducati on his need for front-end feel. He had ridden the Yamaha for the last 7 seasons of his career, a bike that gave so much front-end feel and favored speed in the corners. The Ducati was different. Many believe that Casey Stoner had success with the Ducati because he rode the rear of the bike much more. Stoner could turn the bike with the rear, on the accelerator rather than positioning himself at the front and following the ideal line during the race. Whatever the reason, the Ducati worked for one and not the other.
Unfortunately, it wasn't for Rossi, and when he left Ducati at the end of 2012 to return to Yamaha, the book closed on this failed love story between an Italian rider and a beautiful Italian machine.
