Ducati MotoGP Bike Exposed

With less than two weeks to go before the first official MotoGP test in 2018 at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia (January 28-30), the Ducati Team unveiled its Desmosedici GP18 prototype alongside factory riders Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo, and test rider Michele Pirro.

According to Ultimatemotorcycling.com, the pre-season press event, held this year in Ducati Auditorium in Bologna, is typically highlighted by the factory Ducati pilots. But this year it was hard to focus on the riders due to the radical bodywork on the new Desmosedici GP18.

The Ducati MotoGP team, led by Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager), spent much time redesigning the bodywork for better aerodynamics, and it’s very apparent. After Ducati’s Dovizioso took the title chase down to the final round in Valencia – he crashed out and Marc Marquez claimed his fourth MotoGP title with Repsol Honda – the team went back to the drawing board in hopes of even stronger performance in 2018.

“When you come close to winning the title, like last year, it’s easy to lose direction in the development of the bike, and so all the innovations that we will introduce on the new Desmosedici GP will be characterized by evolution, not revolution,” said Luigi Dall’Igna.

 “I believe that both Ducati Team riders, Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo, are true added value for us and that both of them can aim for the world title in 2018. We only have to make one final step, and we know that it’s not going to be easy because we are up against some really tough rivals and with companies that are much bigger than us. In any case we will try and do everything possible to make 2018 a truly memorable year for us and for all the Ducatisti.”

The 2018 MotoGP will begin March 18 in Qatar.