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Naturally, all eyes in the Ducati garage were on Jorge Lorenzo today but on the other side of the garage Andrea Dovizioso was already working in preparation for next season. It was he who took the new bike out for the first time at Valencia and he who offered the first indications about future development.
Andrea, let's start with Lorenzo: are you surprised he closed 3rd?
“Yes and no, I know what a champion Jorge is, he has nothing to learn and so I'm not surprised that he's able to adapt quickly. He had a good base from which to start, our bike doesn't have any particular limits. He was fast, but today's times don't mean too much, as each rider was working on different things”.
In your case?
“These two days are important for us, because this is the final test of the year. I started out with the GP16 and then got on the new bike, with which I was able to improve on my time”.
What are the biggest differences?
“The engine offers smoother delivery at low speed. The frame allows for a greater range of adjustment. Unfortunately we don't have many tyres available for these tests and so we have to eke out certain tests”.
Does the new chassis solve the understeer problem mid-turn?
“I haven't done any specific tests with the setting yet, I used this year's set-up. It was important to have confirmation that are no negative sides”.
Next year you'll have to do without the wings…
“Today I rode the GP16 without and this was a very telling exercise, there's a big change. The bike becomes less safe, in acceleration the front is lighter and it is easy for the front wheel to lock in braking”.
