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MotoGP, Ciabatti: "Lorenzo? At Losail he will already have a chance to win"

"The Ducati still demands too much physical strength, we will find a role on the team for Stoner"

Ciabatti: "Lorenzo? At Losail he will already have a chance to win"

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Part of the old Yamaha staff was at the grand opening of Jorge Lorenzo’s World Champions Museum in Andorra, but there were also some Ducati members. Davide Tardozzi did not want to miss the event, and neither did Paolo Ciabatti. It was a chance for the team manager to meet with the Majorcan, see the memorabilia on display and compare notes in view of the upcoming season.

Did you stay long at the museum?

It is really very nice. Jorge did a wonderful job. There are some historic pieces. I admired Lauda’s racing suit and Mansell's, as well as Senna’s helmet. It is truly worth the visit because it has the past and present of the bike and car racing world.”

Lorenzo seems quite charged up for 2017.

“Now he will enjoy his well-deserved holidays and then we will get back to work. This will be a very important year for him. He has great motivation, but above all, the desire to bring the title back to Borgo Panigale after the last one that Stoner won. But it will be important for us at Ducati as well, because we will strive to improve and to give Jorge and Dovizioso a competitive bike.”

The next stop will be the Sepang tests. What Ducati will we see?

“The engine is a strong point of our bike. I am expecting a Ducati with improved chassis architecture and easier to take into the corners. Both Jorge and Andrea pointed out that the bike demands a lot of physical strength.

Then there is the question of aerodynamics. How will the approach be? Will you create some new figures on the team?

“At Borgo Panigale we have a small division that designed the winglets in the past, finding an innovative solution that everyone then adopted. Through a methodical and scientific approach, the team is already hard at work and we are optimistic. As we well know, the engine is restricted and we can only make two changes to the fairings per year.”

Qatar, Argentina, Austin. Is it feasible to think big straight away?

“They are certainly three tracks where we have proven to be fast and competitive in the past. Maybe the Losail race, the first on the calendar, would be the ideal place to achieve a great result like a win. Obviously, our adversaries will be there. Marquez and Honda are the championship favourites and they have always won at Austin. Yamaha is very strong with Viñales and Rossi.”

There is a lot of talk about coaches lately. Could Stoner become Lorenzo’s?

“I don’t think so. However, we are thinking about finding him a role on the team, since Casey has been fundamental in our growing process during the tests. We will certainly see him in Sepang at the end of January, working on the bike, like he was last year.”

Are the Michelins a distant problem?

“It is clear that there were some difficulties with the tyres this season. They have also taken some big steps forward and now the tyres are more stable. Therefore, I will be expecting the right confidence from the first tests of 2017.”

Translated by Jonathan Blosser
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