until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Ducati has rolled out its 2020 MotoGP liveries in Bologna ahead of the start of testing next week.
Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci were on hand to show off bikes that remain more an evolution than a revolution of last year’s Desmosedici GP19.
Largely acknowledged as the best bike on the grid at the end of last season, Ducati has still got issues to address – particularly with cornering – but won’t be looking to reinvent the wheel to fix it.
Cosmetically the bikes are little changed yet, retaining the Mission Winnow logos – branding that presumably the team will again not be allowed to run at certain races due to its connection to chief sponsor and tobacco giant Phillip Morris International.
There will no doubt be significant mechanical updates to come, but with the bikes shown off on Thursday night essentially last year’s machine wearing some new clothing, it could be as late as the opening round before we learn more about what’s going on behind the scenes.
Famously secretive technical guru Gigi Dall’Igna hinted at the event in the historic Palazzo Re Enzo that there would be further modifications before the season – a strategy also adopted in 2019 with new aero modifications coming only when it was too late for rivals to copy Ducati’s designs.
Speaking at the event, Dall’Igna admitted that despite the runner-up spot three years in a row with Dovizioso, the team wants more in 2020, saying: “we can’t say that we are completely satisfied [with 2019] as our ultimate goal remains the same: winning the championship title.
“2020 will be even more intense and demanding with 20 races scheduled in the calendar, and our rivals will be even more competitive.
“That is why we all need to increase our commitment.
“For this reason, we have been working harder during the winter to offer to Andrea and Danilo a Desmosedici GP20 bike that will allow them to become leading contenders in all races and all conditions.”
