On Friday at the Official 2020 MotoGP™ Sepang Test, factory Ducati Team Manager Davide Tardozzi spoke to motogp.com about the improvements they’ve found with the 2020 bike.
“We have several parts to test with the factory riders, parts that have already been tested by Michele Pirro in the first three days of the shakedown, and we are confident that we have found something,” began Tardozzi, who has a strong feeling that Ducati have made a good step forward compared to the GP19.
“Obviously we think our 2020 bike will be slightly better than the one before but we don’t know how much our opponents will improve. We are confident but we must see what the other factories have done. The four bikes are with the 2020 chassis. We have other improvements but some things have to arrive at the next test too in Qatar, but we’ll see.”
Turning has been Ducati’s weak point for a number of years. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) said in Valencia and Jerez that the chassis has improved slightly and despite not taking a giant leap forward, Tardozzi thinks the Bologna factory have hit their target.
“It’s not the big step that they were asking for but it’s a small step. We go forward step by step, small steps, and finally we think we’ve got the goal.”
And this year, Ducati will have four 2020 bikes on the grid with Pramac Racing’s Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller on the latest-spec machinery. On this topic, Tardozzi said: “I think it will be a big improvement for Pecco Bagnaia, while we think Jack will give us good feedback. He’s already in his third year on a Ducati so we trust that Jack will make a big step ahead this year.”
On Day 1, Miller was the leading Ducati in P5. Keep up with the Bologna factory’s progress on Saturday and Sunday with Live Timing, highlights, reports, reactions and LIVE After the Flag episodes at 10:30 CET.