The 2017 Ducati Team has been launched at the Ducati Auditorium in Borgo Panigale in Bologna, Italy. The new Desmosedici GP, the bike with which factory riders Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso will take part in the 2017 MotoGP World Championship, was also revealed.
“Ducati today (January 20, 2017) is in a very strong position: the year that has just concluded – 2016 – was the seventh successive year of growth, and this has enabled us to reach a new sales record with 55,400 bikes delivered to our clients all over the world,” declared Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, in his opening speech.
“We are a solid company, characterized by the passion and typical creativity of Made in Italy firms but also equipped with organization and discipline. A company in which racing represents something special. This is not just a marketing ploy, for us competition is really the strongest passion of all of us Ducatisti.
“We are very satisfied with the progress made in the three years since Gigi Dall’Igna’s arrival at the end of 2013, because the bike has gone from being one that was way behind the leaders to one that won two races last year. It is for this reason that, because of our solid situation and the prospect of further growth, we have decided, in common agreement with our shareholder, to entrust Ducati Corse with the task of bringing back the world title to Italy, providing it with all the possible human, technical and financial resources to take part in this challenge.
“We know that it is going to be tough, and that in 2017 we won’t be starting as favourites. But we are aware that we have passion, determination and strong lungs! We have a team of top-level technicians, we have a mastery of design and development technology in which we are second to none, and we have two very strong riders and a group of enthusiastic sponsors and partners who are sharing this exciting challenge with us. As first a Ducatista and a fan, I cannot do anything else but wish the best of luck to Gigi and all the Ducati Team.”
Luigi Dall’Igna, general manager of Ducati Corse, added, “After a 2016 season that concluded positively, now we are ready for this new season. We have improved the organization and for the first time we were able to get the new bike ready for the Valencia test. We have planned a series of development activities that we will begin next week with our two collaborators, Michele Pirro and Casey Stoner, then this will continue in the following tests with our factory riders, and only in Qatar will we see the true 2017 bike.
“We know that our rivals will be very aggressive, but we have Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso on board and this gives us the necessary confidence for the job that we are facing. It won’t be easy to win against our rivals and we won’t be starting as favourites, but we will try and give our everything to obtain the results that our fans are expecting.”
February 8, 2017
