Dall’Igna happy with Lorenzo’s Ducati feedback

Ducati General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna said that he is pleased with newest recruit Jorge Lorenzo’s comments after his first on the Ducati Desmosedici. 

The Spaniard left Yamaha after nine memorable years in favour of a switch to Ducati for the next two years. Ducati have been searching for a rider who can not only win races on a regular basis, but can win their first MotoGP World Championship since Casey Stoner achieved the feat in 2007.

Lorenzo enjoyed a solid first test with the Ducati at the post-race test in Valencia, ending the first day just a tenth behind the fastest time of the day set by his Yamaha replacement, Maverick Viñales, before getting his first taste of the GP17 on the second day, ending the overall test with the eighth quickest time.

With Lorenzo forbidden from speaking to the media until the New Year, Dall’Igna fronted the media and admitted he was very happy about Lorenzo’s first comments regarding the Desmosedici.

“I’m really happy about the impression he has with the bike,” said the Italian to Italian website GPone.com.

“He identified some good points and some weak points in comparison with his experience, but I have a clear idea of what he needs and I hope I can give him something in the next test.

“I’m not really happy about the lap-time he posted, but if the lap-time was the target, we would’ve worked in a different way. We had to not be selecting the material, we had to work on the set-up of the bike and try to give him the best feeling to make the lap-time. We didn’t do this during today’s test and this is the result.”

One of the reasons Lorenzo cited for joining Ducati was Dall’Igna himself. The Spaniard worked closely with him during their time at Aprilia where he helped Lorenzo win back-to-back 250cc titles in 2006 and 2007. The Spaniard called Dall’Igna one of the best in the business, and Dall’Igna said he was pleased to have the opportunity to work with Lorenzo once again.

“I’m pleased to have the chance [to work together again], in the past we’re had some good results together and I hope we can do the same in the future. I wouldn’t call him a friend, but he’s someone with whom I get along very well,” he said.

Whilst Lorenzo was getting his first taste of the Ducati, the Bologna factory were also debuting their 2017 GP17 machine to the public. Both Lorenzo and Dovizioso completed laps on the GP17, and Dall’Igna said the biggest differences between both bikes that both riders found was the chassis of the new Desmosedici.

“I have to say that, right now, the new bike and the old one are quite similar, the biggest differences are chassis-related. Andrea said that it’s better overall, Lorenzo found some positive and some negative points, but we still need to refine it,” he said.

Lorenzo won’t take part in the private test in Jerez next week after Yamaha publicly denied Lorenzo the privilege to test the bike again until his contract with Yamaha is up at the end of 2016. The three-time MotoGP World Champion will get his next taste of the Ducati in Malaysia on January 30th with the winter testing ban is officially lifted. 

 

Photos via Michelin Motorsport