Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci completed further development of the Desmocedici GP20 in Qatar, with a 10th and 16th place finish on the final day.
Those positions don’t tell the full story however, as the Bologna outfit worked extensively on race pace and adapting the bike’s characteristics to the new Michelin tyre brought forward for this season.
Dovizioso finished the test tenth in the overall combined times too, but was very happy with the progress made from Sepang, where the team struggled with sustaining pace and grip.
Round one of the season will see the Italian go in search of a third victory in succession at the Losail International Circuit.
Speaking at the conclusion of testing, Dovizioso said: “I am really satisfied with the work done today. We were able to try different setups that helped us understand that we still have some room left for improvement.
The most positive aspect of today was the race simulation. With used tyres, I was able to cover the race distance without problems. On top of that, I did a few laps behind Danilo, which helped me to understand how to manage better the tyres.
My race pace is good, and I am sure that if we can be fast as the front guys, then we will be able to fight for the top positions during the race weekend”.
Putting lap times to one side, much of the talk was about Technical Director Gigi Dall’lgna, and the team’s new radical device in which the riders can manually adjust the ride height in different corners.
Ducati have been the benchmark for advancing technology in recent seasons and finding new limits. This is just another example of the work done by the Italian team.
Petrucci, like his teammate was very happy with the work put together over the three day test: “I am happy about this final day of testing here in Qatar.
We tried to manage our last session well without focusing on lap times and giving priority to the long run. We were able to cover the same distance as the race and to remove the doubts that we still had.
Now we need to work well during the race weekend to be able to secure a good starting position for the race. As we were fast during the race simulation, I am sure that we will be able to be competitive also in the race”.
Petrucci was super consistent, which could yield huge results if he continues that into the season. He produced his best lap at what will be race time on a full fuel tank, showing the bike has immediate pace.
With the whole field closer than ever coming into the season, Ducati will be hoping to have both riders contending in 12 days time for another winning start.