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Ducati already has "clear idea" of what Lorenzo needs

Ducati technical chief Gigi Dall’Igna says he already has a “clear idea” of how to refine the Italian marque’s 2017 bike to make it better suited to Jorge Lorenzo’s needs.

Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati Team

Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati Team

Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati Team
Davide Tardozzi, Ducati Team Team Principal, Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati Team
Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati Team
Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati Team
Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati Team
Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati Team
Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team
Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team
Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team

Three-time MotoGP champion Lorenzo made his Ducati test debut on the first day of post-season testing at Valencia on Tuesday, albeit spending nearly the entire day riding the 2016 bike.

The Spaniard shifted his focus on to the GP17 he will race next year for the bulk of Wednesday, when he ended up eighth fastest and 0.769s off the pace of the rider replacing him at Yamaha, Maverick Vinales.

Lorenzo's contractual obligations to Yamaha preclude him from riding for Ducati in next week's private Jerez test, forcing him to wait until next February's official Sepang test to get more mileage on the GP17.

But Dall'Igna says he already knows what to improve on the Desmosedici even after just a single day of running for Lorenzo on the new bike.

"I'm really happy about the impression [Lorenzo] has with the bike," said Dall'Igna. "There are some good points and there are 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 laptime that he has, but if the laptime was the target, we had to work 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 laptime. We didn't do this during today's test and this is the result."

Asked specifically what Lorenzo needs to get more comfortable on the Desmosedici, Dall'Igna added: "We have to improve the turning of the bike, and we're working on that with the 2017 bike.

"Also, the first touch of when he opens the throttle, it's a worse point and we have to improve a little bit there."

Dovizioso faster because of experience

Andrea Dovizioso ended the Valencia test third fastest, and the Italian credited his greater experience on Ducati machinery for the difference between he and new teammate Lorenzo.

"I think [Lorenzo] went quite fast to the limit of the bike, and I think his laptime is really good," said Dovizioso. "For sure this track is one of his favourites, so that helped him to approach the new bike.

"When everybody improved the laptime, for him it was more difficult, but I think it's normal because still we have some limit on the bike.

"But he doesn't know the bike like I know it, because it's four years [since I joined Ducati] and I have followed all the development of the bike.

"About the speed, I'm not surprised because I know how fast he is, but for sure he did a good laptime."

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