Ducati confident GP12 will suit more styles

Ducati is confident its new 1000cc MotoGP bike will suit a range of styles and won’t be the extreme and hard to tame package like previous versions of its factory Desmosedici machine.

Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden both tested the GP12 prototype in Jerez last month as Ducati seeks to rid itself of the myth that only Casey Stoner was capable of winning consistently on its machinery.

And Ducati boss and test rider Vittoriano Guareschi said Rossi was immediately impressed with the more powerful motor.

“He really liked the engine. The character is much easier to manage and the torque is a lot and it is not necessary to have high revs in a single corner to have good acceleration. With the 1000 every moment is good to touch the throttle.

“The 1000 is very funny and very easy to ride compared to the 800. For me it will be a big step to open the door for many other riders to be competitive. The 1000cc bike is not going to be as extreme as the 800,” said Guareschi.

Stoner won 23 races for Ducati before his winter switch to Honda, while the Bologna factory has only won one more race in the 800cc era with Loris Capirossi’s triumph in the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix.