Randy de Puniet thrilled with Ducati support

Randy de Puniet has praised the technical support he is getting from Ducati as the Bologna factory seeks to win its first MotoGP title since 2007.

Ducati has started the 2011 testing season with all of its GP11 machines running an almost identical technical specification to gather information from a variety of riding styles.

There is minimal difference between the satellite Pramac-backed GP11 that de Puniet is riding and the factory version currently under development with Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden.

French rider de Puniet, who left the LCR Honda squad at the end of the 2010 campaign, praised Ducati’s policy of equal treatment and he told MCN: “This is a really good point about Ducati.

“They have six bikes on the grid in 2011 and they are all pretty much the same and it wasn’t like this for me before.

“I am very happy because I have a good relationship with Filippo Preziosi. He has called me a lot to understand my opinion about the bike and this is good because I am not only a number at Ducati.

“This is nice to feel that and I am very happy with Ducati’s approach and the system they work.”