Ducati Team concluded the last MotoGP preseason test in Qatar

with Dovizioso tenth and Petrucci sixteenth

The final 2020 MotoGP preseason test concluded this evening at Losail, in Qatar. The same race venue, situated just a few kilometers away from the capital city of Doha, will host the opening Grand Prix of the new season in less than two weeks.

During the three days of testing available, the Ducati Team riders Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci were able to work consistently on the development of the Desmosedici GP20 bike as they kept testing the new tire solutions brought by Michelin this year.

The last day for the two riders was mostly dedicated to making the final arrangements ahead of the upcoming race weekend. In the late afternoon, they headed back out on track together to complete a long run that gave positive feedback.

Andrea Dovizioso ended the day with the tenth fastest time, in 1:54.312, closing in tenth position also in the combined classification of the three days.

Danilo Petrucci ended the last day of testing in the tenth position with the fastest lap time in 1:54.752 that he posted on his 36th lap out of 56 put in today. In the combined rankings, the rider from Terni also sits in the same position with his fastest lap time on Day 1 in 1:54.634, 0.776 seconds off today’s pacesetter.

After completing the preseason test, the Ducati Team riders will resume action at Losail Circuit from 6th-8th March for the first MotoGP Grand Prix of the season.

Andrea Dovizioso (#04 Ducati Team) – 1:54.312 (10°)
 “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”.

Danilo Petrucci (#9 Ducati Team) – 1:54.752 (16º)
 “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”.

Work continues for the Ducati Team at Losail

Dovizioso eighth and Petrucci twelfth in the second day of testing in Qatar

The Ducati Team was back in action again today at Losail in Qatar for the second of three days of the last Official MotoGP Test ahead of the 2020 season opener scheduled in less than two weeks at night at the same race venue.

Following the first positive feedback from yesterday, Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci got back at work this afternoon resuming the respective development programs of their Desmosedici GP20 bikes. Thanks to the favorable weather conditions, both the Ducati Team riders were able to take full advantage of the track time available as they found also good track conditions.

With a total of 60 laps on his tally, Dovizioso ended the day in eighth position thanks to the fastest lap in 1:54.662, half a second faster than his personal best of yesterday. The rider from Forlì has declared to be satisfied with the progress made today as he was faster and closer to the top of the timesheets in a test day featured with a quick pace and no less than 13 riders closed in less than a second.

It has been a busy day of work also for his teammate Petrucci. The rider from Terni, who was the fastest on track at the midpoint of the day, was able to find a good race pace using a rear medium compound tire. Petrucci ended the day in the twelfth position overall with the fastest lap in 1:54.852, 0.814 seconds behind today’s pacesetter.

The Ducati Team riders will still have tomorrow to complete the development of their Desmosedici bikes in the final day of pre-season testing in Qatar.

 Andrea Dovizioso (#04 Ducati Team) – 1:54.662 (8°)
“I am happier compared to yesterday because we were able to move forward with a huge part of our testing program, and now we have a clearer idea about the situation. We are fast, and our pace is good, but so are our opponents. For sure there are details that we will be able to understand only during a race weekend, while in a test, as we are riding alone, we can only get an idea of on which area we need to focus in order to improve. Today we did a few consecutive laps to understand the effects on the tyre life. In general, I am satisfied, and now we will continue with our program also tomorrow”.

Danilo Petrucci (#9 Ducati Team) – 1:54.852 (12º)
“Today, we were able to take better advantage of the track time available, and I am delighted with the work we have done. We did a few tests with a rear medium tyre compound, and we were able to keep a good pace for several laps. Compared to fastest riders we are still missing a few tenths of a second, but today we didn’t focus on the lap times, and I am confident that we have the potential to battle at the front with them. Unfortunately, we had some small issues that didn’t allow us to continue until the end of the session. But despite that, I am happy, and I hope we will able to make a further step forward, as the program sees a race simulation also scheduled for tomorrow”.

THE DUCATI TEAM ENDED THE SECOND DAY OF TESTING IN MALAYSIA

The Ducati Team riders took to the track once again today for the penultimate of three days of Official MotoGP Test at Sepang Circuit, in Malaysia. 

After a first day deeply affected by the changeable weather conditions, Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci were finally able to take full advantage of the 8 hours of free practices available in which they found a dry surface of the track and acceptable but still scorching temperatures. 

With just one month left before the opening Grand Prix of the 2020 season in Qatar, both the riders of the Bologna-based squad resumed their programs from where they left off yesterday, working on different aspects of their Desmosedici GP20 while also improving yesterday’s lap times. 

Danilo Petrucci made a big step forward, taking 0.682 seconds off his personal best from yesterday. The rider from Terni ended the second day of testing in the thirteenth position overall with the fastest lap in 1’59.257, close to the top of the timesheets.

In the afternoon, Andrea Dovizioso slid out at Turn 6, but the small accident didn’t really compromise his working program. The rider from Forlì was fifteenth overall with a personal best lap in 1:59.342 at the end of Saturday.

Now that the most challenging part of the testing program is completed, the Ducati Team will head back on track tomorrow for the final day of the Sepang Test.

Danilo Petrucci (#9, Ducati Team) – 13° (1:59.257) “I am not completely satisfied with my ranking today. But still, I am happy because compared to yesterday we were able to make a big step forward and again we are really close to the top. Today we tried different new components, amongst which we also tried a new fairing: we did many laps, and my feeling with the used tires is good. Tomorrow we will focus more on improving the bike setup, and we will also work with the new tires to understand what we can do to take full advantage of them”. 

Andrea Dovizioso (#04, Ducati Team) – 15° (1:59.342) “It has been another busy day. We were able to test several new components, like a new fairing, while in the afternoon I had a small crash and we couldn’t end our setup work on the Desmosedici. Now I have some pain in my hand and neck, but fortunately, we could get on with an important part of our program. I hope to feel better tomorrow and be able to take great advantage from the final day of testing”. 

Redding 2nd and Davies 5th with the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati as Portimao testing closes

The second 2020 test session, held at the Autodromo Internacional Algarve in Portimao (Portugal), ended with an excellent result for Scott Redding and Chaz Davies who finished in 2nd and 5th positions respectively.

It was an intense two days testing for Aruba.it Racing - Ducati riders who continued the setup work started last week at Jerez De La Frontera.

After finishing the first session on top, Scott Redding (199 laps completed in total) repeated himself on the second day of activity, recording very interesting lap-times especially on the race pace, before finishing with the second-fastest time overall (1'40.883) just 79 thousandths of a second off Razgatlioglu (Yamaha).

It has been two profitable days for Chaz Davies also, as the welsh rider collected important data for the first round of the 2020 WorldSBK season scheduled at the end of February in Australia. After the 59 laps completed in Day-1, finished in 7th position and with the top speed of the day (318.6 km/h), the Welshman completed 73 laps in the second day pushing the time attack (1'41.599) to end in 5th position.

Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati #45) 1'40.883 (2nd) "It was a good day even though, to be honest, I couldn't find the ideal pace. On a few occasions, I found traffic on the track and when I tried the new tires, the four almost consecutive red flags didn't allow me to lap consistently. The result of the test is still very positive, considering that this is a circuit where I only rode once in the past and it can't be considered the most favorable for Ducati. All things considered, we have worked very well and I am satisfied".

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati #7) 1'41.599 (5th) "It's been a busy couple of days. We were lucky because the weather helped us to carry on with our work. We tried new solutions: some of them gave positive results, while on other aspects we will have to work further. The lap-times? We will return to Portugal in September and the track conditions will be completely different so the Crono wasn't our first target. In view of the first Grand Prix in Australia, I feel much more ahead of what I felt last year".

Ducati closes 2019 on a high, with bike sales topping 53,000

• 53,183 Ducati bikes delivered to customers in 90 countries

• Italy remains the number one market. Double-digit growth in China, Brazil, and Spain

• For the second year running, the Panigale is the world's best-selling superbike. A record number of advance orders for the new Streetfighter V4, with deliveries to begin in March 2020

Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 14 January 2020 – Ducati Motor Holding closes 2019 with 53,183 bikes delivered to customers worldwide, nudging last year's figure of 53,004 bikes even higher.

A major contribution to this result came from the Panigale: with sales totaling 8,304, it retains the market leadership established in 2018 and confirms its status as the world's best-selling superbike with a market share of 25%.

Two new bikes introduced in 2019 - the Hypermotard 950 and Diavel 1260 - racked up sales of 4,472 and 3,129 respectively, doubling the overall volumes achieved in 2018 by previous versions. The Multistrada family performed equally well, scoring a 3% increase compared to 2018 (thanks also to the addition of the 950 S and a revamped 1260 Enduro); deliveries totaled 12,160, the best sales performance since the Bologna-built multi-bike made its debut sixteen years ago.

Sales figures for 2019 have reinforced Ducati's position at the premium end of the motorcycle market.

"2019 was a tough but also rewarding year. We're working to make Ducati the world's most desirable motorcycle brand", stated Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, "and the results we're achieving, the development of the range and the market response all confirm we're on the right track. In today's global market, one in every four superbikes is now a Panigale. The technical content we've transferred from the R version and our extensive racing experience to the V4 2020 range ensure this bike remains the category benchmark. What's more, order books for the new Streetfighter V4 are bulging - more than 1,700 are already on order - and deliveries will begin in March 2020."

"We're satisfied with the results achieved in 2019", adds Francesco Milicia, Global Sales VP. "Over the last twelve months, a major network development plan has been implemented, with 54 new dealerships in 20 countries. This expansion plan will continue this year in order to further improve the world-wide network coverage and offer our fans a growing premium experience."

Sales in Italy continue to grow, confirming the country as Ducati’s number one market. Bike sales totaled 9,474, a 3% improvement in 2018 and a 20% increase over the last three years. In the United States, Ducati deliveries totaled 7,682 motorcycles, down by just 2% despite the continuing negative trend which saw the market shrink by 7% compared to 2018. Brazil (+20%), Spain (+10%) and France (+8%), however, performed exceedingly well. China, a country where the Italian brand is particularly appreciated, continued the upward trend of recent years and is, with 3,200 motorcycles sold (+12%), now the Bologna-based bike manufacturer's fifth most important market.

This positive end to 2019 allows Ducati to look into the future with confidence. For 2020, the product range is now even more complete and dealerships will soon be taking delivery of the long-awaited Streetfighter V4. The Panigale can - in addition to the introduction of the new V2 - also count on a major upgrade to the V4 that will boost performance and enhance rideability.

For globetrotters and those who want to enjoy long-distance adventures in outstanding comfort, the Multistrada family sees the arrival of the new Grand Tour.

Last but not least, the Ducati Scrambler range - which saw the new 800 Dark presented at EICMA - will see the introduction of a new model in the coming months.

THE PANIGALE V4 BECOMES SUPERLEGGERA: THE DREAM BIKE IS NOW A REALITY, AND IT’S A DUCATI

• The Superleggera V4 is the most powerful and technologically advanced production Ducati ever built and will be produced as a limited edition of just 500 individually numbered motorcycles

• The only street-legal motorcycle in the world with a carbon fiber chassis, swingarm, and wheels

• Biplane wings and extreme aerodynamics

• A power/weight ratio of 1.54 hp/kg in racing kit configuration, a record value for a street-legal bike

• Deliveries start in June 2020 at the rate of 5 bikes per day

• Purchasers of the Superleggera V4 will also be offered a track test on the factory Panigale V4 R competing in the Superbike World Championship and, for the first time ever, a unique opportunity to test the Desmosedici GP20

Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 6 February 2020 – With the Superleggera V4, Ducati fulfills the dream of pushing back the limits of engineering, attention to detail and motorcycle design, with a project that represents the Bolognese company’s greatest masterpiece in terms of engineering, performance, and design.

After an exclusive preview for its most passionate and loyal clients, Ducati now officially unveils its new Superleggera V4, the most powerful and technologically advanced motorcycle ever made by the Borgo Panigale manufacturer, produced in a limited edition of just 500 individually numbered bikes.

The Superleggera V4 is the world's only street-legal motorcycle with the entire load-bearing structure of the chassis (frame, subframe, swingarm, and wheels) made from composite material, achieving a 6.7 kg reduction in weight thanks to these components.
To ensure the highest quality and safety standards, these components are 100% tested using the most sophisticated techniques borrowed from the aerospace industry, such as thermography, ultrasound inspections, and tomography.
The chassis dimensions have been modified for optimized track use by increasing the length of the swingarm.
The overall result is unparalleled deceleration power, faster leaning down into corners and sharper lines riding out of bends.

The level of performance achieved is extremely high: Alessandro Valia, an official Ducati tester, took the bike, fitted with the racing kit and slick tires, around the Mugello circuit in 1:52:45, less than two seconds from the lap time of the Panigale V4 R SBK, winner of the 2019 Italian Motorspeed Championship (CIV) with Michele Pirro.

Many components are made of carbon fiber, molded into advanced aerodynamic shapes. These include the fairing, which ensures a level of aerodynamic efficiency that matches and exceeds that of current MotoGP bikes. Thanks to the 'biplane' aerofoils inspired by the 2016 Ducati MotoGP, with the highest performance in this field, it can guarantee a downforce of 50 kg at 270 kph, 20 kg more than that created by the aerofoils on the Panigale V4 MY20 and V4 R. This downforce improves acceleration, by countering the tendency to wheel-up, and increases braking stability.

The carbon fiber fairings also sport an eye-catching Desmosedici GP19-inspired livery that juxtaposes the red of the GP19 with a naked carbon that emphasizes shapes, materials and technical details.
Beneath the carbon skin lies the Desmosedici Stradale R engine, lighter and more powerful than ever. The 998 cm3  90° V4 that powers the Superleggera V4 weighs, in fact, 2.8 kg less than the 1,103 cm3 V4. Thanks to a type-approved Akrapovič exhaust, it delivers no less than 224 CV in road-legal configuration (EU homologation figures). That figure rises to 234 CV when fitted with the titanium Akrapovič exhaust for track use, which is included in the Racing Kit supplied with the bike.
The racing nature of the engine is enhanced by the use of the dry clutch and the individual manual adjustment of the Desmodromic timing system.

Only on the Superleggera V4, a special engine calibration for the racing exhaust gives riders access to a “RaceGP” display. Intended exclusively for track use, and designed with valuable input from Andrea Dovizioso, it is a direct offshoot of the instrument panel on the Desmosedici GP20.

Thanks to extensive use of carbon fiber, titanium and magnesium components and others machined from solid aluminum, the Superleggera V4 has a dry weight of just 159 kg (16 kg less than the Panigale V4), resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of 1.41 hp/kg: a record-breaking figure for a road-legal sports bike. Mounting the supplied Racing kit and switching the bike to its track configuration boosts power to 234 hp, dropping the weight to 152.2 kg and raising the power-to-weight ratio to 1.54 hp/kg.

The electronic controls have also been developed to enhance the racing nature of this motorcycle. Their operational parameters are associated by default with three reprogrammed Riding Modes (named Race A, Race B, and Sport ). There are also - for the very first time - five additional Riding Modes that can be personalized with the rider's preferred settings. Riders can monitor lap times via the upgraded Lap Timer, which can record finish line and split times coordinates for five favorite circuits. These can be recalled at the start of each track day without having to repeat the set-up procedure. The default system settings feature the finish line/split time details of Laguna Seca, Mugello, Jerez, Sepang, and Losail.

This is topped by a latest-generation electronics package including EVO 2 strategies for the DTC and DQS up/down.

Other standard items include a lighter Öhlins suspension system, with a pressurized fork and lighter machined aluminum fork bottoms, a titanium shock absorber spring and GP-derived valves that improve the damping of road bumps during the initial compression stage.

The braking system is the best in the Brembo production range, with an MCS caliper featuring a remotely adjusted lever gap and Stylema® R calipers, exclusive to the Superleggera V4, to provide greater front-brake stroke consistency in long track runs.

Meticulous attention to detail is also obvious in the radiator cap machined from solid aluminum and the dedicated ignition key with an aluminum insert showing the bike number.

The exclusiveness of the materials and technical solutions is reflected in the limited number of bikes: just 500, all individually numbered and provided with a certificate of authenticity. The bike ID number (XXX/500), which matches the VIN, is displayed on the frame, fork yoke, and ignition key.

The start of deliveries is planned for June 2020 in Europe and, given the extreme complexity of the production of so many components, the rate is limited to only 5 bikes/day. However, all the bikes will be produced within 2020.

Superleggera customers only have the chance to purchase an exclusive Superleggera V4 premium leather suit with integrated air-bag and a carbon fiber helmet, both emblazoned with the bike's colors and graphics. Produced by Dainese, the leathers combine lightness and strength with the safety of the D-air® system. Likewise, the meticulously crafted Arai helmet - which features aeronautical-grade carbon fiber - offers unsurpassed protection and comfort.

The package that Ducati has prepared for enthusiasts who purchase a Superleggera V4 also includes access to the "SBK Experience", allowing owners to ride the Panigale V4 R, which competes in the SBK World Championship, on a test track at Mugello. Even more amazingly, 30 Superleggera V4 owners will have an exclusive opportunity to enjoy the “MotoGP Experience” and live the dream of every racing enthusiast. For the very first time, they will be able to ride a circuit on the Desmosedici GP20 used by Dovizioso and Petrucci, with the close support of the Ducati Corse technicians.

These special events and opportunities are as unique as this new Ducati model. The Superleggera V4 is extreme, designed and developed to achieve maximum on-track performance and ensure all the reliability and rider-friendliness of a road-legal sportbike.

With the Superleggera V4, Ducati pushes back the limits even further. The technical expertise and knowledge developed and continuously evolved in MotoGP are made available to enthusiasts of engineering and performance on two wheels.