Andrea Dovizioso: Dall’Igna key to new Ducati deal

Andrea Dovizoso has admitted the ambitious plans by new Ducati boss Gigi Dall’Igna to radically revamp the struggling Desmosedici for 2015 convinced him to sign a new two-year contract with the Bologna factory.

The Italian, who attracted big interest from Suzuki, has put his faith in Dall’Igna having been impressed with the former Aprilia chief since he defected to Ducati for 2014.

Dall’Igna is currently designing a radically new GP15 machine to help Dovizioso mount a consistent threat to Japanese rivals Honda and Yamaha.

Dovizioso, who has claimed three front row starts and two podiums in Austin and Assen this season, told MCN: “I am really optimistic about the new project. It is only on paper right now so I can’t decide based on the track. But I can see how Gigi has worked this year and this was good enough for me to come to a decision. With the short time he had he made a really good bike.

The base of the bike is the same but I am a lot faster than last year and I made two podiums. Still we are really far away but I like how he works and I believe in this project, so I decided to stay.”