Ducati starts work on 2015 Desmosedici

Ducati has started working on the radical revamp of its Desmosedici machine it hopes will finally end a winless run stretching back to the end of 2010.

That’s the good news for British rider Cal Crutchlow. The bad news is the complete re-design of the bike will definitely not be ready until 2015 and Crutchlow will have to race for the rest of this year on the Desmosedici he’s currently struggling to find confidence and speed on.

Having been at the helm for six months now, new Ducati boss Gigi Dall’Igna said he has a clear understanding of the Desmosedici’s deficiencies and has begun the massive task of designing a new bike capable of ending Honda and Yamaha’s premier class domination.

Solving the chronic understeer that has been a long-term flaw of the Desmosedici will be Dall’Igna’s number one target.

But he admitted it is a ‘impossible’ task to deliver sweeping design changes this season.

Speaking to MCN, Dall’Igna said: “I have a better idea about the problems with the bike and we have some ideas to solve them. But this takes time and it is not something we can solve in a few days. I’m happy with the improvements to the bike at this time and if we continue in this direction we can reduce the gap.

But I have started the design of the new bike for 2015. It is a brand new bike and it is not an easy job and impossible to have anything ready before the end of this season. I would like to do the job only once, so to do that I need to have a clear idea about what I have to do and I have to design and develop some new solutions. Up to now I have needed this time to know the people and the bike and to learn everything about Ducati. Now we can start working on something new.”

Ducati rolled out a revised engine spec in Mugello last weekend, with new parts boosting top speed performance.

Top Ducati though was Andrea Dovizioso in sixth and he was never close to the podium fight.