On Track Off Road No. 195

FOUR QS ON THE EVE OF MotoGP 2020
4) IS THE BIKE FOR
TURNING?
There appeared to be slightly
mixed messages coming out
of Bologna last week as Ducati
launched its GP20. Gigi
Dall’Igna, the factory’s technical
director, insisted making
the chassis more friendly and
easier to turn tops his ‘To Do’
list. “The chassis is the priority,”
he told reporters at the
factory’s 2020 presentation in
Bologna last week.
But then came his insistence
that having the grid’s fastest
bike was also of great
importance. Possibly even of
greatest importance. Thanks
to a much improved engine,
Honda slashed Ducati’s usual
top speed advantage in 2019
completely, allowing Marquez
to make a mockery of the idea
this is meant to be the most
competitive era in MotoGP
history. According to Dall’Igna,
it’s time to put that right.
How Dall’Igna successfully
moulds a balanced machine,
which features a sweeter
handling chassis with a more
powerful engine, remains to
be seen. There is a suspicion
his idea of a title-winning
bike differs to his riders, but
Sepang will offer a first true
glimpse of how far he has
come.
Ducatis were first, second,
third and fourth fastest at last
year’s Malaysian test without
ever excelling in terms of
pace. Checking the lap-by-lap
analysis and deciphering Andrea
Dovizioso’s impressions
should provide a better understanding
on whether factory
engineers have succeeded
where they have previously
failed.
Should Dall’Igna get it right,
Dovizioso, Danilo Petrucci and
Jack Miller can all be counted
on for taking wins away from
Marquez in the months ahead.
“Honestly speaking … it will
be more important to have the
speed of the bike to win the
race. For sure it’s easier to win
races if you have the fastest
bike on the race track. I think
to manage the race where
you have the speed, for sure
it’s important to have some
horsepower more than your
competitors.”