VOL. 51 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 30, 2014 P25
DUCATI MAKING PROGRESS
D
ucati's progress
in MotoGP this
season has been
stealthy but continu-
ous. At Aragon, a
more significant step
– the GP14.2 arrived,
with a new chassis,
swingarm and body-
work offering several
improvements re-
vealed when it was
tested only a few days
before at Mugello.
The improvements,
however, didn't af-
fect the lap time, ac-
cording to lead rider
Andrea Dovizioso,
speaking just after he
had set fastest time on the first
day of practice at Aragon.
"The bike was more comfort-
able and potentially easier to
ride, he said. "But I could have
done the same time on my old
bike."
The update was available only
to him and Pramac satellite-
team star Andrea Iannone, who
was fastest in the morning ses-
sion. Second factory rider Cal
Crutchlow, set to depart at year's
end, was "still on basically the
same bike I had at round one in
Qatar."
The bike is only an interim
measure, with a complete rede-
sign, including an all-new more
compact engine, is still a work in
progress, due to be ready for the
track only in February, in time for
pre-season tests.
Reduced size is an overall tar-
get, and some of this has been
achieved with the GP14.2.
"The real positive is the size of
the footrests," Dovizioso. "The
bike is narrower there, so it is
more comfortable and easier to
ride."
The riding position and the
size of the dummy tank were also
different, and "the other positive
is we can change the set-up
more," he continued. "But the
limit we have before, being dif-
ficult to turn, is the same as be-
fore. We expected that."
It is part of a pattern of im-
provement during the season
that has seen Dovizioso not
only finish twice on the podium,
but more than halve the previ-
ous usual 20-second gap to the
leader at the end of the race. At
Silverstone he was 9.2 seconds
adrift, but at the last round at Mi-
sano a mere 5.5.
Interviewed exclusively,
Dovizioso said there had not
been one significant change, but
a series of small steps.
"Apart from the turning, every
other point has improved. Some
points a little, some points a lot.
Many things: weight distribu-
tion, electronics, anti-wheelie,
traction control, engine braking.
Step by step... but the steps
were very small."
Michael Scott
Andrea Dovizioso says the changes
to the latest version of his Ducati
were done mainly to make the bike
smaller and more comfortable.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
GOLD
&
GOOSE
