The spectre of Rossi’s failure at Ducati will also have served as an incentive, says FOX SPORTS’ Chris Vermeulen.
“If Lorenzo can win races and even challenge for the world championship, he will do something that Rossi didn’t do,” he said.
“He is already classed as one of the great riders, but to become only the sixth man to win championships on two different bikes, that puts him into another class.”
In the end, Ducati’s fortunes — rather that its fortune — made it an easy decision.
Lorenzo leading Dovizioso two weeks ago in Austin.Source: AFP
CAN LORENZO WIN ON THE DUCATI?
This is what Ducati have staked their money on — and not just with their new Mallorcan rider.
The Borgo Panigale concern have not won a race since the glory days of Casey Stoner.
The two-year sojourn of Valentino Rossi, instead of delivering silverware, delivered a lot of bent machines, battered pride, and some stark home truths about the machine’s inherent vices when it came to handling.
The last three years have seen Ducati tip a lot of resources into changing the design philosophy and handling traits of their Desmosedici MotoGP bike.
As a result, the GP16 no longer has the reluctance to turn possessed by its forebears but still wields wicked straight-line speed.
But will it mesh with what Vermeulen describes as Lorenzo’s “unique” riding style.
“He’s not the latest braker, he’s not the earliest guy to get on the throttle, but he carry a lot of corner speed,” Vermeulen said.
“With the old Ducati, you’d probably say no, but the new bike gets around a corner a lot better.”
Fellow FOX SPORTS’ MotoGP expert Kevin Magee concurs, pointing to Dovizioso’s not too dissimilar riding style.
“Dovi’s stuck with his 250 GP style, and (with the changes) the bike becomes a bit more versatile because it’s got that much grunt,” he says.
“It will also depend on how the bike’s peculiarities mesh with Lorenzo’s as a rider. I can’t see it as being a problem.
“Look at the depth of the riders on the (new generation) of Ducatis and how quick they’re going.
“I’m not bagging Yonny Hernandez, but we didn’t think he was that fast. Iannone too, and we knew Dovi was quick but not quite at alien status.”
If Lorenzo does have to change himself to suit the machine, Vermeulen said we’ll have to see if he can.
“We’ve only ever seen Jorge Lorenzo on a Yamaha,” he said.
“Although over his eight years in MotoGP his style has changed and he’s progressed as a rider too.
“That’s not saying he can’t change, but if he needs to change to make the Ducati work, we’ll need to see if he can do it.”
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