The first official MotoGP test of 2018 concluded this afternoon at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Andrea Dovizioso put in a good performance today with a time of 1’59.169, which propelled him to fourth place both today and in the combined standings.
The Italian factory Ducati rider today focussed mainly on notching up the laps on his Desmosedici GP 2018 machine and, despite having an harmless crash late in the morning, he was able to successfully finish the work programme defined with his team.
The MotoGP field will be back on track from 16th to 18th February in the second official test session of 2018, for the first time in Thailand, at the Buriram circuit.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’59.169 (4th – 51 laps today)
“These were three very interesting days of testing and we go away from Sepang with really good feelings. This morning’s crash complicated today’s programme a bit, but in the end we went out again for another run with the Desmosedici GP17 and were able to compare some data that confirmed the improvements of the new bike, especially in mid-corner. To be honest I didn’t expect such a clear improvement in this first test, and now we have to confirm that we are on the right path at the next tracks we go to.”

On the second day of testing at Sepang, the MotoGP riders again only went out on track late in the morning because the surface conditions were still partially damp after overnight rain.
The Ducati Team man continued his schedule programme of work, concentrating mainly on the new Desmosedici GP 2018 and ended the day in eighth place with a time of 1’59.732.
Tomorrow will see the third and final day of the first 2018 official MotoGP tests at Sepang, scheduled from 10 am to 6 pm Malaysian time.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’59.732 (32 laps)
“I’m satisfied with the work we did today and the sensations I had with the new bike, even though in the afternoon unfortunately we were unable to complete all the tests that had been scheduled. Also last year we proved that we were very competitive here at Sepang, so now we have to getter a better understanding of how much room for improvement we have with the 2018 bike, and it’ll be vitally important to verify the positive aspects on the next tracks we go to and in different conditions.”

The first day of official testing at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, taking place from today until 30 January, concluded a couple of hours ago.
The track conditions, which were damp due to the rain that fell overnight until the early afternoon, significantly reduced the useful track time for the MotoGP riders.
Andrea Dovizioso was in any case able to get the best out of the afternoon to carry out back-to-back tests between the 2018 and 2017 versions of the Desmosedici GP.
Towards the end of the session the factory Ducati rider fitted a soft rear tyre on his GP18 machine to set his quickest time, ending the day in second place with a best lap of 1’59.770.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’59.770 (35 laps)
“I’m very satisfied with the first day of testing and the feeling with the Desmosedici GP18: the new bike gives me some good sensations, especially when I come off the brakes and turn it into the corner. It’s still too early to give a definitive opinion, but I’m happy with how we have begun this test. Let’s hope that the weather in the next couple of days allows us to carry out the work schedule and the back-to-back tests we have planned.”

The 2018 Ducati Team, which will take part in the MotoGP World Championship with Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo, was presented today in the heart of the Ducati factory at Borgo Panigale, Bologna. Final preparations have now been made for this challenging season, which gets underway with the first of 19 rounds on the calendar in Qatar on March 18. Andrea and Jorge will be back on their 2018 Desmosedici GP machines, which were unveiled in a brand-new captivating red and grey livery, at the end of the month.
Andrea Dovizioso (#04, Ducati Team rider):
“Last year was a superb and very successful one, and we also learnt a lot of things on which we can continue to work this year. Our bike still had certain characteristics that made life difficult on several tracks and for 2018, we have focussed on improving these aspects because we must always be in a position to fight for the podium, at every circuit. After finishing runner-up with six wins in 2017, naturally our objective can be nothing less than fight to win the championship, but we must remain with our feet firmly on the ground because we know that each year brings with it something different. In any case we are starting off with the competitive level of last year and we must only remain focussed 100% like last year, when me and my team worked really well together.”