LarryG

Andrea Dovizioso and Ducati together beginning in 2013

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2012/A...inning+in+2013

11ninenine

I like Dovi, but he’s a poor man’s Rossi. His style won’t suit the Ducati, so unless he can change it, then he’ll suffer the same fate as Valentino.

jarelj

I think you can be guaranteed they're on the path to changing the bike so anyone can ride it, they've had enough of the "you need to adapt to the bike" failures now that I'm sure they know they made a big mistake with the direction they took from 2008 onward. Burgess said he thought they were very close to getting it sorted out, so hopefully things will be looking up by the end of the year, and then Dovi can step in with Nicky and get it the rest of the way to being competitive next year.

11ninenine

As much as I'd like to believe that, I don't see that being the case. They had two years to make Rossi happy, and it's been the same old story: empty promises. In the end, they threw everything at him, including an attempt to get Furusawa on board, and he still left. Rossi knows better than anyone that development of that bike is going nowhere fast, hence his departure.

Yes, Ducati knows that they've made a mistake, but to this point they have yet to figure out how to fix it. And based on the meeting between Furusawa and Preziosi, it seems like they've run out of ideas.

mat1529

Well have to say is very poor from Ducati, the way they have treated Crutchlow! I personally think he would have been suited better to the Ducati, but there you go. I know how much he wanted a factory ride, but deep down glad he hasn't gone to Ducati, because at the moment it's a poor bike compared to the rest.... O well will enjoy Cal beating Dovi next year anyway!