Ducati Desmosedici GP5 Technical Specifications

2005 will be Ducati's third year in MotoGP. The Ducati Marlboro Team's extraordinary debut season in 2003 ended with 9 podiums which included a fantastic win for Loris Capirossi in the Catalunya GP. Last year after a difficult start, the Italian manufacturer, from mid-season onwards, found the strength and the capacity to react, and Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss again stepped onto the podium in the final races of the season. This year the Desmosedici is ready for a new challenge. Ducati will be the only European motorcycle manufacturer present in MotoGP, facing up to the Japanese giants with the enthusiasm and passion that distinguishes the marque. The Desmosedici GP5 will take part in the 17 GPs making up the 2005 MotoGP World Championship with a series of innovations, that will continue the dream for the numerous fans of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer and treat them to new emotions.

New Rider: Spain's Carlos Checa joins Loris Capirossi in the Ducati Marlboro Team, bringing with him many years of experience in the top category of the world championship, as well as a burning desire to demonstrate his ability once again. Together with Capirossi, Carlos Checa wants to help the Ducati Marlboro Team play a starring role in the 2005 season.

New "evolution not revolution" Philosophy: This was the strategy of Ducati Corse engineers in the design and creation of the Desmosedici GP5. The Bologna manufacturer's MotoGP bike for the 2005 season is the result of the experience accumulated last year. The Desmosedici GP5 is not a new project but an evolution of the Desmosedici GP4 with three important technical innovations. The engine management system, the chassis and the swing-arm are new, and other developments are scheduled to arrive during the season.

New Technical Partner - Bridgestone: The partnership with Bridgestone is an opportunity to create positive and winning synergies on the track with the Desmosedici GP5. The accord has been signed by the Ducati Marlboro Team with one of the world's leading tyre manufacturers, who in MotoGP have demonstrated great determination and a strong ability to react, characteristics that are perfectly in line with Ducati Corse. The excellent results obtained by the Japanese tyre producer in just three years of MotoGP (one win in 2003 and two in 2004) and the opportunity to differentiate from Ducati's chief rivals, in particular with such a fundamental component as tyres, were the main reasons behind this decision.

The joint efforts of Bridgestone and Ducati have also led to the formation of the Tyre Test Team, an innovative structure created specifically for tyre development. The working group can count on the experience of Japanese test-rider Shinichi Ito and a dedicated crew, including a Ducati Corse engineer. This structure flanks the Ducati Corse Development Team, which with Vittoriano Guareschi, has followed the complex MotoGP project right from the start.

Loris Capirossi:

Carlos Checa:

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