Ducati launches 2015 GP15 MotoGP bike

Ducati has launched its 2015 MotoGP bike, the first completely new design since the team was restructured following Audi's acquisition of its parent company

The GP15 will make its public track debut at the second Sepang winter test next week.

Ducati used an interim 'GP14.3' bike for the opening test earlier this month.

The 2015 bike has a new chassis, as Ducati aims to end a victory drought that now stretches back to the 2010 Australian Grand Prix.

Andrea Dovizioso stays on for a third year, with Andrea Iannone moving up from Ducati's satellite team Pramac to join him.

Dovizioso said he had been surprised by the extent of the changes to the bike.

"I didn't expect it to be so narrow and compact," he said.

"It's incredible. It looks different, but what is really different - I feel - is the heart, what's inside.

"We are transforming the bike we had last year so we can have both an evolution and revolution."

Ducati's sporting chief Gigi Dall'Igna is optimistic that Ducati now has the rider and bike combination required to challenge Honda and Yamaha on a regular basis again - and to finally win again.

"We have to fight against bike manufacturers with a long MotoGP tradition and against four riders among the best ever, but I really believe in our Andreas," he said.

"Our aim this year is very ambitious, because we want to win at least one race. We know that it is an extremely tough objective, but we are used to accepting the most difficult of challenges."

He added that the GP15 would be a more user-friendly bike than its predecessor.

"With the GP14.3 we have made some major progress with the software, which will be easy to switch over to the GP15, but also steps forward in the suspension, chassis and engine departments," said Dall'Igna.

"The GP15 will start with the same settings as the GP14.3, but it will have many more possibilities for adjustment."

Last season was Ducati's best in recent years, as it took three podium finishes and closed the gap to the frontrunners.

Its progress was helped by a controversial switch to Open class regulations, which allowed it greater development freedom in exchange for running a spec ECU.