Capirossi surprised by Melandri's form

The reigning champion team dropped Capirossi at the end of 2007 after five seasons and recruited Melandri from Gresini Honda in his place.

Capirossi had struggled to match teammate Casey Stoner and to acclimatise to the 800cc version of the Ducati last year, but Melandri has been even further off the pace, with fourth in China his only remotely competitive performance.

"It's a particularly difficult season, and it's difficult to even talk about it, because Ducati wanted Marco 100 percent, that's clear, but unfortunately he isn't getting the results everyone and most of all he expected," Capirossi told Italia1 television.

"So it's tough. I don't think anyone expected these results from Marco, but then he's never managed to find a good feeling with the bike: every time he's tried to push a bit harder he would slide off, so it's a difficult situation."

Last weekend's British Grand Prix marked a new low for Melandri. He showed better form in practice in Britain only to qualify at the back again and then finish a distant 16th - almost lapped by his victorious teammate Stoner, and behind even early crasher Alex de Angelis, who rejoined and passed the man he replaced at Gresini.

Afterwards, Ducati team boss Livio Suppo said he was utterly baffled by Melandri's poor form.

"On one side of the garage we are delighted: Casey has done one of his weekends like in Qatar this year and many times last year, so we really have to congratulate him," Suppo told Italia1.

"Unfortunately Marco has done a really difficult race. He wasn't able to do the lap times he did in practice, where he ran in the high 1:29s, while today he was more in the 1:32s than in the 1:30s. So we must understand what's happening to him and how to help him. It's certainly a very difficult moment."

Suppo said Alice d'Antin Ducati duo Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli's recent progress raised even more questions over Melandri's riding on the works machine.

"We are doing our best, but I'm really struggling to understand why Marco absolutely can't ride this bike," he said.

"Today both Toni and Guintoli did some definitely better lap times, with Toni fighting with Randy de Puniet. So I don't think there is this impossibility to ride this bike except for Casey. Marco however can't, or rather he can sometimes like in practice when he lapped in the 1:29s but then falls into the 1:32s, so we really need to understand why."

Melandri admitted at Donington Park that the best solution for both parties might be for him to split with Ducati, and Capirossi believes he now expects to be dropped.

"I think Marco is thinking of his future outside red colours," said the Suzuki rider, who was at Donington Park to support his team while recovering from a hand injury.