Ducati no longer 'embarrassing' in MotoGP
Ducati is no longer in an "embarrassing" position in MotoGP after the progress it has made during the 2014 season, according to sporting director Paolo Ciabatti
The Italian team has not won a race since Casey Stoner's victory in the 2010 Australian Grand Prix, but '14 was its most encouraging campaign since then, as it closed the gap to the frontrunners and took three podium finishes with Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow.
Ducati controversially opted to run under 'Open' regulations this year, allowing it more scope for development in exchange for running a standard ECU.
As this dispensation was originally intended for satellite and private teams, MotoGP adjusted the rules to create a halfway-house 'Factory 2' category for the Ducatis.
Ciabatti admitted that the rules breaks had helped Ducati regain competitiveness, but felt there was no option given the scale of the turnaround required.
"We are allowed to keep developing our bike with some concessions but that is what we needed because we ended 2013 with a very embarrassing gap to the top," he said.
"The main target for us was to be within 10 seconds of the winner. We achieved that.
"We have proved that we can be very fast in qualifying, and we achieved three podiums.
"Obviously we are quite pleased with the season. We are happy. We know that we still need to work hard."
He also praised Dovizioso's contribution, suggesting that the Italian was challenging Marc Marquez, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa for a place among MotoGP's elite.
"There are four riders who are maybe in a special league, but we think that Dovizioso this year has been so strong, so consistent, so fast and we are very, very pleased," said Ciabatti.
Dovizioso stays on at Ducati for 2015, with Andrea Iannone promoted from the satellite Pramac team to join him after being given works equipment for much of this year.
Crutchlow has left the team after a single season and will ride for LCR Honda.
DUCATI'S RECOVERY IN NUMBERS
Average gap from race winner to top Ducati:
2011: 27.997s
2012: 29.546s
2013: 32.362s
2014: 17.415s
Average gap to pole
2011: 1.137s
2012: 1.098s
2013: 1.144s
2014: 0.547s
Manufacturers' points:
2011: 180
2012: 192
2013: 155
2014: 211
Podium finishes:
2011: 2
2012: 2
2013: 0
2014: 3
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