MotoGP News
Date: 15/September/2011
The rumours that Ducati will drop its ambitious F1-style carbon fibre MotoGP chassis in favour of a conventional aluminium frame were proven partially correct at Aragon on Thursday.
On the eve of round 14 of the 2011 season, struggling MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi announced that the front part of one of his Desmosedicis will be changed from carbon fibre to aluminium for this weekend's grand prix.
The decision to switch materials was made after Rossi tried the aluminium during a test on the 2012 1000cc Ducati at Mugello last week. With no more in-season testing of 800cc bikes allowed, Rossi now hopes that his positive feelings from the 1000cc test will be replicated at Aragon.
Rossi, who has struggled with the front-end of his Ducati all season, explained:
"We tested at Mugello last week where we tried something different with the bike to improve the front feeling and turning. The lap time was not so bad, I was a bit faster than last time, but especially the feeling was quite good."
But the Italian was quick to point out that the change doesn’t mean Ducati has scrapped its philosophy of using the engine as a major load-bearing part of the bike.
All other MotoGP bikes - from Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki - carry the engine inside a twin-spar aluminium frame.
Ducati has never used such a design, instead starting with a steel trellis frame in 2003, before making the engine 'stressed', then introducing carbon fibre for the front and rear (swingarm) sections from 2009 onwards.
"It is not a frame [like the Japanese bikes]," Rossi stated. "The philosophy of the Ducati remains the same, but the front part of the bike is a bit different. It is in aluminium and not carbon fibre like before."
Although he claimed to have felt improved feel from the aluminium, Rossi claimed that the change of material is mainly to do with speeding up the development process. Rossi is currently enduring his longest losing streak in MotoGP and has taken just one podium so far this season.
"The material is especially a question of time," he said. "Because we have to work a lot to try to understand the bike and with aluminium we need a lot less time to make modifications, compared to the carbon fibre.
"This is just the first step. We will keep working and try to come back and fight at the front."
Aragon was one of Ducati's best races last season, when Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden finished first and third. "Last year the Ducati was very strong and so we hope we can be closer to the top guys this weekend," said Rossi.
Changing subject, the #46 also confirmed that he will now race in the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, having earlier suggested he would not attend due to the risk of radiation from the damaged Fukushima power plant.
"I will go to Japan to race. All the tests have been negative so it looks quite safe," he said.
With 2011 title leaders Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner also retracting their early 'no-go' statements, a full 17-rider line-up is expected for the October 2 race.
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