Ducati GP5

Ducati's MotoGP season got off to a flying start today on the Grostè glacier (at an altitude of 2470 metres) as the Desmosedici GP5 appeared in its 2005 livery for the first time amidst the spectacular Dolomite mountains in northern Italy.

"The motorcycle that Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa will race this season is the result of an evolution, not a revolution of the GP4," explained Ducati Corse CEO Claudio Domenicali yesterday during the press conference. "We learnt from the mistakes we made last year, when we arrived at the first Sepang tests with a completely different motorcycle from the previous version and with no chance of turning back.

"The Desmosedici GP5 is the result of the work we did last season when, despite the difficulties, we didn't lose heart and we found the equilibrium we were looking for, as was demonstrated by our improving performance over the last few races and the two podiums at the end of the season. The studies that led to the creation of this motorcycle follow a principle of reversibility, which allows us to retrace our steps at any time and make comparisons with previous solutions."

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