In a press conference held at the cancelled Estoril test, Filippo Preziosi, General and Technical Director of Ducati Corse, outlined the team’s testing plans in the quest for improved engine driveability and stated that Laguna Seca could see some big changes to the Desmosedici.

Speaking about Valentino Rossi’s seventh place at last weekend’s Grande Prémio de Portugal Circuito Estoril, he said: "I think the result yesterday is based mainly on the small steps taken between one practice session and the next, keeping the same basic bike set-up and just trying to solve the small problems that you have practice by practice. Of course the result is better than before, but it is not at the level we are expecting, so we know we have to close the gap."...more on the headline link above