The greement between Loris Capirossi and Ducati has been renewed again for one more year. Capirossi, who has raced the Ducati Desmosedici machine since 2003, the year Ducati made its debut in the MotoGP championship, has played an important role in the development and the growth of the project. The renewal of the contract linking him to Ducati is the natural continuation of a successful and functioning partnership.

The Italian rider and the Italian bike have accumulated 5 Grand Prix victories - including 4 in the last twelve months - 11 podiums and 7 pole positions together over three seasons. With this new agreement, Loris Capirossi can now look forward to a fifth successive year together with the Ducati Desmosedici, a year in which both rider and machine will be aiming to achieve greater success and to continue the constant development of new technologies that will be applied to Ducati's production bikes.

Loris Capirossi: "I am very pleased to renew the agreement with Ducati. The collaboration that has tied me to them since the start of the project fills me with honour and pride. The fact that a satisfactory agreement for both parties has been reached well before the end of the championship is a demonstration of the unity and trust that has come about during the last four years. I feel part of the Ducati family, I am satisfied and pleased with the team and believe that, even at this early stage, I can easily declare that the new 800 cc powered Desmosedici GP7 has got off to a good start and that we're going to enjoy ourselves next year.
 

"Now I have a lot of motivation to conclude this season and tackle next year with the same amount of determination and optimism and, as is my style, I will give my everything for this to happen. Ducati's dream is also mine. We work well together and together we are aiming to complete the project, bring it to its climax and fight for the world title with an Italian bike."

Claudio Domenicali (Ducati Corse Managing Director and DMH Director of Product Development): "We are satisfied that we have reached an agreement with Loris for the 2007 season: this allows us to look to the end of the season and to the future serenely and with great optimism. With his talent, his determination and his professionalism, Loris has had a fundamental role in the success of the Desmosedici project, which represents the cutting edge of the process of innovation and improvement of the competitiveness of Ducati. The understanding that has been created between Loris and his Desmosedici demonstrates, to fans throughout the world, the passion that runs through Ducati. Loris represents the most important ?sensor' of our bike and his indications, thanks to the close rapport of esteem and trust between him and Filippo Preziosi (Ducati Corse Director General) and the entire team, are turned into an increasingly greater spin-off of technology between racing and production."