Dressed in “Ducati red” for the first time, Valentino Rossi announced his
motivation for the new season and that the Italian Tricolore will decorate the
official Ducati MotoGP bikes during this year’s celebration of 150 years of
Italian unity.
The team was officially presented on the snow-covered slopes of Italy’s
prestigious winter mountain location, Madonna di Campiglio. Ducati CEO and
President, Gabriele Del Torchio, met the media and gave interviews regarding the
current motorcycle market situation and the ever-growing prestigious and
significant role played by Ducati within the international motorcycling
industry.
"2010 was the final year of our three year strategic-industrial plan, presented
in January 2008. Over this period, Ducati economic and financial figures
increased exponentially in terms of profitability and production. Registrations
increased by 5% in 2010, reaching 36,200 motorcycles, enabling us to achieve a
market share of 8.6%, a 1.5 point improvement compared to the final figures of
an already positive 2009. Ducati is growing on all markets and especially in
Italy, where our share today is more than 15%, and in North America and the
Far-East where sales increased by 64%. The dramatic impact of the world crisis
on this specific market (-52% over the three past years) saw the motorcycling
industry lose 12.1% and 13.7% for our specific segment.
"In this harsh environment Ducati completed a significant turnaround, meeting
all planned goals and constantly investing on research and development of new
products. Since 2007 Ducati presented 12 brand new models, two more than the
original plan. But being innovative is not enough and the fact that defects
found on bikes during the guarantee period have now been reduced by 50% speaks
volumes about the progress made on the quality side of our work.
"A great contribution to 2010 was provided by the Multistrada 1200. Although the
motorcycle has only been available since April 2010, 8,887 were sold and 7,200
registered, conquering 14.3% market points in its segment. It was its first year
on the market and the Multistrada became the second world-best-seller.
"In 2011 a new three-year strategic planning has started, during which we will
mainly focus on our growth, both in our traditional markets and in the new ones,
and on strengthening our financial and economic structure. Our new industrial
plan for 2011-2013 will challenge us with crucial targets in all directions and
our main objective will be to continue to deliver more innovative, premium
products to Ducatisti world-wide. Races will still be the best “advanced
research and experience” laboratory and our most efficient means of keeping our
passionate and faithful Ducati fans all over the world as close to us as
possible.
"Let me welcome Valentino Rossi, and welcome back Nicky Hayden, on behalf of the
whole company and let me thank all our sponsors, especially Marlboro, whose
contribution has been crucial since the very beginning of our adventure into the
MotoGP Championship. Ducati will remain in 2012 the icon of excellence it has so
far proven to be and will deliver Made in Italy to markets all over the
world. This year we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of Italian Unity and
we are proud to accept the invitation of our country’s President, Giorgio
Napolitano, by placing the Italian Tricolore on Valentino’s and Nicky’s
motorcycles.”Valentino Rossi, being
seen for the first time as a Ducati rider, was preceded on stage by his Ducati Marlboro
teammate Nicky Hayden.
Both riders touched on a variety of topics in response to the questions from the
audience, composed of Italian and international journalists from all over the
world. Naturally, there was great interest in the Italian rider’s physical
condition following his shoulder operation last November, and in his first
impressions of the Desmosedici GP11, while Hayden spoke as a rider who has
integrated perfectly with the Italian team.
“This my third year with Ducati," Nicky said. "The start was a little bit
difficult, but it’s gotten better and better since I’ve been on this team and on
this bike. We’ve grown a lot, the bike has improved, and my relationship with
the team has improved. We made a big step from the first year to the second, and
I’d like to do the same this year. We know we have a good bike. We’ve made a
couple of little tweaks for next year by adding some staff and a few engineers
to help me. I have a strong team around me. I know being teammates with Rossi
won’t be easy, but I really don’t get too caught up in that. I focus on my job,
and that’s why I think it'll work with us. I'm looking forward to having
Valentino's information and feedback. He's been around a long time and has a lot
of experience. I think it’ll be fun. I know our team; the motivation is really
high, and the excitement with the fans in Italy is high as well. I can’t imagine
what the atmosphere will be like when get to Mugello.”
“Honestly, I had hoped to be a little better by this time,” Valentino said in
response to the first question, “but instead, it’s going to be quite a race to
have decent fitness in time for the first test. My recovery is exactly on
schedule, but it's long: we’re working hard to at least recover mobility in my
shoulder, which I’ll need to ride the bike well and to be able to fit behind the
windscreen. I won’t be able to be in top form for the first test in Malaysia,
because it will be impossible to regain full strength, but I hope to be able to
have a good seating position. The doctors assured me that the shoulder will
return to 100% in a few months. Obviously, it would’ve been better to be in
shape now, because we’ve got a lot of work to do and not much time to do it:
three tests before the championship to make the Desmosedici not only very
fast—it already is—but also a little easier to ride. We’ll have to meet each
other halfway: make the bike like I like, and as for me, adapt my riding style a
little to try and make the most of the bike. It will be an emotional challenge;
it will be difficult, but I’m happy because there’s a lot of extra motivation.
They’re very excited at Ducati; they believe in me, and we’ll do our best!”
Wrooom continues today with press conferences with Claudio Domenicali,
General Director of Ducati Motor Holding, and Filippo Preziosi, General Director
and Technical Director of Ducati Corse, followed by the presentation of the
Ducati GP11.
|
|
|
