Strategic Meeting for Ducati Corse This Week

Jeremy Burgess and crew are reportedly having a meeting with Ducati Corse in Bologna this week in order to discuss and finalize the basic outline for the Ducati Desmosedici GP11. The biggest question on the agenda is whether to use the “Screamer” or “Big Bang” motor for next year.

Other items likely to be discussed include the weight balance of the GP11 (something we already saw Burgess and Rossi working on in Valencia), and the forward fairing design. Tweets from Rossi’s Mechanic Alex Briggs confirm that he and Burgess were at least headed into Rome from Australia this weekend, seemingly confirming this report.

While Nicky Hayden tested both motors at the end of the season Valencia test, Rossi only rode on the Big Bang motor. Historically the Screamer has produced a class crushing amount of power, but proved to be very un-rideable as a total package. Meanwhile the Big Bang remained competitive against its peers, but provided riders with more feedback. Judging from Nicky Hayden’s preference for the latter, and the idea behind the devil you know, we imagine Rossi’s crew will lean towards the Big Bang setup as well.

With the GP11 more or less just a revision on the GP10, it will be interesting to see what improvements Burgess and Rossi can make to the machine in just a few month’s time, but the real test will be the GP12, which Rossi is expected to play a larger role in developing.