Andrea Dovizioso says fighting for the MotoGP crown with Ducati was not “realistic” in previous years, but believes this is no longer the case ahead of the 2018 season.
Dovizioso was a surprise title contender last year after taking six wins and keeping the championship alive to the final round against eventual winner Marc Marquez.
Enjoying a positive pre-season aboard the GP18, Dovizioso is convinced Ducati is in a “better shape” than it was coming into the '17 campaign.
However, he insists this does not necessarily mean the Italian marque will remain in the championship battle throughout the season.
When asked if he is a championship contender from the first race, he replied: “Yes, because in the past when you race for a factory team, the goal is that.
“But you have to be realistic, and in the past it wasn't real like this. We had a chance, but we had some bad points and we couldn't really fight in 18 rounds.
“But this year I think we are in a better shape about everything, from my side, and from the bike side.
“This doesn't mean we can fight for the championship, but the approach is like this and for sure is much better than last year.”
Dovizioso reckons Ducati's true form will become apparent after the first few rounds, but “expects” to be quicker this season than he was last year.
“When I finish the season in a good way, the winter is wonderful,” he added.
“It was a really nice winter, really happy about last year, we did an incredible year. The positive things is how I expect to be even more competitive this year.
“So, we work very well during the winter test, Ducati work very well during the winter. We had a lot of new material to test, and I think we try everything in a right way in the three tests.
“But just the race can show the reality, so we have to wait for the race here and especially the next few rounds. I think this will be very important for us to understand our level.”
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