Ducati General Manager Luigi Dall'Igna has stressed that his MotoGP team is “not favourites” to win the 2019 World Championship, in spite of its form through recent years.
The Italian marque finished runner-up in the manufacturers' table last year, while Andrea Dovizioso guided his Desmosedici to second in the riders' title in 2017 and 2018.
Despite winning seven races between its two riders, Dall'Igna believes Ducati does not sit as favourites to win the world title in 2019, but is adamant this still remains its goal.
“The goal we have is the same for some years now,” he said during Ducati's 2019 livery launch in Switzerland on Friday.
“That is to fight for the world championships. For sure, we are not favourites but we will try harder in 2019 to make it a wonderful year for all the 'Ducatisti'.”
Ducati will field a revised line-up this season, with Dovizioso now being joined by fellow Italian Danilo Petrucci, who steps up from the Pramac squad.
Dall'Igna says this new line-up is a “change in strategy” away from having two riders who were previously “acting in their own interests without regard for the good of the team”.
Dovizioso and the now Honda-contracted Jorge Lorenzo endured a frosty relationship over the previous two seasons, with the pair involved in a war of words across the 2018 campaign, while Lorenzo famously ignored team orders during the 2017 title decider in Valencia.
“For sure, one of the things we have changed this year is the rider strategy,” Dall'Igna added.
“We have chosen to move from two riders who independently thought for each other, acting in their own interests without regard for the good of the team, to insist them that if possible to optimise the overall result of the team.
“I'm not talking about team orders, I am talking about the synergy in the development of the bike and in the set-up of the bike during the race weekend.”
Commenting on new signing Petrucci – who has just a one-year deal with the works team – Dall'Igna says his “main target” has to be to win races in 2019 and to fight for the podium at every race.
“Danilo has an important story with Ducati, he has been with us since 2015 [when he joined Pramac].
“He did many great races and scored podiums with us. He didn't win any races, this has to be his main target for 2019 together with the possibility to fight for the podium in all the races.”
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