Why Bautista could beat Rea
Italian firm go all out to recapture former glories with a new bike and a new team
There are big expectations of Ducati’s all-new V4. “We want to make it the king of WSB,” said company CEO Claudio Domenicali at February’s Aruba team launch. Big words from a man who has never been shy with the press.
Of its three riders, factory star and three-time runner-up Chaz Davies, is the favourite, but the Welshman knows better than most it doesn’t always work that way. For the second year running, his preseason has been thwarted by injury with an old back complaint keeping track time to a minimum.
New team-mate Bautista has made many a headline, which is unsurprising for a GP world champ who, at 34, after several seasons in the doldrums feels he still has a lot to prove. He has the credentials but also new tyres, circuits, electronics and a totally new feeling to learn. Here, as world champions Rea and Kawasaki head into their fifth year together, we look into the chances of Ducati’s new, world-beating V4 and the chances of its riders...