MotoGP: 2016 Ducati will keep wings

Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall'Igna believes tꦜhe factory is close to ꦅreaching the optimum design and layout for its MotoGP winglets.
Dall'Igna was hired from Aprilia to help turnaround Ducati MotoGP fortunes, witꦛh thi𒅌s year's GP15 the first machine designed under his leadership.
One of the most 🅠striking features of the "95% new" bike𒐪 was the addition of winglets, Dall'Igna revisiting a concept last used by Ducati in 2010.
The initial single-plane winglets made their debut durin🐭꧋g testing for round one in Qatar, before being extended at the Sachsenring. A second set of winglets - similar to those unveiled by Yamaha at Misano in September - then appeared at the front of the bike during practice for October's Japanese MotoGP.
"Aerodynamics, I think, is one of the areas where in motorcycle🦂 racing we didn't think too much in previous years," Dall'Igna explained. "So I would like to focus on it and I'm quite happy about the improvement that we did during this year.
"The winglets increase the weight of the front wheel. So for anti-wheelie it is something that can help you. I don't expect to increase the winglets in futu🐬re. Maybe we can adapt a little bit, some small details we can improve, but𓂃 not a lot."
Ducati claimed eight podiums this s🎶eason - five for Andrea Dovizioso and three for Andrea Iannone - but the wait for a first r🌳ace win since 2010 continues.
"We cannot reach our target f💜or the season, which was to win one race, so we are not so happy," Dall'Ig🅘na admitted.
"I can divide the season into three parts: The first part where we were quite co♛mpetitive and fight all the time for the podium, sometimes the victory. The second part where we lost something in comparison with our competitors. And the final part where we came back with some really good results."
Dovizioso increasingly struggled with braking, while traction was the biggest issue for Iannone. Dall'Igna explained that the top priority for the GP16 - which he confirmed will keep th꧙e winglets - is to adapt to the newꦕ Michelin tyres and single ECU software.
"We have some ideas to try to solve these [braking and traction] problems, but for sure at the moment we have to manage the two big steps for the new rules. The new tyres and the software," he said. "So at🌠 the moment we are focusing on that and after we will come back to the issues of this year."
Iann🦩one finished fifth in the world championship while Dovizioso, who took four of his podium𒊎s in the opening five rounds, slipped to seventh.
Ducati will꧅ join Honda aꦅnd Aprilia for a private test session at Jerez next week, just before the start of the winter testing ban.
The new GP16 will then make its debut during the firs♉t test of next year, at Sepa😼ng in February.
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Ducati debuts 2015 winglets - Qatar MotoGP |
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Ducati winglets extended - German MotoGP |
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Yamaha debuts its winglets - San Marino MotoGP |
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Ducati adds a second set of winglets - Japanese MotoGP |
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Jorge Lorenzo wins a race with winglets - Valencia MotoGP |

Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki ꧅exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.