After assessing its position during the two Sepang tests, Ducati Corse has decided to enter the 2014 MotoGP Championship under the “Open Class” rules, which means the factory Ducati team will have more fuel, more engines, and more importantly no engine development freeze for the 2014 season.
In exchange for those advantages, Ducati Corse will be forced to use the Magneti Marelli ECU package supplied by Dorna, rather than the company’s factory-developed electronics.
Explaining its decision, Ducati says that “after carefully considering the two options, [Ducati] has decided that the most suitable one for the current needs of the Bologna-based manufacturer is the Open one, which gives the possibility to the race department to continue the development of the bike and the engine throughout the entire season.”
The move has been one in the making for some time now, and heavily rumored and tipped in the paddock, despite Ducati’s attempts to suggest otherwise.
Ducati had until today, February 28th, to determine which rules package it would enter under for the 2014 season, and after feedback from Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow, Gigi Dall’Igna and his team believe the Open option is the best way forward.
“We have carefully studied the new technical regulations and have concluded that the Open option is the most interesting for Ducati, in the current situation,” said Dall’Igna. “This year we have to keep developing our bikes throughout the season to improve our competitiveness, and the Factory option appears to be too restrictive for our needs.
“We are confident that the electronics package provided by Magneti Marelli and DORNA has very good quality and will allow the correct management of all the main functions of the bikes,” he continued.
Pramac Ducati rider Andrea Iannone will also enter the 2014 season with an Open Class Desmosedici GP14, as was originally planned and communicated.
Source: Ducati Corse
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