What the he** is wrong with Ducati WSBK?

I know right? I don't think the engine program was fully realized this season, and they are focusing on next year, leaving riders SOL

 

Did they not make a major change in thei suspension componentry? Also, their WSBK team manager moved to BMW?......so perhaps with that move, they went backwards as a team a bit.

 

I may be wrong but, I heard a whisper that Ducati are getting a weight reduction. Can anyone confirm?

 

I think that's the case: Haga is well past it now.

I remember him saying at the end of 2008 when he signed for DUCATI , that it was next year or never, and that he would have no excuse for not clinching the title.

Well, he didn't do it last year, and this year even Checa on a privy Duke is able to 'smoke' him!!

Move over Haga ...

 

Twins will get a 3kg break for Miller on. I don't see that making any appreciable impact on the results, but you never know. In recent history the Ducati has never been the fastest bike in a straight line but always had the total package over race distance. That could mean the twin's power was easier to consistently manage for 45 minutes, or its ability to be more gentle on the tire, or its weight distribution allowed for better corner speed. Many things, but having the most power has never been one of them, especially since 2003 when literbikes were allowed in.

I have been a fan of World Supers since the Doug Polen days and watched the series ascend, wane, and now ascend again. To me the inherent advantages a bigger twin had in the past are minimized today. Useful traction control for all the fours means that the now-excellent and durable Pirelli tires last much longer for everyone. The literbikes have improved so much on handling in the past 5 years that Ducati doesn't really have an advantage there either today. The torque of the twin still is great off the corner, but you have bikes with another 20 hp on the Ducati, and that is an advantage for the rest of the straight.

As far as Haga goes, it is difficult to say. It had to be a hard pill to swallow when Fabrizio beat him the penultimate weekend last year, stealing 5 points that would have came in handy to fend off Spies for the championship. Haga seems to be a rider that always has had his ups and downs, I wonder if he is demoralized and burnt out at this point. I would guess he would not be on Ducati next year. Whether that means he retires or jumps to another team (Ten Kate? BMW?) remains to be seen. I wonder if his relations with Aprilia are good after his year on the Cube? It is basically the same set of guys at Aprilia that fielded that bike years ago.

 

Well, I was there with the official Honda management from Japan, and we thought that the height of Kyalami was helping the bigger engine size of the Ducatis for race 1.

It was a very nice surprise to see the fantastic 2nd race of Jonny Rea battling the Suzuki... but this time with no Ducati around...???

Haga was not even on the second group.... he was always on the 3rd party... not even an hint of aggressiveness....