While Spanish website motocuatro.
com is reporting the rumor that they picked up from a friend of Valentino Rossi’s during the Assen GP, that Audi, the new owners of Ducati, have made Rossi a substantial (if we understand the Spanish version of “como irresponsable” in the right context) offer to renew his contract with the Italian manufacturer.
After his criticisms regarding Ducati not having a plan and that there is a technical problem – but he defended Filippo Preziosi – Vittoriano Guareschi, Ducati team manager told the Gazzetta della Sport that development on the Desmosedici has never stopped and if there are delays, this is due to problems with their outside suppliers.
“We have never stopped and we can prove it as are working on a new engine spec that should be available at Laguna Seca.
At the start of year we plan our development, but it’s difficult to speed up the process because we design in-house, but the job is done by outside suppliers on which we have very little we have very little opportunity to intervene on.
”The new engine spec doesn’t have a different 90° L layout, it just should have a softer power delivery and has been already tested by Franco Battaini, and Rossi and Nicky Hayden will be testing it after the Italian GP at Mugello, but time is running out according to Guareschi, “We hope that it works [the engine], because only then can we can hope to convince Valentino to stay.
We would like to keep both him and Nicky, but there is not much time, because usually Brno is when all the rider contracts are closed.
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