Lorenzo 'made huge effort to change'

Ducati MotoGP team manager Davide Tardozzi has praised the 'huge effort' made by superstar signing Jorge Lorenzo to adapt to the Desmosedici.

Although often in the shadow of a spectacular season by team-mate and title contender Andrea Dovizioso, Lorenzo led races and claimed three podiums on his way to seventh in the 2017 world championship.

Tardozzi feels the five-time world champion has now done as much as possible to adjust to the bike and it is now up to Ducati to tune the 2018 machine so that Lorenzo can exploit his renowned strengths, which proved so effective at Yamaha.

"Jorge made a huge, huge effort to change his riding style, to adapt his riding style to Ducati, and finally he got some results," Tardozzi told Crash.net.

"He's still doesn't have what he needs to be fast, but it is our problem. We must bring something for him to allow him to be even faster,

"Because he adapted himself to the bike, but now it's time that we do something for him. And whenever we do this, he will be amazingly fast!"

In which area does Lorenzo need these changes?

"Corner speed. We need to let him have the bike in the hands on the entry of the corner and carry the corner speed much faster, as we know he can."

Speaking separately, sporting director Paolo Ciabatti explained that all Ducati's factory riders will benefit if they can provide the corner speed Lorenzo needs.

"We know we should develop the bike in order to help his riding style. We did a few steps in the right direction.

"I think as you can see, since we came out with the new aerodynamic package Jorge has been using it in every race, regardless of rain or dry conditions. It gives him a better feeling in the front, which is what he is still missing.

"I think if we can solve some of the problem, mainly on the chassis side of our bike, all riders using the same bike will benefit. Jorge, Andrea and Danilo Petrucci. Whatever we do to improve the bike in that area will be a benefit for all riders using the bike."

Meanwhile, Tardozzi added that it had been good for Dovizioso to have multiple MotoGP champion Lorenzo as a team-mate.

"Absolutely, yes," he replied. "I think that Jorge in a way helped Dovi to convince himself that he can be a top rider - not only a fast rider. That's the difference."

Ducati will hold their 2018 team launch on Monday (January 15) ahead of the opening Sepang test at the end of this month, when the full version of the GP18 should be seen on track for the first time.

Casey Stoner is again expected to help shakedown the new machine.