They tell me I'm a dinosaur, says 'Capi-T-rex'.

Loris Capirossi may be about to start his 18th world championship season, and fifth with Ducati in MotoGP, but the 'fired up' former 125 and 250cc world champion is as determined as ever to achieve his dream of a premier-class crown.

Capirossi finished third in the 2006 world championship, behind Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi, but was joint leader with Hayden when he, team-mate Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri were involved in a horrific first turn accident at Catalunya - for which all required hospital treatment.

Capirossi, like Melandri, bravely rode injured at following events to try to keep his title hopes alive, but although he would end the year with three victories - one more than world champion Hayden, two less than Rossi and equal with Melandri - the #65 was already out of the title hunt by the Valencian season finale.

Nevertheless, Capirossi returns in 2007 ready to face the new 800cc era with a new team-mate, in the form of young Australian Casey Stoner, a new motorcycle and a new nickname...

"They tell me I'm a MotoGP dinosaur and for this reason I have decided to play on this description by changing my classic Capirex logo to Capi-T-rex" smiled the 33-year-old at the unveiling of the Desmosedici GP7. "This is my eighteenth year in the world championship but you can be sure of one thing: the feeling with the bike is the same as ever and I still really enjoy my racing, so now I am in form, fired-up and ready to give my everything again in this new season.

"This is my fifth year with Ducati, which is also a major achievement; it's not the first time I have said it but once again I'd like to take the opportunity to underline that I have found a family in this company, something which makes me feel very proud and happy.

"We are ready to face up to this new season in the best possible way, so far we have worked well with the new bike and its development. Filippo Preziosi and his team, together with Vitto, have been great as always. I can't wait to get back on the bike at Sepang to start preparations for the new season and obtain the result that I have been chasing for years and which I feel I have all the right cards to achieve," he concluded, with reference to his title dream.

The Ducati Marlboro Team will leave Madonna di Campiglio on Friday morning for Malaysia, where it will join its rivals for the first test of 2007, at Sepang from January 22-24.