After KTM, Honda and Yamaha put their respective prototypes for 2027 on track at the end of last year and the beginning of the current one, Motorsport.com can confirm that on Monday Ducati joined them with a first shakedown of its Desmosedici GP that it is developing under the new technical regulations.
Veteran test rider Michele Pirro has been tasked with the shakedown on Monday and Tuesday at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, which is also hosting a double session of the ‘V2 Future Champ DUCATI Academy’, an initiative promoted by the Bologna-based manufacturer and directed by Pirro for clients of the Panigale V2 model who want to compete with the bike. This private championship, which will have a second test in Mugello at the beginning of May, will have be run over of six rounds, concluding at the end of September in Cremona.
Amid this event, Ducati test team technicians have enabled Pirro to shakedown the 850cc prototype, run without ride height devices and with reduced aerodynamics. In addition, Pirelli has sent personnel and tyres it is developing for 2027 to Misano for the test.
World Superbike championship leader Nicolo Bulega, who is scheduled to be responsible for the initial tests for Ducati, will remain the rider planned to oversee the development, but the Misano outing is seen as purely a shakedown to check everything is in place with the new prototype. The first real test with the new bike will be with Bulega in a few weeks time.
Michele Pirro, Ducati Team
Photo by: Qian Jun / MB Media via Getty Images
While Ducati joins KTM, Honda and Yamaha to complete tests with the 2027 bikes, the only manufacturer that has not yet put its 850cc prototype on track is Aprilia.
Although several dates had been considered for the ‘debut’ of the Aprilia RS GP27, Motorsport.com understands that the new 850cc bike will be tested on the Thursday and Friday after the Spanish GP, in a private test that will take place at Jerez and where, in addition to the Italian team, there will be other MotoGP manufacturers in action.
After the Spanish GP on the 24-26 April, Jerez will host the first official MotoGP test of the season on Monday with the 1000cc bikes and Michelin tyres, followed immediately by two days of Moto2 and Moto3 testing on Tuesday and Wednesday, before the private MotoGP tests on Thursday and Friday.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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