Englishman Cal Crutchlow tested the Ducati Desmosedici in Valencia on Monday and spent the day working with his new team, as preparations for next season commenced in earnest.

Crutchlow, who continues with Crew Chief Daniele Romagnoli with whom he previously worked at Monster Yamaha Tech3, now looks to improve the fortunes of the Italian factory in the premier class. Alongside existing Ducati Team rider Andrea Dovizioso - previously his Tech3 teammate, in 2012 - Crutchlow will also work with new Ducati Corse General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna.

“Different!” he summed up his opening day. “The Ducati was something I wasn’t used to. After three years, a different manufacturer is always going to feel alien, but I enjoyed it and it was good fun. Working with the Ducati crew is very different to what I’m used to but good, so we’re excited about the next few days.”

During Monday’s test, Crutchlow put in 39 laps on this year’s Ducati, adapting to the machine and eventually notching up the sixth best time of the day on his 36th tour.

“As with anything, I’m used to something else, so it just doesn’t do what I’m used to but maybe that’s just the way this bike works and I have to adapt to it,” the Coventry-born rider continued. “We definitely found some positives with the bike: with the braking on the straight, we are able to stop in a lot shorter a distance than I was yesterday or the day before. Also, the acceleration and gearbox feel a lot better to what I’m used to. There were also some negatives but that is why we were giving the good feedback to the Ducati guys. Dovi and I seemed to be saying very similar things, which is good, so they can create a project for next year.”

Crutchlow’s 1'32.054 quickest time compared favorably to his best race lap from Sunday on the Tech3 Yamaha (1'32.369) and was just over one tenth of a second slower than the efforts of Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone (Energy T.I. Pramac Racing).



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