Lorenzo: Current bike better than 'semi-new'

Jorge Lorenzo signed off from Valencia with the fourth fastest lap time on the final day of official 2017 MotoGP testing.

The factory Ducati rider's main task, alongside team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, was to evaluate a 'semi-new' bike, understood to involve some new chassis parts fitted to the present GP17.

"Today we tried again the semi-new bike. For the moment it doesn't work better than the current one," Lorenzo declared. "And many little things, the same things as yesterday, to be really sure of the way the engineers must follow for the new bike."

Like title runner-up Dovizioso, Lorenzo's main wish is to make the next Desmosedici more effective in mid-corner.

"We need the bike to turn better to be faster in the middle of the corner, in general terms. And also, if the engine can be a little bit more progressive, more docile, more smooth, it will also be fine."

The triple MotoGP champion, who finished his first Ducati season with seventh place in the world championship, confirmed that he would be willing to compromise on top speed if it helped cornering.

"I already did with the new fairing," he said. "So I am one of the riders who believes that you make more of the time in the corners than in the straights."

But the Spaniard emphasised that the bike doesn’t need major changes, given the success of his team-mate this season.

"To be honest, Dovi got a lot out of the bike. He knows the bike for five years, and he made an unbelievable championship, it looks like he understands the bike and he can get the maximum.

"Also it's true that he was very fast, but maybe in some races the management of the tyres was good, he was very good at that, and this also helped him to win some races.

"Maybe in just pure speed we will need some tenths, especially in the middle of the corners to really try to win races, a lot of races in a constant way."

Ducati will take part in a further private test at Jerez next week before deciding on the final design for the GP18.