Ducati

While late rider switches dominated the MotoGP headlines towards the end of 2019, it means focus on the 2021 silly season has sharpened and could erupt earlier than ever.

UPDATE: Avintia has now issued a press release confirming Johann Zarco's arrival alongside Tito Rabat for the 2020 MotoGP season.

With Leon Haslam joining the new-look HRC WorldSBK team and Michael Ruben Rinaldi heading to Team Go Eleven Ducati for 2020, the World Superbike championship grid is starting to take shape for next season.

An official announcement may still be pending, but Johann Zarco looks to have confirmed that he will be an Avintia Ducati rider in MotoGP next season.

Scott Redding says he has a firm direction for setup with his World Superbike-specification Ducati V4 R but concedes he’s still getting to grips with the differences from his British Superbike-specification Ducati.

Honda is completing a private test at Aragon. Michele Pirro is stepping in for the injured Leon Camier at Barni Ducati. A number of World Supersport teams are also testing at Jerez.

The World Superbike championship has clarified its rules on wings and aerodynamic aids with parts used on the standard homologated bike only permitted to be raced with.

Jack Miller confirmed the first version of Ducati’s 2020 engine is “an improvement” on what he raced throughout this year, stating its character is “nice” after the first day of MotoGP testing at Jerez.

Andrea Dovizioso used Monday’s first day of MotoGP testing at Jerez to confirm a “step” with Ducati’s new chassis, but insisted there is still much work ahead to ensure it can compete with the turning abilities of rival manufacturers.

Leandro Mercado will contest a partial 2020 World Superbike championship campaign for Team Motocorsa Ducati, with the Italian team stepping up to the Superbike class from the Jerez round.

Gino Rea will make his full-time Bennetts British Superbike championship comeback with Bike Devil Ducati.

The 2020 World Superbike championship calendar has been officially confirmed with the United States round at Laguna Seca and the Thailand round at the Chang International Circuit omitted from the schedule.

At the end of most campaigns comes hope. For Andrea Dovizioso a new chassis tested throughout Tuesday offered up plenty of that, with the Italian stating the component is a “different step [forward] than the past.”

With Danilo Petrucci ending his post-Valencia Grand Prix test after just 10 laps on Tuesday, Jack Miller has been given the bulk of his testing programme for Ducati as he got to grips with the Italian manufacturer’s prototype GP20.

Jack Miller says he has not held talks with the Ducati management about a rumoured promotion to the factory team for 2020 at the expense of Danilo Petrucci.

Full Valencia MotoGP race results

With a front-row grid slot to utilise his fast-starting Pramac Ducati, Jack Miller has joked he’ll be leading by the first corner but will let his rivals repass him as part of his Valencia Grand Prix strategy.

Full Valencia MotoGP qualifying results Fabio Quartararo has claimed his sixth and the last pole position of the 2019 MotoGP season edging Marc Marquez and Jack Miller.

Francesco Bagnaia has been declared unfit by the MotoGP medical team after suffering a left wrist fracture and has gone to hospital for further examinations following his strange crash at the exit of the pit lane during FP3 at the Valencia Grand Prix.

Jack Miller has reflected on a positive Friday ahead of the Valencia MotoGP stalled by a fall midway through FP2 which he joked “proved I am not Marc Marquez”.

On the receiving end of contact from Alex Rins at the Malaysian MotoGP, Jack Miller believes MotoGP has become more aggressive in recent seasons, partly due to the contrasting character of the bikes.

Jonathan Rea opted to sit out Day 2 of the Aragon test due to weather conditions and has rescheduled his programme for the Jerez test.

Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall’Igna has praised Scott Redding's rookie title victory in the British Superbike championship and welcomed his move into the factory's official WorldSBK team.

Marc Marquez has the opportunity to close out a perfect MotoGP campaign in 2019 if he can help Repsol Honda seal the world teams’ title and duly complete its Triple Crown.