Let's learn from the past but not live in it. What is it going to take?
How about this… why was Ducati successful in the past and aren't today?
- In the past the rules (WSBK/MotoGP) allowed for the use of as many motors as you wanted. So Ducati could build one-race screamers and swap them for practice/qualifying and the race. Desmodromic's were great for this because it allowed very fast valve actuation without floating the valves. In the future, the motors will all have the same rev limit AND only 5 can be used PER SEASON, so they've gotta be ultra reliable.
- In the past, Ducati had allowances in World Superbike to run prototype-level machinery and MotoGP electronics. These electronics alone are a huge asset to the team because it allows them to run special maps in every part of the track for fueling and TC. As of 2015, all of that goes away and the bikes are going to be much more restricted.
- In the past, Ducati's had special tires in both MotoGP AND World Superbike. Today they're stuck to using what everyone else has. Even though, Pirelli have made a special compound for the Ducati's (that everyone else can use) to try and help in certain conditions.
- In the past, development can be done year-round. In the future, you basically develop the bike pre-season and whatever you start the year with, is what you've gotta run the whole year with.
- In the past, Ducati (and other teams) had GPS based active suspension, which adjusted per corner. That's long gone, now all teams need to adjust pre-race and hope for the best.
Those are a few of the differences between the past and the present/future.
What Ducati has done in the past is try to make something different then everyone else. But as you can tell by what I said above, they can't do that anymore. In this restricted era, you've gotta be more LIKE your competition then UNLIKE it.
In my opinion, what Ducati needs to do is take a platform which already works; RC213V, and make a carbon copy clone. Yea, its a stupid and expensive idea, but absolutely nothing else is going to work. They either bite the bullet and spend the money OR walk away from the sport. They have excellent outside resources, the gentlemen who made the Desmosecidi and Superquadratta motors for instance. So its all about coming up with a design which is common knowledge and spending the rest of this year tweaking it.
I have a feeling, they'll go with a more RSV4 design, rather then a RC213V. Ditching the 90 degree, desmo design in favor of a narrower V, to bring the motor more forward in the frame. But we don't have to wait too long, I'm sure the first versions of the bike will be ready to test soon and the Italian spy photographers will be all over it.
In terms of making internal personal changes. I think they should hire an outside firm to produce and support the bike. They can still work out of Bologna at Ducati Corse, but it needs to be a completely different group of people. Kinda of what teams do in F1, they bring in designers and team support/principals from all over the world in order to make it happen. Ducati needs to take a huge step forward in this area and with an all-new bike for 2015, maybe they'll fix the personal as well.