"We are disappointed and also a bit surprised at Ducati's decision," declared Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports, "especially since we have been asked numerous times for a change in the regulations to bring about a better balancing of twin-cylinder 1200cc machines towards the four-cylinder 1000cc bikes.”
“... but it must be mentioned that last year, without the presence of a phenomenal Ben Spies,” continued Flammini, “the Ducati 1198 would have dominated the championship with Haga and Fabrizio, and it is therefore difficult for us today to comprehend this decision, which of course we must respect.”
Flammini, however, said he was pleased that Ducati will continue to provide technical support for private teams that will be competing with its models in the 2011 championship.
“Recently the Superbike World Championship, according to the current regulations, has been interpreted as moving more towards competition between prototypes rather than for bikes derived from production machines,” the statement from Ducati reads. “This has led to an increase in costs, both for the manufacturers and the teams participating in the championship. This picture does not correlate with the current worldwide economic situation, which has made the securing of sponsorship even more difficult. ”
Ducati also revealed it will focus on its technical resources and product development.
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