Valentino Rossi expects Ducati to challenge the dominance of Repsol Honda and Yamaha in the upcoming MotoGP season.
During recent testing the Ducati riders have shown impressive pace, bringing them firmly into contention for race wins despite achieving only two podiums in 2014.
And Rossi – who left Ducati to rejoin Yamaha in 2013 – saw enough to convince him Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone could cause some surprises when the season begins in Qatar on Mach 29.
"I think that they are fast," he told Crash.net. "I saw Dovi and Iannone in great shape and I think that the [GP15 bike] is already very strong.
"So I think that during the season, for sure in practice with the softer tyre but also in the race, Ducati can be dangerous."
Ducati have not won a MotoGP race since the Australian grand prix in October 2010, Casey Stoner taking a third win of the season for the Italian manufacturer.