Five of the nine riders that began the Qatar MotoGP season-opener with the soft rear tyre were on Ducatis, including factory stars Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo.

It certainly worked for Dovizioso, who got within 0.461s of Maverick Vinales and victory.

But the rest of the top five ran the medium rear. So why were the various Desmosedicis, which range from 2015 to 2017 spec, more willing to take a risk on softer rubber?

Aspar's Alvaro Bautista explains: "I think the Ducati needs to use softer tyres because it's a bike that you ride with the rear. If you don't have good grip at the rear, you can't make the bike turn. So for this you have to use the soft tyre."

This 'rear-wheel steer' is also one of the big changes multi champion Lorenzo must adapt to, after spending his entire career on an M1.

"I think it is the opposite of the Yamaha," Bautista confirmed.

Bautista arrives for this weekend's race in Argentina looking to make amends after falling from sixth place, between Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa, just before the midway stage in Qatar.

"I was more or less in the position I expected, top six-seven, but it was strange because I didn't push harder, I just crashed. I lost a good opportunity.

"Some of the riders in front of me - especially Maverick and Valentino - were a bit faster. So I don't think I could have stayed with them, but I could fight for top six or top five with Dani. Maybe even Marquez in fourth, because he lost a lot of speed at the end. But we'll never know!"

Last year's Termas de Rio Hondo race looked set to end with two GP16 machines, the bike Bautista is now using, on the podium - until Andrea Iannone took out then team-mate Dovizioso within sight of the chequered flag.

"I hope to have to same feeling as Qatar and Sepang where the base setting was good - and I hope not to crash in the last corner like happened to Ducati last year!" grinned Bautista.

The rarely-used Termas de Rio Hondo circuit is notorious for big changes in grip due to the amount of dust at the start of the weekend. The risk of rain is another unknown Bautista would prefer to do without.

"For sure it's not easy for any of us. I think the only rider who likes the unpredictable weather is Valentino," said the former Suzuki, Honda and Aprilia rider.

"He gained a lot in the Qatar race because otherwise I don't he could make a podium if the weather conditions were normal all weekend. But he adapted to the conditions and could fight for the podium."