The Valencia GP will see Jorge Lorenzo bid farewell to Ducati. It will be a special race for the Majorcan for another reason too, as he returns to his Desmosedici after having missed four races through injury (and not without controversy). At the Ricardo Tormo track, where he has won four times in the past, Jorge will have a final opportunity to salute the ducatisti.

Lorenzo will not be fully fit for the final round of the season though.

“Even though I still won’t be 100% fit, I would really like to finish my adventure in Ducati with a good result. - confirms the Majorcan - it’s difficult to know what condition my left wrist will be in, but luckily I feel much better than in Sepang and on Friday morning I’ll go out on track with the hope that I won’t have too much pain and that I can be competitive. My two years in Ducati have been very intense and I’d really like to say goodbye to my team with a good race. For sure our fans, who always come out in force at Cheste, will also help to make this weekend special.”

While Jorge may well also have the upcoming Honda test on his mind, Dovizioso will be fully focused on the Desmosedici. The Sepang race threw up some doubts and Valencia, a historically unfriendly track for the red bike, will serve to dispel or confirm these question marks.

“Sixth place at Sepang meant that I finished second in the championship and we wanted to bring home this very important result at all costs. Now at Valencia we come up against a track where in the past we have struggled quite a bit: this year however I expect us to be fast and the race will also be an important test to understand in which areas we have to improve to be more competitive next year."

Ducati will field a trio at Valencia, as Michele Pirro will also compete as a wildcard. The test rider recently tested the GP19 at Valencia and the race weekend will serve to provide a comparison with the current Desmosedici

“I’m happy to be back on track for the last round of the season and be able to work all weekend with my squad and the guys in the test team. As always, we’ll try and do a good job and bring home as much information as possible. We recently went testing here at Valencia and so we’ve got a good starting base. Let’s hope we can enjoy ourselves and finish - with a good race - a season that after my crash at Mugello has seen me recover really well."