Ducati MotoGP project leader Filippo Preziosi says Valentino Rossi's input into the team has already exceeded his expectations.
Rossi has only had two days of testing with Ducati so far, and that was compromised by discomfort from his injured shoulder, but speaking at the team's 2011 launch at the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort, Preziosi said Rossi was already making a huge difference to Ducati.
"His capacity for detail in describing the behavior of the bike is exceptional," said Preziosi. "It was beyond what I was expecting, but it is also his ability to create a good atmosphere in the team, too. If you could see the electricity and the power in Ducati...he is a professional expert."
Although Ducati did not announce that it had signed Rossi until mid-August last year, it is believed that the deal was done very early during the 2010 season, in a similar manner to his arrangement to move from Honda to Yamaha for 2004. Boss of Ducati Corse and road bike production Claudio Domenicali confirmed that the team had been chasing Rossi long before the contract was revealed.
"For some time, we've been focusing on getting him," said Domenicali.