World Superbikes has always been thought of as being very pro-Ducati and this season there have been even more grumblings amongst the other teams on the rules on Ducati running a 1200cc, despite the usual statements to the contrary that the twin is less competitive than it’s four cylinder cousins.
Apparantly Ducati’s Xtreme or 1199 or whatever it’s going to be called when it debuts, it is already scaring the other competitors who are demanding that the rules on running 1200cc’s become even more restrictive, meaning more technical handicaps.
However Ducati who pulled out their factory effort at the end of 2010 to concentrate on production and against the already penalizing rules and rising costs may decide not to homologate their new Superbike in 2012 for World Superbikes according to blogobike.
it, if these rules should become even more penalizing towards them.
The Flammini’s have their hands tied and even if they wished to help Ducati out rules wise (they didn’t take the factory team withdrawl well), it could become a boomerang as conceding more to the Italian manufacturer could see the pull-out of the other remaining factory teams (Yamaha will be pulling out at the end of the season) and everyone would see the manouver as playing favourites, again.
Also privateer teams already running Ducati’s may not want to take the chance on spending money they don’t have on the new mean Superbike machine which isn’t tried and true and may have teething problems as all new race bikes have.
We’re personally taking this rumor with more than a grain of salt, because we can’t believe that Ducati who has very deep roots in motorcycle racing and prides itself on its heritage (300 wins) would actually not want to homologate the much awaited Xtreme for World Superbikes and would make this suicidal decision.