While Ducati MotoGP team leader Andrea Dovizioso is playing down his pre-season performance and title chances, Danilo Petrucci put on a race pace display on the final day of Qatar testing which showed he could well be a spanner in everyone's works.

With an average laptime of 1'56 flat over the course of 22, the big Italian has cause for celebration as it was exactly the same average laptime as Dovizioso's run, but that was six laps shorter, so Petrucci has pace equal to that of the man Ducati expect to win the title.

"I'm happy about the feeling with my bike. But for sure there are many, many competitors. I think all the factory guys can fight for the podium, also Morbidelli and Quartararo," said Petrucci, speaking at Losail.

"It will be tough, but I think I have been the only rider to do 22 laps. I had to switch the position with Andrea in the middle, bu I think I was able to ride all the simulation in 1m 55, so I am happy.

"My lap times were very good, especially at the end. But especially the feeling with the rear tyre was OK. For sure it was not my 100 per cent potential, but I improved in this area.

"For sure this track, we haven't suffered so much, because it's very very cold. So we have to wait for Austin, for example, where we struggled a lot, and where the tyre consumption is higher."