Lorenzo feels more valued within Ducati

The three-time MotoGP champion has been signed by Ducati with a view to winning its first riders' title since Casey Stoner's 2007 triumph.

Lorenzo's acclimatisation to Ducati's Desmosedici after nine years on Yamaha's M1 was harder than he expected although he did finish the final test in Qatar - the scene of this weekend's season opener - fourth.

Asked by Autosport about the large number of Ducati engineers in the garage to help him, Lorenzo said: "That's something I would have liked to change in Yamaha.

"I used to see [Marc] Marquez's garage full of engineers. I asked for that but it never came.

"In Ducati they treat me with a kind of admiration; in Yamaha I felt just like any other employee.

"I could be an important piece of the thing, yeah, but in Ducati they respect and admire me a lot.

"They know they hired me in order to develop a better machine and to take a step ahead in performance."

Lorenzo says that starts at the very top with general manager and technical director Gigi Dall'Igna taking a hands-on approach.

Dall'Igna has overseen Ducati's reemergence since joining the manufacturer in late-2013, having previously worked with Lorenzo in the 125cc and 250cc ranks with Derbi and Aprilia.

"Despite being a warm blooded Italian, Gigi is cold, perfectionist and has a method," Lorenzo said.

"He's a mix of German, Japanese and Italian. He's got a strong method and I think Ducati changed a lot since his arrival.

"The main difference from Yamaha is that Gigi is at a different level than the rest of the engineers, but you just can't see that because he's completely integrated in the group.

"When the rider comes in he and the rest are on their knees to listen to him. In Yamaha the highest engineers don't have too much contact with work in the garage.

"Dall'Igna is a much closer person and that makes it possible to solve problems very quickly."