It’s not only MotoGP engines and chassis that are under constant development. Many other parts of the bikes, perhaps every other part, are also constantly scrutinized to see if changes might improve the performance of the bike, or if changes are required in one piece in order to accommodate changes desired in another.

Cooling a MotoGP engine is not as easy as it sounds. The type of engine determines its width and its width determines how much room is available on the sides of the engine for air flow.

Yamaha’s inline four is wider than Honda’s V4, for example. But a V4 is deeper front to back, which creates its own complications relative to an inline four.

Air flow over the radiator is largely a function of the vent design. For an engine under development, such as that in the Ducati GP15, the vents in the fairings are good candidates for change as other features beneath the fairing are updated.

Here at Mugello the GP15 has an updated fairing in the form of inserts in the two main vents. Why have these inserts been added? I don’t know if it’s to reduce airflow through the radiator or to direct the air flow in a different way for some other reason. I will try to find an answer from a Ducati mechanic tomorrow.