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Ducati's managing director has boasted to Crash.net that the team is ready to win more in 2006 than last year.

Federico Minoli, who is also president of the marque's MotoGP team, said that he was confident of the team's success: "We race to win and, in our fourth year of MotoGP, we expect to win more than we did in 2005."

"We are sure that the team is stronger this year and we are ready for this fourth season with all the right cards to get some good results and capitalise on our investment. Racing is in Ducati's DNA, we feel that we are responsible for taking and communicating Italian technology all over the world, and we are proud to be able to do so."

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He added that the team's sponsorship deal with Phillip Morris would continue during 2006, with the Marlboro colours staying on the Ducati motorcycles despite ever increasing regulations on sport advertising.

"I am extremely pleased to be able to announce today that Ducati Corse has extended its sponsorship agreement with Phillip Morris International until 2011," he said.

Meanwhile new signing Sete Gibernau praised the Ducati team in an interview with the Press Association.

"Being in a team which is 100 per cent behind me, with the ambitions, the means and the enthusiasm to produce good results, is like realising a dream," he said.