Rabat feels fast again "like in Moto2" with Ducati

After winning the intermediate class title in 2014 and finishing third the year after, Rabat has had two difficult MotoGP seasons with Marc VDS Honda in 2016 and 2017.

He finished 21st and 19th in the standings respectively, and scored only three top 10 finishes over the two seasons - with ninth as his best result.

For 2018, Rabat will switch to Avintia Ducati to ride a 2017-spec Desmosedici.

The Spaniard was 14th-fastest on his debut test outing in Valencia, and then took sixth and seventh in the first two days at Jerez, less than a second off the pace on both occasions.

Rabat said that, unlike with the Honda, he could have good pace while running alone with the Ducati, something that reminded him of his time in Moto2.

"The most positive thing is that I could be fast alone, like in the good days of Moto2," said Rabat.

"I am really happy, I had to always follow someone to be in this situation [with Honda]. The Ducati is another world.

"You can only learn little by little, but I had a great time. I did not try to set a good time, and I ended up having a better time I did with the Honda at Jerez."

Rabat praised Ducati's aerodynamic fairing, strong acceleration and braking, and said he only sees positives for the bike.

"I really liked the wings," he said. "You can go fast in the straights with them and the bike does not wheelie, it is much smoother and that allows you to focus more on the entrance of the corner.

"The bike brakes and accelerates well. All the bikes have some negative aspects, but for now, I only see positive points for the Ducati."

Additional reporting by Jose Manuel Gonzalez Tamajon