Ducati Marlboro Team rider Sete Gibernau recorded the fastest wet lap at
Catalunya today, Loris Capirossi ending the day with the eighth fastest
wet lap. Gibernau's performance was particularly impressive considering
that this was his first wet-weather outing with his Desmosedici GP6 and
Bridgestone tyres, though it came too late for the official timed
session at 2pm. Gibernau and Capirossi ended that 40-minute outing 16th
and 14th quickest but continued working on set-up afterwards, obtaining
good results.
This afternoon's rain followed two days of dry weather during which
Gibernau and Capirossi were able to continue set-up work. Next weekend's
three-day team's test at Jerez is the final session of the winter before
the 2006 MotoGP World Championship begins in earnest at Jerez on March
26.
Livio Suppo, Ducati MotoGP project manager;
"We've learned a lot here, both in the dry and the wet. In cold, dry
conditions this morning and yesterday afternoon Loris and Sete had a
good feeling and recorded fast lap times. This means our tyres have come
on a huge amount since last year, so thanks to Bridgestone for all their
efforts this winter. This afternoon Sete had his first ride with the
bike and tyres in the rain and he ended the day with the fastest wet
time, so we're happy with that. Now we have a more or less good
knowledge of the GP6, so the goal at Jerez next weekend is to do some
long runs, so we can give Bridgestone a good indication for the first
race. We just hope the weather stays fine."
Sete Gibernau, 42 laps, 1m 44.098s (dry), 1m 56.355s (wet);
"We ended up fastest in the wet and that's what it's all about - working
and keeping our heads down. It was good to have some rain because I've
never ridden this bike or these tyres in the wet. We found a good base
for the rain, so thanks to the team and to Bridgestone for doing a great
job. We're all putting a lot of effort into this project and moving
forward step by step. It keeps me motivated seeing us get better every
time we go out. Now we just need to keep our motivation and
concentration for the whole season, no matter what the results. At Jerez
next week we just need to confirm everything we did here, keeping good
consistency in the bike and the tyres because that's what we need."
Loris Capirossi, 40 laps, 1m 44.924s (dry), 1m 59.560s (wet);
"This hasn't been a fantastic weekend for me. On the first day we had
some engine-braking problems, then yesterday, when track conditions were
at their best, I was sick, and today it was wet and very cold. Anyway,
we solved the engine-braking problems and worked well on the set-up. I
only did a few laps yesterday and today but we're okay. We still need to
fix the bike balance, which isn't easy in cold conditions. Overall, I'm
very happy with the progress made by Bridgestone at this track, which is
the most critical thing for us. This makes us confident for the first
races and for the future. Now we deserve a nice and sunny weekend at
Jerez, so we can work properly and get ready for the first race."
