The Ducati Marlboro Team finally gets to go racing on March 26 following
a long and fruitful winter of testing and development in Europe,
Australia and the Far East. Riders Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau are
looking forward to the season-opening Spanish Grand Prix with cautious
optimism, thanks to their impressive pace at the final preseason tests
at Jerez on March 10/11/12.
Capirossi, all set for his fourth year with the Italian team, and
Gibernau, ready for his debut race with the squad, were first and second
fastest during the Jerez tests, having found excellent performance from
the Desmosedici GP6 and its Bridgestone tyres. Ducati's latest MotoGP
bike is a careful evolution of its race-winning 2005 machine, designed
to offer more consistent, more rider-friendly performance at 17
different racetracks.
Livio Suppo, Ducati MotoGP Project Leader;
"Our final Jerez tests went well, but maybe we had an advantage because
we already tested there last November, so we are reasonably happy but we
also know that our rivals will get stronger. We just need to keep
working and maintain our motivation. Loris and Sete have both worked
hard all winter and done a great job giving feedback to the Ducati
engineers and Bridgestone technicians, which has helped us to build a
better machine. The rider can make a huge difference in this sport, so
our thanks to them. Over the last two seasons we struggled at the first
few races, so I hope that this year we've got a competitive package from
the start."
Loris Capirossi, Ducati Marlboro Team Rider;
Loris Capirossi impressed in winter tests at Sepang, Phillip Island and
Jerez, but the true test comes at Jerez on March 26. Winner of three GPs
over the past three years with the Ducati Marlboro Team, the Italian
aims to start the season in the best possible way.
"I think we are well prepared for the first race," says Capirossi. "The
team and Bridgestone are really strong at the moment, my bike feels
perfect for Jerez after the set-up modifications we made during the
final tests. It's not always easy to find perfect settings but the bike
is great now, and hopefully what we learned during the last tests will
help us at other tracks. We have worked very hard this winter. The bike
is better than before, the engine is more rider-friendly and the tyres
have also improved a lot. Bridgestone have done very good work over the
winter, so my thanks to them.
"Jerez is a good track, it's nice to ride and very technical,. To got
quick at Jerez you need a well-balanced bike and a good front end
because you need confidence to attack all the fast corners."
Sete Ginernau, Ducati Marlboro Team Rider;
Sete Gibernau is all set for his Ducati Marlboro Team race debut after
finalising his winter's work at the Jerez preseason tests. Although the
Spaniard is still getting to know the Desmosedici GP6, he has already
shown impressive pace aboard the machine.
"Thanks to the great work from the Team and Bridgestone I can't wait for
the season to start," says Gibernau. "It's not easy having the first
race at home but I don't think I can ever remember an easy race in this
championship. It's going to be a tough year but we are strong mentally
and everyone's going to need that strength to keep going through the 17
races. I'm ready to fight and to give my all, and if we get the results,
the payback will be amazing!
"Maintaining momentum is what really matters at Jerez - it's the kind
of track where the more you fight the bike, the slower you go. You need
good front-end contact but that's not easy because the gearbox is pretty
short, so the bike is always trying to wheelie."
The Track;
Jerez is one of the most popular events on the MotoGP calendar,
regularly attracting weekend crowds in excess of 200,000. Constructed in
1986, the track hosted its first Grand Prix the following year and has
remained on the World Championship calendar ever since.
sono state completamente rinnovate.
Most riders love the Andalucian venue because it rewards rider talent.
Many of the circuit's 13 corners flow into one another, placing the
emphasis on smooth, neat riding and stable, all-round machine
performance. The circuit character places particular emphasis on
front-tyre grip, though the many slow-speed turns also require MotoGP
riders to control wheelspin as they power out of the corners. Four years
ago the track underwent resurfacing and total reconstruction of its
infrastructure.
