Ducati´s Casey Stoner was third on the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix Friday timesheets courtesy of his best effort in the morning run, a session at the end of which he was flicked off his Desmosedici GP8 and suffered bumps and bruises, including a knock to his already injured wrist.
Only one of the 19 MotoGP riders out on track was able to improve his times in the afternoon session as the rain worsened, Dani Pedrosa bettering his best effort at the bottom of the timesheet, whilst Stoner registered the eighth fastest time of FP2 as he sought to rebuild his confidence.
On the other side of the Ducati pit-box Marco Melandri was tenth fastest in the afternoon but fourteenth quickest overall - courtesy of a best lap recorded earlier in the day in the opening 90 minute free practice run.
Casey Stoner - third
`The track conditions vary drastically between the old surface and the new. Grip is good on the old stuff but there isn´t even minimum grip on the recently laid asphalt and the rain makes it much worse because it isn´t draining off. If it continues to rain like it did this afternoon then I´m not sure the conditions will be safe enough to race in. As far as the layout is concerned there are only a couple of critical areas - in particular turn five, where the run-off is very short. There´s not much we can do about that right now though - the best thing would be to stick an air-fence in. This morning I crashed on the section where the grip is poorest and that´s obviously not good for the wrist but thankfully it didn´t create any major problems.´
Marco Melandri - fourteenth
`I like the design of the circuit – it´s fun but unfortunately there are too many different types of asphalt and the new part is definitely the worst, especially with the rain. The bike tends to aquaplane and you can´t see anything because of the reflection off the water. Grip on the older part is good, although if it keeps raining it´s going to get really difficult. There are two or three dangerous corners: turns one, five and six, where the walls are too close. This morning we started out cautiously but we improved towards the end, whilst this afternoon we didn´t get chance to make too many improvements because the conditions were so bad.´
Rumours abound as to who will be accompanying Casey Stoner in riding the Ducati Desmosedici next year and, whilst those names put forward have yet to be either confirmed or denied, the Italian factory are expecting decisions and announcements to be made in the coming week.
The factory team could see two MotoGP World Champions sharing the garage, with Nicky Hayden hotly tipped to be the prime candidate for the seat vacated by the outgoing Marco Melandri. Ducati MotoGP Project Manager Livio Suppo would not rule out the `Kentucky Kid´, and conceded that he was one of the riders being looked at for 2009.
`Of course (we have been looking at Hayden), there are a lot of rumours about this, but we will see next week,´ said Suppo, who was tight lipped about naming names for the vacant spots in both the factory and satellite Ducati outfits.
`Next week I think will also be the time to know the riders lineup for the second team (currently Alice Team). We will definitely be keeping Paolo Campinoti in charge.´
Prolonged speculation has surrounded a return to competition for Sete Gibernau, the former MotoGP World Championship runner-up who this year swung his leg over the Desmosedici GP8 and GP9 in testing at Mugello. Links with MotoGP Legend Angel Nieto and son Gelete have placed Gibernau on a fifth Ducati machine, sponsored by the Onde 2000 project that debuted in the 125cc category this year.
`We´re talking with the Nietos to set up a one-bike team, but it´s unfortunately also a little to early to talk about that,´ said Suppo, acknowledging the link between the Ducati MotoGP plans and the Spanish veteran. `We like Sete, and he´s done some tests this season in which he has proved to be very fast, so why not?´
Suppo also confirmed that Niccolo Canepa, currently testing the Desmosedici as part of the test team in-between wildcard superbike appearances, could possibly play a part in the 2009 season in some capacity.
Following a difficult start to the year Toni Elias is one of the form riders in the MotoGP World Championship at present, with his Brno and Misano rostrum runs making him hot property in the rider market.The likeable Barcelona man initially struggled to settle with new employers Alice Team at the beginning of the year, as he – like fellow new arrivals at Ducati Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli – failed to get to grips with the Desmosedici GP8 early in the season.
Disqualification in a difficult home GP at Barcelona was a low point for the former Honda Gresini man, but some long discussions with Ducati Corse boss Filippo Preziosi at the post-race Catalunya test and some subsequent machinery updates have turned Elias´ season around.
A good ride to seventh place at Laguna Seca has been followed up by two excellent showings at the last two rounds, moving Elias up to twelfth in the general standings with the top ten well within his grasp.
Alice Team boss Paolo Campinoti, who took over the reigns from Luis d´Antin earlier this season, is understandably delighted with the 25 year-old´s form.
The Italian manager commented, `Fortunately this good period we are having goes on and I hope we can continue this in the future. He is improving race by race and this was another good one. It was a good fight. It is very good for us to keep going in this way.´
On Elias´ upturn in form Campinoti added, `I think Toni is more confident on the bike and he has really improved. I think it is normal to have a few problems at the beginning so hopefully in the future he will continue like this.´
Elias has been linked with a possible move onto Kawasaki machinery in 2009 and himself joked, `I am free if somebody wants me´ after the race at Misano on Sunday, but Campinoti wants to retain his services if possible – whereas Sylvain Guintoli is unlikely to feature for the team next season.
Campinoti said of the situation, `It is not clear yet. I am doing my best to confirm Toni, but with the other rider it is too early to decide. It is not so probable that Sylvain will remain with us.´
The MotoGP Teams Get Ready For Le Mans
The Le Mans circuit has had some modifications to the layout in readiness for the MotoGP improving safety to the revised new lap length of 4,185m while keeping it’s unique character.
Valentino Rossi on the Fiat Yamaha is hoping to continue his good fortune from his win in China earlier this month. It was the first win for the Italian so far this season and he hopes to take his next victory on the French circuit, which he feels he should have done better at last year.
Rossi said “Last year Le Mans was incredibly disappointing for us. We were hoping for a good result in the dry, but the rain came and things didn’t go as planned. This year, however, we’re going there on a high after the fantastic result in China and I’m confident we can have a good weekend. Yamaha usually go well at Le Mans and, although it’s the first time we’ve been there with Bridgestone, I’m confident we’ll be strong there. I’m nine points from the top of the championship but our rivals are very motivated too, so there’s no let-up and we must go for the maximum points again.”
The reigning champion, Casey Stoner, is hoping for a better performance at Le Mans although he has already confessed to it not being one of his favourite tracks but is eager to get on with the job in hand and decrease the 25 point difference between himself and the current leader of the 2008 championship, Dani Pedrosa.
The Ducati rider said “I haven’t had outstanding results at Le Mans in the past, but they have been good and I remember being really fast in practice last year and being confident for the race. Then on Sunday it rained but I still came away with a podium.”
“The track itself is not the most exciting. It’s more like a go-kart track, the bike has to be really efficient on the brakes but agile at the same time, and quick on the exit of corners. But at the end of the day the objective is still the same, whether you like the track or not.”
His team-mate, Marco Melandri has had success on the track in the past and said “I think I can do well there because I won in 2006 and last year I made the podium. Personally, I have always liked this track so hopefully I can get another good result.”
The Kawasaki rider, John Hopkins is hoping to be back to full fitness for the next race after injuring his leg at the Shanghai round. He caught the back of his knee on the footpeg of his Ninja after getting in a tangle with Alex de Angeles, forcing him off the track but he rejoined and continued to take fourteenth position in the race.
Hopkins said “My leg is completely black and blue with bruising but, while it looks quite nasty, it hasn’t caused me any problems. I’m confident it won’t be an issue on the bike. I’m looking forward to Le Mans because it’s a track that suits my riding style. There’s a lot of hard braking, quick changes of direction, and hard acceleration, and that’s exactly what the ZX-RR has been designed for. When you combine this with our Bridgestone tyres, which always seem to work well here, I think we’re in a strong position.”
His team-mate, Anthony West was equally disappointed with his race at Shanghai and has been working hard with his crew to solve the traction problems he has had since the start of the season.
West said “I’ve had some problems this year with the rear tyre spinning up too easily out of the turns but, after discussing the problem with my crew and Kawasaki’s technical staff, we think we’ve identified what we need to change on the bike to see an improvement in this area. If we can fix this problem, then I am confident that a top ten finish in France is a realistic goal for me.”
Chris Vermeulen who won at the French circuit last year in the pouring rain for the Rizla Suzuki team is hoping to do the same again but preferably in dryer conditions. He said “I’m looking forward to Le Mans, and not just because of the memory of my first MotoGP win. We need to get back on the bike and try to get the GSV-R as competitive as it can be.”
“It was really disappointing after Shanghai. The results we’re getting are not what we all deserve for the hard work we’re putting in, maybe we just need that bit of luck to go our way. What better place than Le Mans for that to happen?”
His team-mate Loris Capirossi said “I believe that the bike is very capable of running at the front. We need to start getting the positions that we want and everybody at Suzuki is working hard to make it happen.”
The seven time world champion has been dabbling on two wheels since hanging up his formula one helmet, including recently stepping in at a Ducati test when the Italian team's regular test rider was injured.
It emerged from the Mugello test that 39-year-old Schumacher's best lap was about 8 seconds off the pace of race riders Stoner and Marco Melandri.
Stoner, an Australian, dismissed reports that the German can now - as is the case at Ferrari - be referred to as Ducati's official occasional test rider.
"Michael's not testing anything. He's just riding a bike, he's having fun," he told Speed TV.
"No matter how much experience he has in F1 he would need to learn to ride a bike a little faster before he started giving advice on electronic systems and suspension."
Stoner, 22, agrees however that Schumacher's riding is "quite exceptional" for someone with very little experience on two wheeled racers.
Schumacher's manager, Willi Weber, agrees that the German is simply making the most of his professional retirement.
"He only lasts two minutes on the sofa," he told Germany's Bild newspaper.
"It is impossible for him to do nothing," Weber added.
Source: GMM
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), Wednesday 30th January: during the official presentation of the Ducati 1098 R, which took place this week at the Spanish track in Jerez de la Frontera, Team Ducati Xerox have unveiled the new livery of the Ducati 1098 F08 that will participate in the World Superbike Championship.
The new 1098 F08 is directly derived from the 1098 R and has been developed as a result of the new World Superbike regulations that allow for both 1200cc two-cylinder machines and 1000cc four-cylinders to line up on the grid together for the first time.
Never before has a Ducati Superbike been so similar to the road version, with its production engine having very few modifications made to it, the changes limited essentially to the pistons, camshafts and transmission.
Filippo Preziosi, Director General of Ducati Corse, has followed the evolution of this bike from the start. He underlines the importance of the new project, that confirms and reinforces the level of commitment that Ducati Corse makes to the Superbike championship.
"2008 is a very important year for Ducati as it sees the debut of the 1098 F08 race bike in the World Superbike championship, a bike derived from the impressive 1098 R that has already become a technological point of reference with regard to production sport bikes. This season Ducati Corse lines up the official Ducati Xerox Team and provides extensive technical support to the satellite teams, confident that great results will be achieved thanks also to the level of expertise of all its riders. A warm welcome to our new partners that will support us this season and particular thanks to all the sponsors who have renewed their faith in the project, especially Xerox and Shell."
Italian rider Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) was present in Jerez and took to the track, riding both the 1098 R and 1098 F08 during test sessions.
Michel Fabrizio: "I didn't expect to be so emotional seeing the new livery of my bike and my suit for the first time here in Jerez. This event, in which the 1098 R was presented to the press, has helped me to see just how effectively Ducati transfers its racing know-how to the production of its road bikes and how, in this way, bike enthusiasts are able to have high-performance machines that are as unique as these. The season is about to get under way and I am highly motivated. I can't wait to start the championship with this fantastic bike."
Team-mate Troy Bayliss was absent from the event as he continues to recuperate after having fractured his collarbone during the recent test session in Phillip Island. He is recovering well from his injury and the talented Australian rider will return to the track at the next test session to take place in Qatar on 12th February.
MCN has posted yet another Ducati related vid - This time in the hopes of answering the ultimate Ducati question of the moment… Which bike is better, the 1098 or the 999 on the track? Adam Child offers his take…
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