(Translated from Italian)
The two 'boyfriends', as Filippo Preziosi defined them, are happy with the makeover their girl, the Ducati GP12, received recently. "It's beautiful - Valentino Rossi remarked with a smile - you get a special feeling while looking at it, particularly if you are Italian. It's a bike that demands respect."
But looks aren't everything, especially in the world of GP racing where results are all that really matter: "The first Sepang test went very well. I was immediately confident on the bike, and I was happy. We got a lot of work done, even if there are still some problems with the rear end, on corner exit. We tried to resolve them during the second Sepang test, but we couldn't fully do it, so it went a little worse than the first outing."
Valentino remains optimistic, and realistic, about the season ahead: "We still have many things to test, and more will arrive during the season. Our objective is to improve constantly, race after race, which we didn't manage to do last season. But the new bike helps us make faster adjustments and modifications, and this is important with practice sessions of just 45 minutes each."
Teammate Nicky Hayden was also enthusiastic about the new project, and he displayed even more of a fighting spirit: "Are we aiming for the podium? Of course we are, otherwise we might as well go home now. I have a top team and the new bike is an improvement compared to last year's, so I'm really for the challenge. I like the new Desmosedici a lot, and it has changed significantly, from the chassis to the electronics."
Once the presentation was over, Vale and Nicky were free to post messages of their new bike on Twitter. "It's a fun way of communicating - Rossi admitted - you can give your fans a glimpse of your everyday life." Hayden was quick to give a warning, however: "It can also be dangerous. One time I posted a picture that I shouldn't have, from inside the race shop, and luckily they didn't fire me."
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