Nicky Hayden, Ducati Marlboro Team - 23 March 2012...
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Ductalk: What's Up In The World Of Ducati
Ducati News Roundup Curated by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
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Nicky Hayden, Ducati Marlboro Team - 23 March 2012...
Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
27,000 votes were cast on Crash.net and the interesting results are in:
http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/178211/1/results_valentino_rossis_best_looking_motogp_bike.html
Which do you think is Valentino Rossi's best looking 500cc/MotoGP bike?
Valentino Rossi's 2012 Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP race livery was unveiled during an online launch on Monday.
This year's Ducati is Rossi's 13th machine in the premier-class, spanning three different manufacturers and six different title sponsors.
But which, in your opinion, has been the best looking?
CLICK HERE to see a picture of each machine, in chronological order, and award a mark out of 10.
You can also explain your choice in the comments section below. The results will be revealed once voting closes at the end of this month.
All of Rossi's bikes are shown in their 'official' liveries, special one-off colours are not included...more
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"There is no doubt Marco Simoncelli would have been right up there challenging for the MotoGP title this year.
The new MotoGP season is just a month away and we are getting a picture of what lies in store when the new 1000cc bikes hit the grid for the first time in Qatar.
Most of the riders were in Malaysia last week for testing and the situation remains the same: the Repsol Honda is looking like the best package.
They had a bit of an engine scare but I can't honestly imagine that that is a problem they can't address, and it shouldn't have any impact on the season, so reigning champion Casey Stoner appears the man to beat again .
Next up in line is Jorge Lorenzo, who will be strong, while if Dani Pedrosa can hang a season together, he can be world champion.
He is as fast as anyone, and if he can somehow keep cocooned and protected all year and not crash, then it could be his year.
Unfortunately for his hordes of fans worldwide, it's looking like Valentino Rossi will be back where he was last year. At best he will be in fifth or sixth place...more
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Vittoriano Guareschi didn't try to hide his dissatisfaction with Valentino Rossi being just 10th fastest at the end of Sepang testing, but he also knows that the Italian rider worked extremely hard over the last three days: "He completed an enormous workload - the Ducati team manager revealed - testing a large number of different setups and solutions. It's normal that a rider wouldn't achieve maximum performance in this situation, when their priority isn't outright speed, unless they have a bit of luck."
Read more: http://www.gpone.com/index.php/en/201203016234/Guareschi-Rossi-could-go-faster.html#ixzz1nzPligXY
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Valentino Rossi hasn't hit the panic button yet, but it's clear that he's concerned with the development of his Ducati GP12 after the second preseason test session at Sepang.
Rossi ended the last of three days of testing 10th in the running order, 1.077 seconds behind leader Casey Stoner's Honda. The reduction of the gap between Rossi and the top was encouraging. But Rossi was discouraged by the presence of five satellite bikes - including Hector Barbera's Pramac Ducati - ahead of him on the time sheets and the return of front-end troubles to his bike.
"We tried a bunch of things in order to take a step forward from the first test, but unfortunately, we weren't able to do it and were actually worse," Rossi said. "It was harder for me to ride well compared to three weeks ago, especially my corner speed. It's true that this test was more difficult in terms of weather and track conditions, but it seemed to affect us more than the others. Honestly, I expected to do better than tenth...more
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Ducati Team concludes Sepang test with sunny weather and busy schedule
Despite a negative weather forecast, the final day of the Sepang test was the only one of the three not affected by rain. Valentino Rossi stayed on the track until the last minute in order to complete as much work as possible for the Ducati engineers, who continue working on the development of the GP12. As for Nicky Hayden, despite still not being in perfect physical condition, he continued testing into the afternoon, and on his very last exit, he had a harmless low-speed fall in Turn 1.
Both riders found the new electronics that were introduced at this test to be a breakthrough, although they didn’t find the ideal setup for improving their lap times and ended the day in tenth and eleventh positions. Still, they both reduced their gap to the front considerably compared to the first test.
The next winter test is scheduled for March 23-25 at the Spanish Jerez circuit.
Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 10th, 2:01.550 (57 laps)
“One small positive note to the day is that we reduced the gap to the front a little bit. It was 1.2 seconds, and now it’s 1 second. It’s also nice that the new electronics work well, but it hurts being down on the timesheets compared to all the others. We tried a bunch of things in order to take a step forward from the first test, but unfortunately, we weren’t able to do it and were actually worse. It was harder for me to ride well compared to three weeks ago, especially my corner speed. It’s true that this test was more difficult in terms of weather and track conditions, but it seemed to affect us more than the others. Honestly, I expected to do better than tenth. We were also unfortunate because at the best part of the day, when I did a 2:01.5 and we had some tyres to try to lower the time further, we had a problem with the fork that cost us some time. Maybe without that we would have cut another three or four tenths and been further up, but our pace is still about seven tenths back. Honestly, that’s not a huge amount, but anyway we’re still behind. We’re not pleased with how it went this time, but we have to try and work hard and see what happens at Jerez, where the track is very different than this one, with much different weather and temperatures. We’ll see how we do there.”
Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) 11th, 2:01.609 (44 laps)
“Of course I would prefer to have been closer to the front, but it’s my first real test of the year. The bike feels better on braking and into the corner, and I like the feedback it gives me. Also, the lap times don’t seem as affected when the track gets hot and greasy. We need to work on some chatter and on corner exits. We have plenty of ideas, as there are a lot of things we didn’t get to try this week because of the weather. Toward the end, I lost the front end in Turn 1 and crashed, but it was an easy one and I’m fine. I’m happy with how my shoulder is coming along. I hope that with three more weeks of recovering and rehab, it should be close to 100 per cent for Jerez.”
Filippo Preziosi (General Manager, Ducati Corse)
“It was sunny for the last day of the Sepang test, and after almost completely losing the first two days due to rain, we had to concentrate a lot of work into a relatively short time. Clearly, situations like that make it more difficult to achieve maximum performance because the setup changes continuously. Today Valentino is tenth and Nicky is eleventh, and obviously we would prefer to be further up. Anyway, they both liked the new electronics package that we had for this test. We’ll keep working hard between now and the next test at Jerez, where we’ll try to put everything we have together and optimize it.”
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Ducati Team makes progress at Sepang despite bad weather
For the second day in a row, poor weather conditions affected the MotoGP test at Sepang International Circuit, where day two was interrupted by precipitation shortly after midday. The track surface didn’t dry, and the teams were forced to suspend their work and wait for tomorrow’s final day.
Nonetheless, Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden carried out a number of tests with the electronics, with both riders reporting positive first impressions. Tomorrow’s weather forecast calls for conditions similar to those of today.
Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) 5th, 2:01.748 (18 laps)
“The weather hasn’t been kind to us. With my condition, maybe I wasn’t going to be able to do many more laps anyway, but we have a lot of stuff to try. It was definitely cooler today, with more rubber on the track, and we went faster. We made a couple of small steps and I would say today was the most competitive I’ve been all year. I like the changes to the electronics, especially at the first touch of the throttle. We talked about going out in the rain, but the risks seemed to outweigh the rewards. I look forward to tomorrow. Hopefully we can put together all the pieces we’ve learned and do some good lap times.”
Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 7th, 2:02.130 (18 laps)
“Another day practically lost, which is really a shame because for us it’s very important to ride as much as possible, and today's track conditions were much better than yesterday's. Given that we knew rain was predicted for the afternoon, we tried to focus as much work as possible in just the first twenty or so laps this morning. Using both bikes, we tried the new traction control, some software updates with the wheelie control and other small details that have to do with the seating position. I had good impressions with all of those, so we put it all into the setup of just one bike and put on a new tyre, only for it to start raining. Game over. On the plus side, I had a good feeling with all of the new stuff, so I hope we can work a little longer tomorrow.”
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Ducati arrived in Malaysia with both Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden still not at 100% fitness following their respective post Sepang 1 surgeries, but that didn’t keep Hayden from being the fastest Ducati rider on track and pipping his own team mate by a little more than one tenth of second and finishing in 6th spot on the first day.
Despite an early start by both riders, a dirty track and then the rain storm interrupted their testing schedule without Rossi having tested the upgraded electronics package that the test team tried out during the private test a Jerez last week, leaving the Italian in the 8th spot with the usual almost 1.5 second gap from the top of charts.
Rossi also debuted his graphics on the new and more aerodynamic AGV helmet that also includes a tribute to the late Marco Simoncelli.
Nicky Hayden - 2:03.132 (32 laps)
“I’m obviously still not at 100 percent, but considering I had shoulder surgery three weeks ago, it went better than I expected. I felt much better than at the last test and was able to give some good feedback, so I owe a big thanks to Dr Ting and his staff. This is the first time I could really ride this bike well, and I enjoyed it....more
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Rossi will use this week’s second Sepang test in Malaysia to concentrate on new electronics aimed at improving stability under acceleration with the radical new Ducati GP12 machine.
Rossi and team-mate Nicky Hayden struggled with corner exit handling during the first Sepang test earlier this month but both will have new electronics tested by development rider Franco Battaini in Jerez last week at their disposal....more
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As the nine times MotoGP World Champion, Valentino Rossi is very much the most recognisable face of motorcycle racing.
Throughout his 16-year career, the 32-year-old has amassed the sort of fame and fortune that would have seen others hand up their race suits satisfied long ago. But not Rossi it seems. Having won titles with Yamaha and Honda, he made the switch to Ducati in 2011, setting himself a new challenge to take the title with a new bike. But for Rossi, it seems lies a deeper motivation: the simple taste of victory and a love of riding bikes.
What do you love about motorcycle racing?
I get a lot of enjoyment from simply riding bikes, and also the battles you have with other guys when you race. [..] It’s hard work, you always have to give more than a hundred percent. Physically, I have to train a lot. When you are younger, it’s a lot easier. Season by season, you need more effort and training to stay at the top.
And what keeps you motivated?
For me it’s the taste of the victory. It’s something different from all the other things. It’s like a drug. This is the main reason for me racing. Unfortunately, it’s very short lived – only three or four hours. From the next day, you need more. It never stops....more
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Red Ronnie interviews DAVIDE BRIVIO about VALENTINO ROSSI, Ducati, Yahama & MotoGP...
(this is a re-do of a very popular interview recorded in Italian, and re-recorded in English by popular demand)
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Valentino Rossi remained upbeat about the potential of the all new Ducati Desmosedici GP12, despite losing time and positions during day two of the Sepang MotoGP test.
Rossi, fifth and 0.74s from the top on Tuesday, slipped to seventh and 0.99s behind Honda's reigning world champion Casey Stoner on Wednesday.
But the Italian insisted that his positive first impressions of the freshly-built GP12 had been reinforced and that he had met his lap time target.
“I am quite happy because we made a step compared with yesterday and I was able to reach our target for today, which was to go into the 2min 01sec. I did three or four laps in 2m 01s” said Rossi....more
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(Translated from Italian)
Now you can count the hours since the debut of the new Ducati at Sepang. The Borgo Panigale factory in Malaysia has sent six Desmosedici: the old GP11.1 engine 1000, also called GPZero , already seen in Valencia and the new GP12 . In fact the first prototype, built according to guidelines emerged from the data available to the Italian house collected during 2011. For the mechanics of Rossi is the beginning of "Operation Phoenix" , for those inside the house simply the "Step Zero" of what will be the real bike that we will see in Qatar on April 8 next year.
Two months at the beginning of the World, which will serve to Filippo Preziosi to oversee the development of the new creature.
Shipping is impressive, as always in the pits will be the team manager, former chief test, Vittoriano Guareschi, while the current meter, Franco Battaini , will the shake-down.
The work will focus, after a first phase comparison, in the quest for better weight distribution and ownership of, allowed by the new regulations and possible new location of the engine. Then we will examine the latest electronics needed to tame the strong torque of the new engine 1000.
Remember how he told Valentine to the presentation of 2011?
"I will have to adapt to the bike."
This did not happen, but it would be ungenerous to give all the blame at Pesaro . In fact, the rule of six engines has effectively frozen the development and this was compounded by the difficulty of developing a non-born-to be changed during the season, due to its configuration with integrated engine.
For this reason the Ducati in the past year has been called to an impressive technical effort that led to the design and construction of an entirely new bike in just six months!
A record, a pregnancy so soon, that will force the people of Bologna to pursue even at this early stage of the pre-season.
Do not expect miracles from the Sepang test. From the initial gap of 1.5 seconds would be a success down to reach the round figure, then to file during Sepang2, when the structure will be more refined.
If a good day starts in the morning, however, these tests are Malays, however, of paramount importance.
From (GP) Zero to Hero?
Read more: http://www.gpone.com/index.php/201201285930/La-Ducati-a-Sepang-from-Zero-to-Hero.html#ixzz1ktI4lzG8
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2011 MotoGP Valentino Rossi Pics
The 2011 MotoGP Championship was anything but spectacular for nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi.
During his debut year with the Ducati Team, Rossi only made it to the podium once - third at a rain-soaked Jerez. And his season ended with three crashes that caused DNFs. Overall, Rossi finished seventh in the 2011 MotoGP Championship.
Seventh is the worse Rossi had since his debut season in GP racing back in 1996, when the now 32-year-old Italian took ninth overall. VR 46 then finished third or better across all classes (125cc, 250cc, 500cc, MotoGP), including nine titles, from 1997 through 2010.
The Ducati rider's main struggles throughout 2011 were mostly attributed to lack of front-end feeling on the GP11. But regardless, the always-fan favorite VR46 was spectacularly captured on camera throughout the season, as shown in the above pictures that make for great wallpaper.
The 2012 championship will be an interesting task for Rossi and the Ducati team as MotoGP arrives in the 100cc era.
Click motorcycle thumbnail to expand. Right click motorcycle wallpaper to download.
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Valentino Rossi has not lost his winning touch and with a competitive bike could still be challenging Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo at the front...
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Has there ever been a motor sport World Championship more reliant upon one star than MotoGP is reliant upon Valentino Rossi?
Some people argue – with some justification – that the nine-time World Champion is better known to the mainstream than the sport in which he competes. And you only need look at a MotoGP trackside crowd to witness the sea of yellow caps and T-shirts – Rossi’s signature colour – that proves just how much he means to the sport.
Thus you can imagine the consternation among MotoGP’s owners when Rossi spends an entire season struggling to get even close to the front. Rossi running midfield, sometimes struggling to get into the top 10, is not good for business....more...
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Rossi supports the lower-spec MotoGP bikes in the wake of dwindling grid numbers...
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#MotoGP preseason testing; Valentino Rossi/ @ValleYellow46 of Ducati Marlboro Team in action with the ...