MotoGP Mugello Ducati Team Preview

Tweet

This week the Ducati Team arrives at the spectacular Autodromo del Mugello in the heart of the Tuscany hills for the Italian GP, which is always one of the most popular and prestigious rounds in the calendar.

For the two Ducati Team riders, it is a truly special event, seeing as it is the home race for the Borgo Panigale manufacturer and is sure to attract massive numbers of tifosi to the Ducati Grandstand at the Correntaio curve.

Andrea Dovizioso, in his second year on the Desmosedici, began his GP career in the 125cc class in 2001 at Mugello, while for Cal Crutchlow it will be the first time on a Ducati at the Tuscany circuit.

Ducati Test Team rider Michele Pirro will also be taking part in the Mugello race, running as a wild-card entry for the second time this season on the GP14 ‘lab’ bike.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04)

“The Mugello circuit suits the characteristics of our GP14 a bit better, so I think we can go quite well during the weekend. Our approach in any case is to get the most as possible out of the bike. Last year I scored a good fifth place and I hope to do a good race again this year. Before Le Mans we did a private test here with some positive feedback, and now I can’t wait to get to Mugello for our home race, where there is always a special atmosphere.”

Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team #35)

“I think coming to Italy, the home of Ducati, and Mugello is a really great experience. The track was very kind to me last year, when I qualified fourth and finished on the podium with third. Me and Andrea will be pushing 100% to try and be competitive with the other guys on the grid, even though it’s not going to be easy. I’m also really looking forward to all the support from the Ducati fans at our home race, and I feel sure it’s going to be crazy!”

Michele Pirro (Ducati Test Team #51)

“It’s always really emotional to race here at Mugello, one of the most beautiful circuits in the championship. For us it’s also our home race, seeing as the Ducati factory is less than an hour away from here. It’s a track we know very well and as a result we hope to do well: me and the other two Ducati Team riders will do our best to give some satisfaction to our fans. In addition, about 50 members of my fan club will be joining the Ducati Grandstand and so for me it’ll be a special occasion, giving me more motivation to do well.”

Ducati Team Press Release

read more...

Ducati Review Jerez MotoGP Day 2

Tweet

Andrea Dovizioso has qualified in sixth place for the Spanish Grand Prix, the fourth round of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship, which will take place tomorrow at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit. The Ducati Team rider, who had concluded the three free practice sessions that give direct access into Q2 in eighth place, managed to take another couple of tenths off his time in the final qualifying session, using two extra-soft rear tyres. The Italian’s second run powered him to sixth place, one second away from the top slot.

Day 2 of the Jerez action was not so positive for Cal Crutchlow, who only stepped back onto his GP14 yesterday after missing the Argentina GP due to an injury in his right hand he suffered at Austin. Battling against increasing pain due to effort and fatigue, the British rider tried to end the day with a decent performance, but had to settle for fourth in Q1, which meant that he did not go through to Q2. As a result Cal will start from row 5 in tomorrow’s race.

Michele Pirro, the Ducati Test Team rider, qualified in seventeenth place after a positive morning when he lapped just outside the top 10. The Italian rider will start from the sixth row.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 6th (1m39.222s)

“I am very happy with qualifying and the time that I did, even more so because I did it on my own. I think I really managed to get the best out of my bike in these very difficult conditions because the temperature is very high for the tyres we had available. I got an unexpected second row start and this will help us for the race, because Jerez is a narrow track, and in the early laps you can lose a lot of time if you don’t start up at the front. I’m a bit worried for the race, because our pace is not so quick and above all there is a performance drop after several laps: when it’s so hot, everything becomes more difficult for us. In my view, after the top 5 riders there will be a small group with a similar pace, and we’ll have to fight it out with them in the race: starting from row 2 will surely help us.”

Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team #35) – 14th (1m39.849s)

“I am a bit disappointed with the end result and the qualifying position, but I think it was as to be expected for this weekend. We really struggled with the grip at the front and the rear of the bike, and I didn’t have confidence to push with the bike as much as possible. When I tried I made some mistakes and was at my limit. However I tried my best but the times were very close and it was difficult to get through to Q1, I was disappointed about that. The hand is getting sorer every session so it’s becoming difficult, but thanks also to the assistance the Clinica Mobile are giving me, I will try my best to do a good race tomorrow.”

Michele Pirro (Ducati Team #51) – 17th (1m40.239s)

“This morning didn’t go bad because I was close to the top 10, only that this afternoon we tried some new solutions and I was unable to improve. I only used one extra-soft tyre and perhaps this penalized me; maybe if I had used another I could have shaved off a few more vital tenths. For sure my grid position is not an easy one. It’s a shame because throughout the weekend we had some pretty positive practice sessions. However my feeling with the GP14 is much better than it was in Argentina.”

Ducati Press Release

read more...

Ducati Review Argentina MotoGP Race

Tweet

The third round of the 2014 MotoGP season in Argentina was a tough one for Ducati Team riders Andrea Dovizioso and Michele Pirro, who concluded the third GP of the season at the new Termas de Rio Hondo circuit respectively in ninth and seventeenth place.

At the start of the race Dovizioso was immediately in amongst the battle for the leading positions, and he crossed the line on lap 2 in second place, but then problems with his front tyre meant that he was overtaken by his rivals over the next few laps.

Pirro on the other hand was never able to find the right feeling with his Desmosedici GP14 during the weekend and struggled throughout the 25 laps of the Argentinean race.

After the first three GPs of the season, Dovizioso however is still in fourth place in the overall standings on 34 points.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 9th
“It was a very tough race, to be honest I didn’t think it would go like that. I was a bit unlucky because I also had a problem with the engine, when oil came out and led to a loss of some power. I also think I made the wrong choice of front tyre because I was unable to brake and put pressure on the front wheel, neither under braking nor in the curve, and turn-in was slow as well. The race sort of went a bit wrong for me today, and it just confirms that we still have to improve a lot to be able to stay with the others.”

Michele Pirro (Ducati Team #51) – 17th
“It was a disappointing result, after I had finally managed to find a good feeling with the bike during the warm-up. In the race unfortunately I made several mistakes and lost contact with the group that went from tenth to fifteenth place. It’s a pity, because my lap times towards the end were very close to theirs. Now I hope to make a big step forward at Jerez next week.”

Ducati Press Release

read more...

Ducati Team Review Argentina MotoGP Day 2

Tweet

Andrea Dovizioso qualified in fifth place for the Argentina GP, third round of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship, which will take place tomorrow at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo in the north of the country. His team-mate Michele Pirro, who is replacing the injured Cal Crutchlow, was unable to find a good feeling with his Ducati Team  Desmosedici GP14, and could only finish nineteenth.

In the early stages of Q2 Dovizioso set a time of 1m39.545s on his second lap out, which powered him close to the top of the times in the provisional standings. After returning to the pits to fit a second soft tyre, Dovi then managed to further improve by seven-tenths of a second, ending qualifying with a time of 1m38.856s, which earned him a row 2 start position for tomorrow’s race.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 5th (1m38.856s)

“I am very happy with my position: starting from row 2 tomorrow is fine. But I’m happy above all for the good work we did today. This morning we were quick over one lap, but rather slow over race pace because we were wearing out the rear tyre in a strange way. However we managed to improve the set-up of the bike a lot, this afternoon I was able to lower my pace by almost two seconds, and so now I can get a relaxing night’s sleep! I did a really good lap in qualifying, and when you do this the feelings are always great. Managing the tyres in the race will be very complicated; when you go to a new circuit, with a dirty track surface and no rubber, there are always these problems. I am sure that tomorrow in the race, as well as speed, the difference will be made by those who can ride smoothly and not aggressively.”

Michele Pirro (Ducati Team #51) – 19th (1m41.018s)

“I am pretty disappointed because I was not able to find a good feeling with my Desmosedici GP14. I don’t exactly know why, but I struggled a lot more than expected. This is in no way the position we should be with this bike, so now me and my engineers will try and find a solution for me to run a decent race tomorrow and repay my team for all the work they’ve done in these days.”

Ducati Press Releaseduc

read more...

Ducati Review Argentina MotoGP day 1

Tweet

The first two free practice sessions were held today at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina, a new circuit for almost all the MotoGP riders. After the two 45 minute sessions, Andrea Dovizioso set fifth quickest time, while his team-mate Michele Pirro, standing in for the injured Cal Crutchlow in this race, for the moment has been unable to go any higher than eighteenth place.

Dovizioso was particularly impressive in the afternoon session, immediately setting a good time on his third lap with a hard tyre, but his Desmosedici GP14 then had an engine problem on the following lap and he was forced to come back to the pits to finish the session on his second machine. Now on a soft tyre, Andrea put in an excellent time of 1m41.042s on the fifth lap, but was unable to complete more than 11 laps in total throughout the session and he finished in fifth place. Dovi however said he was optimistic regarding the rest of the weekend.

Michele Pirro, who stepped onto Crutchlow’s bike this morning, has not yet been able to establish a good feeling with his GP14, and he finished the day in eighteenth place. The Italian rider is convinced that he will be able to improve his position tomorrow.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 5th (1m41.042s)

“It was a bit of a lively session for me. We didn’t have the opportunity to do many laps because of my Desmosedici’s engine problem, and on a new track you always need to do so. Despite this I managed to be fast here, and I think I’ve been able to interpret this track pretty well. For sure the times will drop tomorrow, but we all have a big problem with tyre wear and at the moment it’s difficult to do 25 laps at the right pace. I hope the track conditions improve tomorrow. I set my time on a soft tyre, because when I was using the hard tyre I had a problem with the engine and had to change bikes.”

Michele Pirro (Ducati Team #51) – 18th (1m42.898s)

“It was a bit of a difficult session, but we managed to get some good indications for tomorrow. Today I didn’t use the soft tyre because I needed to improve my feeling with the bike. I am confident because the GP14 is going well: I’m just missing a bit of rhythm but tomorrow I’m sure I can move up the timesheets. Cal’s bike has a slightly different set-up to the one I normally use in the tests: the track however is new for everyone and it’s me who has to adapt to the bike. Tomorrow in any case I count on being closer to the other Ducatis.”

Ducati Press Release

read more...

Michele Pirro Ends in 12th Position at Brno

Tweet

Having started the Czech Republic Grand Prix from the fourteenth spot on the grid, Michele Pirro (serving as a substitute rider for Texan Ben Spies) gained two positions during the race, ending in twelfth place.

The twenty-two-lap race started under a gray and threatening sky, with lower temperatures than those that had marked the previous two days, and although the Italian lacked confidence in his bike’s front end and was ultimately unsatisfied, the experience was helpful in his getting used to the spec of Desmosedici GP13 that he’ll campaign again in one week at the Silverstone GP on 1 September.

Pirro now heads to Misano, where he’s scheduled to take part in three challenging days of testing with the Ducati Test Team before returning to the Ignite Pramac Racing Team garage in the UK.

Michele Pirro – Ignite Pramac Racing Team

“After the warm-up session, I thought I might have a little more feeling with the front, but that wasn’t the case. The only change we made was to switch to the front soft tyre, but I didn’t get the same feeling as this morning. That hurt me a lot, and honestly I didn’t want to take unnecessary risks because now I’ll be involved in three days of testing at Misano, followed by the Silverstone GP. I’m disappointed because I thought I’d be able to do better. I’ll try next week, although it’s harder with this bike than I expected.”

Michele Pirro MotoGP Brni 2013

read more...

Hard day adapting for Michele Pirro

Tweet

The search for the feeling with the Desmosedici GP13 continues for Michele Pirro, who is back in the Ignite Pramac Racing Team pits in place of the injured Ben Spies. The Italian is still struggling to find the right bike setup, and he ended the second day of the bwin Grand Prix Ceske Republiky with a spot on the fifth row of tomorrow’s grid.

Although the Italian sat in second place for most of Q1, his time of 1:58.812, which was a little more than six tenths of a second from that of fellow Ducati rider Andrea Iannone, is still far from his and the team’s objectives, and it wasn’t enough to put him into Q2 for this eleventh round of the MotoGP World Championship.

Work continues in the garage in an effort to find an improved setup for tomorrow’s race.

Michele Pirro – Ignite Pramac Racing Team

“It didn’t go as expected. I’m still struggling to find the feeling with the front of the bike, and I’m a little bit disappointed. I was hoping to do something better, but as I said yesterday, I only rode this bike once before this weekend, and I have to adapt and get used to it. The bike I usually ride, the ‘lab,’ has a different chassis and behaves differently. I hope I can get a good result tomorrow, and I’ll try to do my best, of course. Tomorrow night I’ll go to Misano for a scheduled test, and then I’ll fly to Silverstone, where I’ll compete again with this bike. It won’t certainly be easy to jump from one to the other, but it’s my job, and I’ll do everything possible to achieve a good result.”

Pramac Racing Team Press Release

read more...

Michele Pirro Ready for Brno GP to Replace Spies

Tweet

Just three days after the last GP, held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Ignite Pramac Racing Team arrives at Brno prepared to resume work ahead of the race that will be held on Sunday, 25 August, with Michele Pirro.

The Italian, who already rode with the team in the rounds at Le Mans, Barcelona, Assen, and the Sachsenring, will again replace Texan Ben Spies, who injured his left shoulder during the third free-practice session at Indianapolis.

The Czech Republic circuit was inaugurated in 1987, when it began to regularly feature on the MotoGP World Championship calendar, with one interruption in 1992. Previously, competitions were held on the city streets. Laid out among forested hills, the 5.403 km Brno circuit (3.357 mi) includes six left-hand corners and eight rights, along with a 636-meter straightaway (0.395 mi), and it’s characterized by fast corners and constant changes in elevation.

Michele Pirro – Ignite Pramac Racing Team

“I'm glad to get back to racing, although I’m obviously very sorry about what happened to Ben. I’ll use his bike instead of the 'lab', and I’ll do my best to contribute to the continuing work. Next week I’ll be busy with a test at Misano for the new project, but then we'll meet again at Silverstone.”

Pramac Racing Team Press Release

read more...

Tenth Position for Michele Pirro at Sachsenring

Tweet

After starting from the fifth row of the grid, Michele Pirro, substitute rider for injured American Ben Spies, finished in 10th place in the Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland round of 2013 World Championship, in front of 85,667 spectators.

His best lap time clocked was 1:23.589, just a few tenths of a second from his ‘brand-mate’ Nicky Hayden, who preceded him by one position.

It was a consolatory conclusion of three challenging days during which most of the work was focused toward trying to improve the bike’s feeling, which bothered Pirro throughout the entire race weekend.

Michele Pirro – Ignite Pramac Racing Team 

“It wasn’t so bad. Regarding the pace, I think it was the most consistent day I’ve had over the weekend. I was close to Hayden for the whole race, and considering that he started from the second row, it means that was the pace I could safely maintain. With a better start, I could’ve climbed a few places, but we still have a lot of work to do. I’m not entirely satisfied, but considering how it all started, I can’t complain. Now I’ll focus on testing at Misano, where I’ll return to being a test rider.”

Pramac Racing Team Press Release

read more...

Alex De Angelis and Ignite Pramac Racing Team together at Laguna Seca

Tweet

Alex De Angelis is to step in as replacement rider for Ben Spies at Laguna Seca on the Ignite Pramac Racing Team’s Ducati Desmosedici GP13. The man from San Marino will be able to take part in the second US round this year due to the fact that the Moto2 World Championship is not scheduled to race that weekend.

Michele Pirro, Ducati’s tester and rider, will continue to replace the Texan until Sachsenring, but will not be able to take part in the American race because he is involved in a test session scheduled for Misano from 23 to 25 July.

Ben Spies is expected to return to racing at the Indianapolis Grand Prix on August 18. 

Alex is not new to the top class, having already taken part in two seasons of MotoGP in 2008 and 2009, and also in 2010 as replacement rider for the injured Hiroshi Aoyama in three rounds.

De Angelis, who currently rides for the NGM Mobile Forward Racing Team, will get his first opportunity to try out the Desmosedici GP13, during the forthcoming Ducati test session scheduled for Misano this coming week. Alex will test the bike on Thursday 4 July.

The Pramac Racing Team and Ducati wish to thank the NGM Mobile Forward Racing Team and the San Marino rider for their availability in making possible this collaboration.

Pramac Ducati Press Release

read more...

Michele Pirro Suffers Arm Pump on Second Lap of Assen

Tweet

Michele Pirro was initially in a quartet of all four of the Ducati riders, a few tenths out of the top ten, but he eventually had to settle for 14th place. 

Prior to the next race, at the Sachsenring on 14 July, the Ignite Pramac Racing Team and its Italian rider will take part in a private test on this Wednesday and Thursday to further develop the ‘laboratory’ Desmosedici GP13.

Michele Pirro - Ignite Pramac Racing Team

“I still have to recover. I started to get arm pump on the second lap, and I had to back off because I couldn’t ride anymore. I tried to continue on without making mistakes, but I’m disappointed because I started pretty well and I certainly could’ve done better. The bike still isn’t how I’d like it to be, and I really had a hard time riding it. In the beginning I followed Nicky and Dovi and battled a little with Andrea [Iannone], but then I backed off. It’s certainly a race to forget, and now we’ll see if we can do better at the Sachsenring.”

Pramac Racing Press Release

You can give your opinion on our Facebook page here
Get the latest update on our Twitter page here

read more...

Alvaro Bautista Leads FP3 MotoGP Assen

Tweet

Alvaro Bautista leads the FP3 MotoGP Assen 1'40.029. CRT's Randy De Puniet on second fastest by 1'40.223, while Michele Pirro on third fastest 1'45.601

1 Alvaro BAUTISTA GO&FUN Honda Gresini 1'40.029

2 Randy DE PUNIET Power Electronics Aspar 1'40.223

3 Michele PIRRO Ignite Pramac Racing 1'45.601

4 Ivan SILVA Avintia Blusens 1'46.724

5 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 1'46.761

6 Cal CRUTCHLOW Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'46.981

7 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 1'47.014

8 Nicky HAYDEN Ducati Team 1'47.027

9 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 1'47.055

10 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 1'47.782

11 Yonny HERNANDEZ Paul Bird Motorsport 1'48.067

12 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha Factory Racing 1'48.167

13 Andrea IANNONE Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 1'48.396

14 Claudio CORTI NGM Mobile Forward Racing 1'48.495

15 Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'48.822

16 Aleix ESPARGARO Power Electronics Aspar 1'48.976

17 Danilo PETRUCCI Came IodaRacing Project 1'49.066

18 Michael LAVERTY Paul Bird Motorsport 1'49.259

19 Hector BARBERA Avintia Blusens 1'49.312

20 Bryan STARING GO&FUN Honda Gresini 1'49.637

21 Lukas PESEK Came IodaRacing Project 1'50.501

22 Stefan BRADL LCR Honda MotoGP 1'50.830

23 Colin EDWARDS NGM Mobile Forward Racing 1'52.118

read more...

Consolatory top-ten finish for Pirro

Tweet

It was a tough weekend in the Ignite Pramac Racing Team garage, and it was made even more difficult when Michele Pirro made contact with Yonny Hernandez just after the start and ran wide in turn nine. 

The Italian, in his second appearance as a substitute rider for Ben Spies, nonetheless rejoined the race and began the hard work of recovering positions, advancing as high as tenth place with nine laps remaining and maintaining that position to the end.

Pirro, who also serves as the Ducati Test Team rider, will remain at the Circuit de Catalunya tomorrow for an IRTA test, in which he’ll work on extracting maximum performance from the ‘laboratory’ version of the Desmosedici GP13.

Michele Pirro – Ignite Pramac Racing Team 

“Unfortunately, in order to avoid Hernandez on the first lap, I was forced to go long in a corner and run off the track. Then I took a long time to get through the gravel because of the anti-spin, and by the time I got back on track, I couldn’t see anyone—I thought maybe the race was finished! At that point, I gave it everything I had to recover as many positions as possible. I tried switching maps to see if it would reduce the pumping, but I wasn’t able to reduce the gap as much as I wanted. I hoped to catch Dovi, but then I realized that the tyre was losing a lot and I had to settle for tenth place. We didn’t change much compared to Mugello, as we didn’t have enough time, but due to the worse pumping and grip we found all this weekend, this is how it went. On one hand I’m happy to have had the opportunity to ride here because we were able to see this bike’s limits, but on the other hand I’m disappointed because I hoped to have a better result. We’ll see how things go in tomorrow’s test, and then at Assen, although I still don’t know which bike I’ll ride.”

Pramc Racing Press Release

You can give your opinion on our Facebook page here
Get the latest update on our Twitter page here

read more...

Difficult day for Michele Pirro at Catalunya

Tweet

Approximately three minutes from the end of the decisive third free-practice session at the Catalan Grand Prix, Michele Pirro posted a time of 1:42.970, with just 1.5 tenths separating him from a direct transfer to the Q2 session.

He then stayed in the top two for much of Q1, which would have put him into Q2 and given him a shot at a better start position. However, he lost a position near the end and will start from the fifth row tomorrow.

Michele Pirro – Ignite Pramac Racing Team

“Unfortunately we were unable to get the best out of the bike’s potential and I struggled a bit but maybe it’s because it’s the first time we’ve had such high temperatures since the start of the championship. This morning we were one second off the best time but the gap widened considerably in the afternoon. So I’d say that as well as the not easy track, the lack of grip and the track temperatures also play an important role. The bike continues to move around a lot and tends to ‘pump’ at the rear and everything becomes even more difficult if the grip drops. As for the set-up we tried to use the one we found at Mugello but once again the results weren’t really positive. It’s strange how things change from one track to another and even from this morning. I had been going quite well and I thought we could have made more progress if we’d worked on the set-up a bit more. The only thing left now is to choose the best set-up for tomorrow and decide what tyre to use; for sure the soft one is better due to the pumping problem because when it kicks in it doesn’t stop until the bike straightens up again. Now we’ll just have to try our best and see what we can do to get a good result in the race.”

You can give your opinion on our Facebook page here
Get the latest update on our Twitter page here

read more...

Pirro back in the Ignite Pramac Racing Team garage

Tweet

Michele Pirro was back with the Ignite Pramac Racing Team today as a temporary substitute for American Ben Spies at the Catalan Grand Prix. The Italian is riding the ‘laboratory’ version of the Desmosedici GP13 in order to continue the bike’s development.

The first day of free practice concluded today with Michele Pirro occupying thirteenth place, having lowered his best time from FP1 by nearly a second.

His goal for tomorrow will be to limit rear-suspension pumping as much as possible.

Michele Pirro – Ignite Pramac Racing Team

“Well, we’re outside the top ten. This morning I had a small problem with the bike I used at Mugello, so we weren’t able to take advantage of the setting that we had found there. We’re having many problems with the rear; the bike moves a lot, and the track certainly isn’t the easiest from that point of view. There are so many fast corners where you have to open the throttle with the bike leaned over. We’ll work tomorrow to see what we can do to improve, because it’s really limiting us at the moment since I’m not fast on corner exits. Things were different at Mugello. Anyway, it’s just the first day, and although we knew that it wouldn’t be easy, we still have another day to prepare for the race. In the end, the gap to Dovi is six tenths, so I think there’s still room to improve.”

Pramac Racing Team Press Release

read more...

Ducati Team Completes Mugello Test

Tweet

Just four days after completing its home Grand Prix at the Mugello circuit, the Ducati Team carried out a two-day test at the same track with riders Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden. Ducati Test Team rider Michele Pirro also took part in the test, logging a full three days at the Tuscan circuit.

Although afternoon rain showers ended each day prematurely, conditions were perfect in the mornings, enabling the team to complete much of the scheduled work program. Dovizioso and Hayden continued their tests with the 'laboratory' version of the Desmosedici GP13, increasing their familiarity with the bike and gathering data. Meanwhile, Pirro carried out work on the same bike, which he will ride in the Catalan Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya next week.

Andrea Dovizioso - Ducati Team (70 laps)

“We did some good testing, especially today: setup, new parts, and riding with the new frame to try and get the most out of it, and we were consistently fast. We rode all day at 1:48 in every exit, which is very important. When I wanted to push, I did a 48.2, which is a good time. I could’ve gone faster, but I’m pleased with my speed and consistency. We improved a bit with the various changes to the weight distribution and my riding position. The improvements aren’t huge, and this frame won’t make enough difference to reduce the gap, but for me it’s still a small improvement. We’ll see if we can have it ready in time for the weekend in Barcelona, or if we’ll just use it in the post-race test.”

Nicky Hayden - Ducati Team (103 laps)

“If we’re completely honest, we didn’t achieve the progress that we’d hoped for, which is unfortunate. This laboratory bike has some positives, but at the moment, the lap time is very similar to our current bike. Hopefully these days will help the engineers to learn something. Thanks to my guys for coming here and working hard, because it’s not easy to go back to the track and test after a long GP weekend.”

Michele Pirro – Ducati Test Team (93 laps)

“The test was affected by the weather, as it rained in the afternoon on all three days. Compared to the other riders, I had to focus on some aspects of the frame and the engine in order to bring the development forward. We certainly found some positives, and we hope that they’ll prove useful in the coming races, where I’ll ride the bike that I raced this past Sunday. I’m pleased with the work we did, so now we’ll wait for Barcelona to see if the things we tried will work a bit better.”

Ducati Team Press Release

read more...

Realistic Result for Ducati Team at Mugello

Tweet

As many enthusiastic supporters looked on from the Ducati Grandstand, both Ducati Team riders posted their best dry results of the year today at Mugello, with Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden riding their Desmosedici GP13 machines to fifth and sixth places, respectively, in the TIM Italian Grand Prix.

The teammates started from rows one and three respectively, and after avoiding a first-lap crash involving two other riders, they found themselves battling one another, along with Stefan Bradl, in a fight for fifth place that lasted much of the race. The German got the better of that struggle, but after Marc Marquez fell near the end, Dovizioso and Hayden took the fifth and sixth spots.

The Ducati Team racers were followed by Ducati Test Team rider Michele Pirro. Participating as a wildcard entry, the Italian advanced steadily through the pack from his 10th-place starting spot. His eventual seventh-place finishing position was his best result of the year so far, and the second-best of his premier-class career.

Thursday and Friday will find the Ducati riders back on track at the Mugello circuit for a private test, in preparation for the Catalan Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.

Andrea Dovizioso - Ducati Team, 5th

“In terms of gap to the front and finish position, this is the best result that we could realistically expect. It was a really tough race, like always at Mugello. I gritted my teeth to try and stay with Bradl until the end, and I had a nice battle with Nicky. Unfortunately, I lost the fight with Bradl on the last lap, but it was fun—we passed each other four times! In the practice sessions, we’re able to do good times, but I think that fifth place at Mugello is the best we can do with our current package, so we still have a lot of work to do.”

Nicky Hayden - Ducati Team, 6th

“I had struggled with grip this weekend, but the team did a really good job of making the bike better in the race, and with some other people’s misfortune, I was able to fight for the top five. In the end, to end up sixth isn’t fantastic, but I had a good battle with Bradl and Dovi. They’re both good guys to race with, so it was fun, but then in the last two laps I developed a lot of chatter and had to back off.”

Michele Pirro – Ducati Test Team, 7th

“First of all, I must try to eliminate some mistakes, particularly one that has hurt me in all three of the races I’ve done so far: poor starts. I’m losing positions, and it’s my fault. Unfortunately, I lost my rear seat pad on the second lap, so I had to adapt to the new riding position. It was quite difficult because I had to work hard with my arms and legs to keep my weight forward. I also lost time with Iannone because we passed each other three times, which affected my race. I’m sorry because I’m sure I could have stayed closer to Andrea and Nicky and learned from them.”

Bernhard Gobmeier – Ducati Corse General Manager

“Our goal today was to be top five, which we achieved. Of course there were some crashes, but it shows that we can fight with the second group. Right now it’s clear that it will be very difficult to fight for the podium, as the bikes and riders ahead of us are extremely competitive. Both of our riders had a similar pace for the whole race, and although we know that we must improve our technical package, we’re pleased by Michele Pirro’s race on the laboratory bike, as he did good lap times in the latter stages of the race. In any case, we’re happy to have started from the front row for the second-straight race weekend, which shows that our bike can be quite fast for one quick lap.”

Ducati Team Press Release

You can give your opinion on our Facebook page here
Get the latest update on our Twitter page here

read more...

Andrea Dovizioso on Front Row at Home GP

Tweet

Ducati Team rider Andrea Dovizioso turned in an emotional performance during qualifying at Mugello, the Italian manufacturer’s home track, posting an inspired final lap in the Q2 session that put him on the front row for tomorrow’s TIM Italian Grand Prix. Meanwhile, grip problems limited teammate Nicky Hayden to eighth-best, and the American will start from row three.

Making the Italian’s accomplishment even sweeter was the fact that following a hard fall yesterday, he hadn’t been sure if he’d be able to ride, due to a sore neck. However, thanks in part to intensive physiotherapy, he managed to record the third-best time, achieving his second front-row qualifying performance in a row.

Thanks to a strong ride in FP3, Ducati Test Team rider Michele Pirro made it into the Q2 session for the first time, and the Italian will start the race from the tenth spot on the grid.

Andrea Dovizioso - Ducati Team, 3rd (1:47.628)

“It feels incredible to make it onto the first row at Mugello, especially as a Ducati rider! It was one of my goals, but I still can’t believe it, particularly after yesterday’s crash. The Clinica Mobile and my physiotherapist did a really good job of making my neck feel better, which gave me the opportunity to push hard in qualifying. It still bothers me, but I can push at almost 100%, and because yesterday I didn’t even know if I’d be able to race, I’m very happy. We worked really well this morning, improving the setup a little, and I was pretty fast this afternoon, but when the tyres wear a little our pace isn’t good enough to fight for the podium. Anyway, we’ll try to do our best to get a good result tomorrow for Ducati and all our fans.”

Nicky Hayden - Ducati Team, 8th (1:48.006)

“Today didn’t go as well as I had expected, and I’m not happy to be eighth. I was almost a half-second faster in qualifying here last year, and I was also better in the test we did here a month ago. I haven’t been able to get the grip I need to make the bike turn. Both ends are moving around a bit at the apex, and I’m getting pumping on the exit. The bike was improved for qualifying, but I still wasn’t able to do a good enough lap to get on the first two rows. We just need to see where I can improve and try to do something better tomorrow.”

Michele Pirro – Ducati Test Team, 10th (1:48.564)

“I’m happy to have taken part in Q2, which seemed almost like a Saturday race! However, I don’t think I took advantage of the extra grip that the new tyre can give this bike in qualifying, like Dovizioso did. All in all, I’m quite pleased to have been pretty fast and consistent in all the sessions. That means that the new bike is starting to improve, and that we’ve taken a step forward from Jerez.”

Ducati Team Press Release

You can give your opinion on our Facebook page here
Get the latest update on our Twitter page here

read more...

Marc Marquez on Top FP1 MotoGP Mugello

Tweet

Marc Marquez set the fastest lap 1'54.797 on the FP1 MotoGP Mugello. Ducati's Michele Pirro on second fastest 1'55.195, while Stefan Bradl on third fastest by 1'55.288

1 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 1'54.797

2 Michele PIRRO Ducati Test Team 1'55.195

3 Stefan BRADL LCR Honda MotoGP 1'55.288

4 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 1'55.874

5 Yonny HERNANDEZ Paul Bird Motorsport 1'55.907

6 Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'55.981

7 Nicky HAYDEN Ducati Team 1'55.991

8 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 1'56.534

9 Cal CRUTCHLOW Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'56.984

10 Ben SPIES Ignite Pramac Racing 1'57.045

11 Alvaro BAUTISTA GO&FUN Honda Gresini 1'57.910

12 Aleix ESPARGARO Power Electronics Aspar 1'58.076

13 Andrea IANNONE Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 1'58.478

14 Jorge LORENZO Yamaha Factory Racing 2'00.174

15 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 2'00.457

16 Hiroshi AOYAMA Avintia Blusens 2'00.801

17 Colin EDWARDS NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2'01.082

18 Randy DE PUNIET Power Electronics Aspar 2'01.108

19 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha Factory Racing 2'01.455

20 Hector BARBERA Avintia Blusens 2'02.673

21 Lukas PESEK Came IodaRacing Project 2'04.160

22 Bryan STARING GO&FUN Honda Gresini 2'04.511

23 Danilo PETRUCCI Came IodaRacing Project 2'05.741

24 Michael LAVERTY Paul Bird Motorsport 2'05.759

25 Claudio CORTI NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2'06.323

read more...

Ducati Team Prepares for Home GP at Mugello

Tweet

Buoyed by its recent positive showing at the French Grand Prix, the Ducati Team is preparing for its home round at the Mugello Circuit in the hills of Tuscany. Always one of the most popular rounds on the championship tour, this year’s edition of the Italian Grand Prix has been moved forward on the calendar to the start of June, and it’s sure to draw a host of fans, many of whom will be cheering on Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden from the Ducati Grandstand at the Correntaio curve.

The Italian will be competing aboard the Desmosedici GP13 for the first time at Mugello, where he began his Grand Prix career in 2001 (in the 125cc class), and where he has finished on the premier-class podium in each of his last three visits. Hayden also had a strong performance last year at the track, threatening for the podium before running off the track on the final lap.

Also in action at Mugello will be Ducati Test Team rider Michele Pirro, making his second wildcard appearance this season on the GP13 ‘lab bike’ following on from his Jerez debut; it will be the third race in a row for the Italian, who also took part in the Le Mans round, where he finished eighth as a substitute for Ignite Pramac Racing rider Ben Spies.

Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team

“I definitely can’t wait to do the Mugello weekend, as it’s the nicest circuit in the world. It’s Ducati’s ‘house,’ and there will certainly be many fans on hand, so it’s really a lot of fun to race there. We’ve already had some tests, so we’ll be prepared, although it will be difficult because we still have basically the same GP13 from Le Mans. It’s a tough track that’s physical and very fast, although I don’t think it’ll be bad for us. Mugello is always a good circuit for me, and having the support of Ducati and its fans should help us to have a good weekend.”

Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team

“Of course we’re extremely excited to go to Mugello. It’s a great race at a great track with a great atmosphere—really one of the best GPs of the year, especially when you’re riding a Ducati! Our bike was built around the circuit, so it works well there; the straightaway suits the Desmosedici because you come onto it so fast. It’s a tough track—really challenging, technical and physical, with a lot of blind sections and elevation changes—but it’s one that I like a lot. We’re not expecting miracles, but I think we can do well. The Italian Ducati fans have stuck with us through a lot, and it would be nice to leave Mugello with a result they can all be proud of.”

Michele Pirro – Ducati Test Team

“First of all, I’m very happy to be making my second wildcard ride, and I’d like to thank Ducati for this opportunity. At Le Mans I did my best to adapt to the standard GP13, which I find quite different from the development version that I’ll be going back to this weekend. Mugello is close to Ducati’s offices, and we’ve done a lot of testing there, so I’m ready for the race. Doing the last two races in a row has helped to prepare me, so I hope to be able to gather some good data for the team and to be closer to the top guys with my lap times. It would be great to do a good result in front of the Italian fans, in order to show that we’re working in the right way with the bike.”

Vittoriano Guareschi – Team Manager

“Mugello is our home race. We were able to do a test there earlier this month, so we already have an idea about the setup we’ll use. It could be hot at Mugello in June, and that might be a variable since it was fairly cool when we tested. Still, both Nicky and Andrea did a good job at the test, and we have good data from them and our test riders, so we expect to have a good race. As for support, there will be many people from Ducati at Mugello, along with a lot of Ducati fans, and everyone in our grandstand always does something special to demonstrate their enthusiasm. We’ll see what they’ve come up with for this year!”

 Team Press Release

You can give your opinion on our Facebook page here
Get the latest update on our Twitter page here

read more...