DUCATI TEAM PREPARES FOR JAPANESE GP MOTEGI 2011

The Ducati Team is headed for the Japanese Grand Prix, which will take place on Sunday, 2 October, following a postponement due to the terrible earthquake that struck the country on March 11.

A stop-and-go track with a predominance of slow corners that are interspersed with medium-length straightaways, the Twin Ring Motegi has played host to four Ducati Team wins and one additional podium.

Valentino Rossi has posted six podium finishes at the track, including last year’s third place following a tight battle with Jorge Lorenzo, while Nicky Hayden doesn’t count the Japanese circuit among his favorites.

Starting on Friday morning, the two riders will work to refine the setup of the GP11.1, with hopes that the weather—the forecast for which is currently uncertain—allows them to take full advantage of the sessions.

VALENTINO ROSSI:

“I had a nice race last year at Motegi, despite having a painful shoulder. I had a nice duel with Lorenzo, and I finished on the podium. The Ducati won last year and has also gone well there in the past, so we’ll see if we can do any better than we have at the recent races. It’s true that we’re having to work very hard, but we always approach every Grand Prix with the goal of doing better. We’ll try hard this Sunday as well, working on the track with what we have available at this time, while also simultaneously focusing on the future.”

NICKY HAYDEN:

MOTEGI CIRCUIT RECORDS

“I’ve got a lot of fans in Japan, and there are a lot of people who love motorcycles. It would be nice to put on a good show for them, as they’ve certainly had a hard time this year. The radiation situation seems to be under control, so earthquakes are the only concern. Hopefully we can have a good race. Motegi has probably been my worst track since I’ve been with Ducati, as I’ve struggled to get turned in those hairpin corners and get out strong. I’m not expecting an easy weekend, but Ducati is really working hard to give us options and to find the best direction for the future. It’s great to see them putting in so much effort, and although we’re not seeing immediate results, we’re learning a lot and getting a bunch of data that’s going to be a big help in the long term.”(Ducati.com)

Circuit Record: Casey Stoner  (Ducati – 2008), 1:47.091 – 161.391  Km/h
Best Pole: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha – 2008), 1:45.543 – 163.758 Km/h
Circuit Length: 4.801 km2011 MotoGP Race: 24 laps (115.224 km)
2011 MotoGP Schedule: 3:00 p.m. Local Time
2010 PODIUM: 1st Casey Stoner, 2nd Andrea Dovizioso, 3rd Valentino Rossi
2010 POLE: Andrea Dovizioso (Honda – 2010 ), 1:47.001 – 161.527 km/h