MotoGP news
Ducati ready for Motegi
21 April 2009Championship leaders Ducati are all set for the Grand Prix of Japan this weekend and Round 2 of the 2009 season. Confidence is high for Casey Stoner after taking victory from a delayed race in Qatar just over two weeks ago.
 |
| Stoner took victory in Qatar on Easter Monday |
"I've finished on the podium in every class at Motegi," the Australian said, who was runner-up to Rossi in 2008. "I have always thought that the track is more suited to car racing than bikes, with so many hard braking and acceleration points, but in general I don't dislike it and if you have a good setup it can be really fun. We haven't tested here pre-season whereas we had in Qatar, so we'll see how we get on starting from zero, with less practice time available."
Hayden, who lost his crown to Stoner in 2007, endured a tough first race for his new team after an accident on Saturday left his abilities restricted, finishing 49 seconds behind his team-mate, in 12th positions. "My first GP with Ducati didn't exactly go as I'd hoped, but we took some positives out of it," the American said. "I lapped quicker in the second half of the race than I had done all weekend and, above all, felt comfortable on the bike. Hopefully this will help us work out what it is exactly that I need to improve on, because being so far off the pace in practice wasn't cool! Physically I'm okay - no doubt the race was tough because I was pretty beaten up but I've recovered well and don't expect to have any problems in Japan". He will be looking to improve on his best result of fifth, achieved both last year and in 2006.
As for the team itself, Ducati boasts an excellent record at Motegi from recent years, as Loris Capirossi won the race for the team for three consecutive seasons in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
more news
- 24 Nov.
- 20 Nov.
- 18 Nov.
- 17 Nov.
- 13 Nov.
- 11 Nov.
- 10 Nov.
- 09 Nov.
- 08 Nov.
- 07 Nov.
- 06 Nov.
- 05 Nov.
- 04 Nov.
- 03 Nov.
Homepage
Valencia