ALICE TEAM READY FOR THE FIRST MOTOGP SEASON
Sunday March 9th, in Qatar, the Alice Team adventure will
begin in the 2008 MotoGP World Championship season. The new
structure that will compete with the Ducati Desmosedici GP8
Sat and Bridgestone tyres has completed its winter testing
on the Losail International circuit, in Doha, last Friday,
preparing in the best way possible for this particular race.
In fact, for the first time in the history of the MotoGP World
Championship, the race will be held at night under an impressive
floodlight system, supported by 44 Pramac generators, co-owner
of the Team.
The material supplied by the Italian company will have to
sustain a floodlight system which could cover the area of
70 regular football fields, with an amount of power that could
illuminate an imaginary street from the capital of Qatar,
Doha, to Moscow in Russia. Impressive numbers and distances!
Pramac’s Managing Director and co-owner of the Alice
Team, Paolo Campinoti, has declared himself eager about this
project: “We are very happy to participate in first
person to this appointment with history, both on and off track.
We have been among the first promoters of this initiative
and we believe that everything will proceed without any problems.
We are open to the possibility of developing other similar
ideas and projects in the future. For what concerns the sport
aspects, Toni and Sylvain are two of the most interesting
young riders in MotoGP and we trust in them to improve the
already good performances obtained last year.”
Alice Team’s Principal, Luis d’Antin, is more
than ever exited for this new season: “The moment has
arrived: in a few days we will know at what point we really
are. We are only sorry that Sylvain will probably not be at
his best after the fall during the last day of tests. Both
our riders have done a great job during the winter testing,
as the pair had to adapt to a completely new bike compared
to the past. Sylvain also had to get accustomed to the qualities
of Bridgestone tyres. This is one of the seasons in which
I feel more excited, due to the good results conquered last
year and thanks to the support that has arrived with the new
Title Sponsor, Alice of Telecom Italia.”
Toni Elias, who is about to begin his fourth consecutive
MotoGP season, has encountered some problems during the winter
testing, but he is confident for the season debut, declaring:
“We started to work a bit late, but all the work done
has gone as we expected. During each test we have managed
to improve and in this first race we are not too far from
the top positions. I am sure that thanks to the free sessions
on Friday and Saturday we will manage to find the right balance
of the bike in order to be able to conquer a good position
during qualifying and have a fun race. I have a lot of trust
in the Team, in Ducati and Bridgestone tyres.” The Spanish
rider doesn’t like to prognosticate for the season which
is about to begin, concluding: “I don’t like to
set objectives, but I am honestly confident. I always thought
and sustained that hard work always pays off.”
After the fall in the last winter test day, Sylvain Guintoli
went back to England, where he lives with his family, to be
able to undergo some more medical exams on his injured right
arm. British doctors have allowed him to ride even if probably
not at 100% of his physical conditions and he doesn’t
want to miss this appointment with history: “I don’t
know just yet if I will be at my best, but I don’t want
to begin the season by missing the first Grand Prix. Moreover,
we are racing at night and I don’t think this is an
occasion to miss out on. I still think it is strange that
all of this is possible, all the organizers of this incredible
event have done a fantastic job. I can guarantee that during
the test, after a few laps all seemed normal, like if we were
riding during the day.” The rider, who was nominated
rookie of the year last season, concluded declaring: “I
am extremely happy to be back riding and I can’t wait
to sit on my bike on the starting grid. In that moment, all
the smiles on everybody’s faces will go away and things
will get serious.”
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