Chinese GP - Preview
DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM SET FOR CHINESE CHALLENGE
The Ducati Marlboro Team travels to China following a brilliant
weekend in Turkey where the dazzling Casey Stoner won his
second Grand Prix of the year to regain the World Championship
lead and Loris Capirossi signalled his renaissance with his
first podium finish of the season.
Not only does Stoner lead the riders' points chase, Ducati
currently tops the constructors' World Championship and the
Ducati Marlboro Team heads the teams' prize. A remarkable
performance from the legendary Italian marque, but everyone
involved in the factory's MotoGP project is determined to
remain cool, calm and collected, continuing to treat each
MotoGP event as a new challenge. There are still 15 races
remaining in this, the longest-ever MotoGP season, which means
a huge amount of work for the riders, the team, the awesome
Desmosedici GP7 and its Bridgestone tyres.
LIVIO SUPPO, Ducati MotoGP project manager
"We now go to a circuit where, in theory, we should
be very competitive. A lot of people say Shanghai will be
easy because it features two long straights but I don't think
it will be easy. Anyway, top speed isn't everything and during
the first three races we have proved that our bike is very
fast around the whole racetrack, not just at the end of the
straights. It is good to be leading the riders' championship,
the constructors' championship and the teams' championship,
but we are keeping our feet on the ground, treating each weekend
as a new challenge and just doing our best. Everyone at the
factory and in the team is working very hard, Bridgestone
are doing a great job and Shell Advance are also playing an
important role."
CASEY STONER, World Championship leader, 61 points
"I think Shanghai is going to be pretty good because
our whole package is working just about perfectly so far.
The motorcycle and the tyres are amazing, plus the team itself.
It's like a great family, I've felt at home since I first
arrived and they allow me to do the job I want to do. For
me Shanghai is a pretty good track, that hairpin at the end
of the back straight is a bit dodgy but the rest seems to
flow quite well together, so you can get a bit of a rhythm
going, except through the first two corners and the hairpin.
I think we should be pretty competitive. You don't only need
horsepower at Shanghai, you also need good braking performance
and I remember last year that the Ducatis were very, very
hard to beat into the hairpin because the Ducati has got great
braking. I think the track will be good for the bike and the
Bridgestone tyres. Everyone in the team is doing a great job
but we're still a long way from home as far as the season
goes."
LORIS CAPIROSSI, 11th overall, 20 points
"After Turkey I feel like I am back, like the season
has started for me. The first two races were difficult for
me but the team and Bridgestone kept their faith and now I
am enjoying myself again, and you have to enjoy riding these
bikes to be fast. Bridgestone continue to work very, very
well, last year Turkey was difficult for them but this time
they really dominated the race, fantastic! We think we can
have another good weekend at Shanghai because already last
year's Chinese GP wasn't so bad for us. Shanghai is quite
a strange track with a really long back straight, amazing.
The first part is a little bit too F1 style for me, it's not
really easy and it's not much fun with a motorcycle, but overall
the track isn't so bad. I like riding there and for sure our
bike is not too bad on long straight! After Turkey I feel
like we have a very, very good opportunity for the rest of
the season, but we will see what happens and we must keep
working, race by race."
THE TRACK
China hosted its first MotoGP event in 2005 and the Shanghai
facility made an instant impression, its unusual track layout
offering a special challenge to riders while its massive infrastructure
towered over proceedings. The circuit is shaped like the Chinese
character ‘shang', meaning ‘above', the origin
of the port city's name that translates as ‘above the
ocean'. Its dominant features are the ultra-long T1/2 and
T12/13 right-handers and two long straights, the fastest of
which is currently the quickest in MotoGP. The fastest 990cc
MotoGP bikes achieved top speeds of 343km/h down the back
straight. This year MotoGP bikes are 190cc smaller at 800cc.
Lap record: Dani Pedrosa (Honda), 1m 59.3318s, 159.336km/h-
99.007mph
Pole position 2006: Pedrosa, 1m 59m 009s
DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM RIDER DATA LOGS
LORIS CAPIROSSI
Age: 34 (born 4 April 1973)
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP7
GP starts: 251 (81xMotoGP, 59x500, 84x250, 27x125)
GP victories: 28 (6xMotoGP, 2x500, 12x250, 8x125)
First GP victory: Britain, 1990 (125)
First GP: Japan, 1990 (125)
Pole positions: 41 (8xMotoGP, 5x500, 23x250, 5x125)
First pole: Australia, 1991 (125)
World Championships: 3 (125: 1990, 1991, 250: 1998)
Shanghai 2006 results: Grid: 10th. Race: 8th
CASEY STONER
Age: 21 (born 16 October 16 1985)
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP7
GP starts: 80 (19xMotoGP, 31x250, 30x125)
GP victories: 9 (2xMotoGP, 5x250, 2x125)
First GP victory: Valencia, 2003 (125)
First GP: Britain, 2001 (125)
Pole positions: 5 (1xMotoGP, 2x250, 2x125)
First pole: Italy, 2003 (125)
Shanghai 2006 results: Grid: 7th. Race: 5th
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