MotoGp testing starts at Sepang, Malaysia, this week. Here’s an interesting quote from gpone.com
“Among all the Ducatisti, perhaps the most nervous about the upcoming Sepang test Vittoriano Guareschi. He is the only person in the paddock who simultaneously bears the responsibility of both a team manager and a lead test rider.
On his shoulders, in fact, will be placed the burden of the eventual technical problems that must be resolved following these three days of testing.
“During the Jerez test we found new combinations of setup and riding position that changed, I would say radically changed, the behavior of the bike – Vitto explained – and these will be the first things we test. There are also some structural modifications to evaluate, from the carbon fiber chassis, to the swingarm, to the 42mm Ohlins forks. At Ducati we call this the “flexible package.” These are all updates which should make the GP11 more predictable, easier to ride.
Rossi will not test these things immediately, however.
“He will start on a bike with Nicky Hayden’s setup, for which we know the strengths and weaknesses. The updates will first be evaluated by the American, who has more experience with our bike. We also have to deal with the fact that Valentino isn’t fully fit, and for this we brought some different clip-ons and other modifications to help him feel more comfortable on the bike. Right now Vale isn’t able to grip the tank well when he’s tucked in behind the fairing, because he still lacks some movement in his right arm. I already spoke with Burgess, and we prepared a set of clip-ons with a different angle to them. Everyone is expecting a miracle but us, because we know how Valentino is.”
Rossi will also have three different aerodynamic packages available for his GP11, one of them being the package seen at Valencia, with the wings to add a bit of downforce on the front end. There is also one set of fairings without them, and a fairing created especially for windy conditions, to minimize the effect of crosswinds.
There will not be many updates on the engine front, however, and those few updates were exclusively evaluated by Franco Battaini. Franco, the team’s second test rider, will also be riding at Sepang.
“We are working with two versions of the new anti-wheelie system: one is more invasive, and we can say it makes the decisions on its own; the second leaves the engines behavior more in the hands of the rider.”
As noted before, it seems the GP11 is being “dumbed down” so riders with less talent and cajonnes than Casey Stoner can ride it… 🙂
gearsau says
Amazing what DUCATI are doing to try to accomodate ROSSI.
Looks like he may not be a GOAT after all 🙂