MotoGP: Rossi cannot make the difference with Ducati

Former seven-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has admitted that he cannot get to grips with his Ducati Desmosidici GP12 after a difficult start to the MotoGP season in Qatar.

The Italian finished the 22-lap race 10th after starting 12th on the starting grid while his American team mate Nicky Hayden who qualified and finished sixth. Speaking to Italian broadcaster Mediaset, Rossi said that he had big problems at the start of the race and lost a lot of time while under braking.

"I can't ride this bike, I can't make the difference," said Rossi. "I can't even keep up with Hayden's pace, who I used to go quick against in comparison. In theory, with new tyres I should go quicker. Nicky managed to do a good race with the other works Ducati, but he still ended up only sixth."

Rossi had been slightly optimistic following the pre-season tests at Sepang, but had still ruled out being competitive enough to challenge for the MotoGP crown that he had held from 2001 to 2005, and won again in 2008 and 2009.

Following the global economic recession, MotoGP (like F1) introduced drastic spending restrictions including limiting pre-season testing and banning in-season testing. There were just nine days of pre-season testing held prior to the start of the 2012 season and it seems to have affected Rossi more than his championship rivals Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner, who won the 2010 and 2011 titles, respectively.

Rossi has scored just one podium finish since leaving Yamaha for the Ducati team at the end of the 2010 season.

Original Story at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/motor-sports/topstories/Rossi-can-t-make-the-di...

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Ducati decides not to homologate 1199 Panigale

Carlos Checa happy to stay on 1198

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Reigning World Superbike champion Carlos Checa says he is happy to continue racing the Ducati 1198 this season, rather than the factory's new 1199 Panigale model.

During a 'Five questions with...' media feature presented by Miller Motorsports Park, Checa was asked about Ducati's decision not to homologate the 1199 for WSBK this year and instead debut the new machine in Superstock.

“Well, we already have 6kg extra on the 1198 in line with 2012 SBK regulations, so if we had brought the new bike to the track, I guess we would have been penalised to an even greater extent!” replied Checa.

“I think Ducati's strategy to race the 1199 in the Superstock championship before moving into the SBK championship in 2013 is a good one, as it gives them more time to 'fine-tune' it, just like they did in 2007 with the 1098.

“From a personal point of view, I was very comfortable with the 1198 in 2011 and, together with this bike, I took the SBK title - so I admit I was a little wary of changing to the 1199, which seems to be a very different bike.

“I've heard great things about it, but I haven't ridden the 1199 yet so I can't say any more, but from what I've heard it definitely sounds like the potential is there!”

Checa is fourth in the 2012 WSBK championship after suffering a big highside while leading race one, then taking victory in race two.

WSBK has introduced a one-bike rule to try and reduce costs this season. As a result, Checa said his team had to “work like crazy” to get him back out for the second race.

“Although the [one bike] idea is for teams to cut costs, each team still needs to have enough parts to build a 'second' bike from a rolling chassis in case of emergency,” said Checa.

“Maybe people thought that riders would go more carefully and there would be less crashes, but look how many crashes there were just at Phillip Island! So I don't know how much money teams are really saving.

“Sessions have been spaced out to give teams a fighting chance of repairing any crashed bikes in between, but it's not easy. I crashed in Race 1 at Phillip Island, and my boys worked like crazy to build a new bike for me for Race 2!”

Round two of the 2012 championship, currently led by Aprilia's Max Biaggi, takes place at Imola on April 1.

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Nicky Hayden Wrist Surgery

Thursday, 17 November 2011

The Ducati Team rider had an operation on Monday to insert a screw in the scaphoid in his right wrist, which he fractured in a crash at the Valencia GP.

Ducati Team rider Nicky Hayden underwent surgery on Monday 14th November to speed up the healing process on his right wrist, which was injured in a crash at the November 7th Valencia Grand Prix.

During the operation, which was carried out at the Fremont Sports Therapy and Surgery Centre in Fremont, California, USA, Dr. Arthur Ting placed a small screw in Hayden’s fractured scaphoid. The radial styloid, which is also fractured, was not treated.

“Everything went pretty smoothly,” Hayden said shortly after the operation. “The scaphoid is a slow-healing bone, so you don’t want to wait, only to find out in January that it’s not healing correctly. I’m happy to get it fixed right so that I’ll be ready to go when I need to be.”

After wearing a brace and using a bone stimulator for four weeks, Hayden will have his wrist X-rayed again to assess its status. He is confident of being at full fitness before his return to the track for the first day of the 2012 testing season on January 31st in Sepang, Malaysia.

Ducati Team press release

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2011/Hayden+wrist+surgery

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