CAPIROSSI BACK FOR DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM

The Ducati Marlboro Team is back to its usual line-up for this weekend’s season-ending Valencia Grand Prix, with team-mates Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa reunited following Capirossi’s absence from last month’s Australian and Turkish GPs.

Capirossi is returning to action after a three-week layoff with chest injuries sustained during practice for the Australian GP. Yesterday (Saturday 29 October) Loris was accompanied by Dr. Costa to Imola Hospital for a CT scan. The results of the check were excellent and the doctor from the Clinica Mobile gave the go-ahead for Loris to race at Valencia. Although he’s unlikely to be at full strength, the Italian, who had been battling for second overall in the 2005 MotoGP World Championship, is determined to score more points in the 17th and final race of the year. Capirossi had been in storming form before his Phillip Island fall, taking two wins, three pole positions and one second-place finish from the previous four races.

Checa is also enjoying the impressive performance offered by his Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici and Bridgestone tyres, taking two podium finishes from the last four races.

“We’re really happy to have Loris back with us after two races without him,” says Ducati MotoGP project leader Livio Suppo. “Although we know he may not be fully at 100 per cent, we’re hoping that he and Carlos can finish the 2005 season in the best way possible. A big thanks to Dr. Claudio Costa and everyone at the Clinica Mobile who have followed Loris with their usual incredible professionalism right from the start. We know that Loris has the heart of a ‘lion’ but it’s also thanks them that he has recovered so quickly.

At times it has been a tough season, but after the midseason break everything really came together for us because everyone in the team, at the factory and at Bridgestone maintained their commitment and passion for this project. We have won two races so far, more than we’ve done before, so now we hope to celebrate with a good weekend at Valencia.”

Valencia is one of the tightest and slowest circuits in MotoGP, requiring a very rider-friendly machine set-up. “Valencia is a strange track – very stop-and-go in character,” explains Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “Engine rideability and traction are the crucial performance factors. And there are some interesting sections – like the final fast left, which riders tackle with full throttle and very little load on the rear tyre as they crest the brow of the hill. We don’t plan to alter the engine mapping for such a tight and slow circuit – we prefer that our riders stay familiar with the bike’s behaviour from one track to another, so they know exactly how it reacts.”

CAPIROSSI: ‘I’D WALK TO VALENCIA IF I HAD TO!’

Ducati Marlboro Team man Loris Capirossi returns to action this weekend, three weeks after he crashed heavily during practice for the Australian GP. The lion-hearted Italian fell at around 200kmh/125mph, suffering chest injuries that left him with bleeding around the right lung. On October 17, under supervision from the Clinica Mobile, he flew to Italy, where he was looked after by the Clinica’s Dr Claudio Costa, before returning to his Monaco home where, a few days later, he was able to resume training.

“I’m really happy to be able to return to racing,” says Capirossi “It was tough to watch the racing and qualifying in Turkey from home, especially since the decision was forced upon me by my physical condition. I still can’t fly so I’m travelling to Valencia in my motorhome. But my desire to race is so great that I would walk all the way to Valencia if I had to!

“I can’t wait to get back on the bike. For sure I won’t be on top form, but I will try and do my best because I want to finish the season in the best possible way. I have to admit that the Valencia track is not one of my favourites: it’s too tight for a MotoGP bike but then again it doesn’t have any particularly difficult or tricky features. Anyway, it will be great for me to put two wheels back on the track!”

CHECA AIMING FOR HOME-RACE PODIUM

Carlos Checa is looking forward to his third home GP of the year at Valencia this weekend. Currently ninth overall with two podium finishes, the Ducati Marlboro Team rider is keen to record a top-three performance in front of his home crowd.

“I’m really looking forward to Valencia because the bike and the Bridgestones are working really well now,” he says. “Valencia is a special event and I’ve a big motivation to do really well for the Spanish fans. I didn’t have such a great time at Jerez or Barcelona earlier this season, so I want a good result here, especially after my podium finishes in Malaysia and Australia.

Valencia is quite an unusual track, there’s a lot of corners in a very tight layout, so you are always working the bike hard, turning from side to side and trying to get through the short little corners as quickly as possible. It’s hard work but it’s quite fun too, especially if the bike is working well. You need very light handling and a user-friendly engine for this track. The front end is also really important here, because you need good turn-in performance.”

THE TRACK

Valencia is the second-slowest circuit in GP racing with a lap record of just 154.5kmh, a fraction slower than Laguna Seca and marginally faster than Estoril. Most of the track’s corners are slow, in-and-out turns, grouped closely together, this unusual layout affording spectators a mostly unobstructed view of the entire circuit – a real rarity in the world of motorsport. It’s an immensely physical circuit with riders afforded little rest between bouts of heavy acceleration, braking and cornering. Valencia is also one of five anti-clockwise MotoGP circuits and the third consecutive left-handed track to feature on the calendar, following Phillip Island and Istanbul.

This weekend Valencia hosts its seventh Grand Prix after featuring on the World Championship calendar for the first time in 1999. The venue is officially christened the Ricardo Tormo circuit, in honour of the late Spanish rider, a former 50cc World Champion.

Lap record: Valentino Rossi (Honda), 1m 33.317s (2003) Pole position 2004: Makoto Tamada (Honda), 1m 32.815s

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM RIDERS DATA LOG LORIS CAPIROSSI Age: 32 (born April 4, 1973) Lives: Monaco Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP5 GP victories: 23 (1xMotoGP, 2×500, 12×250, 8×125) First GP victory: Britain, 1990 (125) First GP: Japan, 1990 (125) GP starts: 230 (60xMotoGP, 59×500, 84×250, 27×125) Pole positions: 39 (6xMotoGP, 5×500, 23×250, 5×125) First pole: Australia, 1991 (125) World Championships: 3 (125: 1990, 1991, 250: 1998) Valencia 2004 results: Grid: 13th. Race: 9th

CARLOS CHECA Age: 33 (born October 15, 1972) Lives: London, England Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP5 GP victories: 2 (500) First GP victory: Catalunya, 1996 (500) First GP: Europe, 1993 (125) GP starts: 184 (64xMotoGP, 92×500, 27×250, 1×125) Pole positions: 3 (2xMotoGP, 1×500) First pole: Spain, 1998 (500) Valencia 2004 results: Grid: 9th. Race: 14th