From a press release issued by Ducati MotoGP Press:

RIDERS AND TEAM SATISFIED AFTER DAY 1 OF 2004 MOTOGP TESTING

THE 2004 DESMOSEDICI (D16GP4) DEBUTS AT SEPANG

Sepang (Malaysia), 11th February 2004 – After being presented to the international media last week, the 2004 Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici took to the track for the first time today on day 1 of a three-day session at the Sepang circuit, Malaysia.

Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi were in action today for the first time in two months in the first real test session of what promises to be a hard-fought and exciting season. The two Ducati Marlboro Team riders got to grips with the 2004-spec bikes at the circuit where the Italian machines had struggled slightly in last October’s Malaysian GP.

The first day of testing saw riders and engineers obtain a clear idea of the latest modifications made to the beautiful new Desmosedici D16GP4 in view of the first round of the MotoGP championship scheduled for 18 April at the Welkom Circuit in South Africa.

The day was characterized by the hot and sultry weather (air 28°-34° C/track 33°-58° C) typical of this area, but a light breeze made working conditions easier for riders and team staff, who were satisfied with the day’s work.

Bayliss completed a total of 44 laps, setting a best time of 2:04.208, well over half a second quicker than his last year’s race time (2:04.989). The Australian, who used a 16.5″ front tyre, was satisfied with his performance today: “I went quicker than last year’s race time” he declared, “and that’s a good sign. I’ve already got a good feeling with the bike, even though I’ve had to get used to the smaller 16.5″ tyre again after using a 17″ one for such a long time. Although I always used the smaller tyre in Superbike, the feeling is different. The Desmosedici however is very easy to ride and we’ve got two more days on this track to continue with the set-up work and get the best out of the bike.”

Loris Capirossi also had a positive day, setting a quickest time of 2:03.883 in his 38 laps. This was a good result for the Italian, who also used exclusively the smaller front, and who focussed on set-up work and without pushing hard. “I’m really happy with the bike, which now handles much better, although we’ve still got a lot of work to do” declared Capirossi. “The Desmosedici is still new and we are doing a lot of testing work with the 16.5″ front. To get a better idea of today’s performance, last year we could only manage this time on the final day of the tests, with a soft tyre. The bike now feels good, and is a lot easier to handle and manage than last year’s bike.”