Ducati Previews Brno MotoGP

Ducati Previews Brno MotoGP

© 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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From a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati:


Czech Grand Prix, Brno, 20/21/22 August – Preview

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN GO BACK TO WORK AT BRNO

The MotoGP circus returns from its summer recess at Brno rested, relaxed and ready to launch into the final seven events of the thrill-packed 2004 MotoGP World Championship. Czech Grand Prix is an important race for everyone on the grid, but especially for Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss who are aiming to maintain the momentum they had built during the last few GPs before the holidays. At last month’s British GP both men qualified their Desmosedici GP4s inside the top four and also proved their potential in the race, Capirossi leading for the first time this year, Bayliss lapping within 0.15 seconds of the new Donington Park lap record. Their improving pace follows the recent introduction of Ducati’s new and rider-friendly Twin Pulse engine.

“We are now as competitive as we were last year,” says Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “I think we can genuinely feel proud of the way in which we recovered from a difficult start to our 2004 season. If you consider that the other top factories have improved their bikes since the first race, that shows we have improved even more. Troy’s lap times at Donington showed that we are right there in terms of absolute performance, so we are really looking forward to Brno and the remainder of the season. Last year at Brno we had out most competitive race – both Troy and Loris were in the hunt for victory and we aim to be part of the show again.”

Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli is confident of a good weekend in the Czech Republic. “Brno is a flowing track, which suits our bike,” says Cecchinelli. “In fact our 2004 machine is now a more balanced than last year’s bike, so I think it should suit every track from now on. At Brno you need a lot of confidence in the front end, because there are a lot of downhill corners with negative camber. You also need a bike that can change direction quickly, because there are a lot of esses.”

CAPIROSSI LOOKS FORWARD TO ‘HARMONIC’ BRNO
Loris Capirossi qualified on the front row at last month’s British GP, his first time up front so far this year and therefore a major confidence boost for the Ducati Marlboro Team man. Now Capirossi wants to develop that top-three qualifying performance into his first top-three finish of 2004. Last year at Brno Capirossi battled for the lead until a minor electrical fault ended his charge in the closing stages of the race. Over the years the epic Czech track has offered mixed fortunes to the Italian – he has scored Brno podium finishes in the 125, 250 and premier class but he’s never won a race at the circuit.

“I like this track very much because it is quite fast and very technical,” he says. “It is a ‘harmonic’ track, where your riding needs to flow. The race will be a big event for us because since we got the Twin Pulse engine at Assen we have shown that we are very fast. The first part of season was really hard but now Troy and I are happy with bike. I can’t wait for the race. I am now rested after that crazy schedule of six races over eight weekends in June and July. During the holidays I have done nothing! We went to Italy for a few days, to see my parents near Imola and then Ingrid’s parents in Trieste, then back to Monaco, just resting at home and in my boat.”

BAYLISS CAN’T WAIT FOR A SHOT AT BRNO PODIUM
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss had his best ride of 2003 at Brno, leading rivals Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau for half the race, eventually finishing third, just 0.6 seconds down on winner Rossi. No wonder the Australian is looking forward to returning to the high-speed venue.

“I liked Brno pretty much straight away when I first tested there last year,” says Bayliss. “It’s pretty fast and very wide, with a few corners you can’t really see until you’re on them. I guess you could say it’s a little like Phillip Island, because it’s flowing, so it keeps the bikes together and makes for good racing. There’s a few tracks where you’ve got to have a lot of confidence in the front, and this is one of them because there’s a lot of negative camber turns. There’s also a lot of second-gear corners but overall it’s pretty fast. I can’t wait to get back there. After Donington I know I can race up front and I’ve been training hard over the break, so I can come back strong at Brno. But apart from the training I’ve just been kicking back with the family in Monaco, plus we had a week’s holiday in Majorca.”

THE TRACK
Brno is a masterpiece of a motorcycle racing circuit. Constructed in the mid-eighties it eschews the modern fashion of tight turns and hairpins for a mighty mix of fast sweepers and undulating corners that test rider talent and machine performance to the limit. Most riders love the place because it’s challenging and also because it’s pretty fast.

But Brno’s most significant characteristic is its constant changes of elevation – the circuit weaves its way across forested hillsides outside the Czech Republic’s second city – which means that many of the turns are steeply cambered. Dealing with negative-camber corners requires a perfectly set-up machine, deft riding skills and especially crucial input from Michelin’s tyre engineers. Horsepower is also a major consideration at Brno because this is one racetrack where MotoGP bikes, usually caged in by slower venues, really get moving.


BRNO: 5.403km/3.357miles
Lap record: Valentino Rossi (Honda), 1m59.966s,162.135kmh/100.746mph
2002 pole position: Rossi, 1m 58.769s


DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM DATA LOGS
LORIS CAPIROSSI
Age: 31 (April 4, 1973)
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP4
GP victories: 23 (1xMotoGP, 2×500, 12×250, 8×125)
First GP victory: Britain, 1990 (125)
First GP: Japan, 1990 (125)
GP starts: 209 (39xMotoGP, 59×500, 84×250, 27×125)
Pole positions: 36 (3xMotoGP, 5×500, 23×250, 5×125)
First pole: Australia, 1991 (125)
World Championships: 3 (125: 1990, 1991, 250: 1998)
Brno 2003 results. Grid: 4th. Race: DNF

TROY BAYLISS
Age: 35 (March 30, 1969)
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP4
First GP: Australia, 1997 (250)
GP starts: 26 (25xMotoGP, 1×250)
World Superbike victories: 22
World Championships: 1 (Superbike: 2001)
Brno 2003 results. Grid: 6th. Race: 3rd


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