From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Ducati Marlboro men move on to Le Mans

The Ducati Marlboro Team arrives at France’s legendary motorsport venue aiming to continue moving forward with its new-for-2004 Desmosedici GP4.

Riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss had an unlucky time at rain-lashed Jerez two weeks ago but they got through a lot of work in a two-day test at the Spanish circuit after the GP which will put them in better shape for Le Mans.

Even though the team’s Jerez results didn’t show it, the Desmosedici GP4 was impressive in the Spanish rain – Bayliss was fastest in wet morning warm-up and was also one of the quickest men on the circuit when he fell on the second lap of the rain-soaked race. Capirossi had miserable luck on race day – he was twice run off the track by other riders.

“Jerez wasn’t easy,” says Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “In racing you get weekends like that. The main thing is that team morale is high. And we did take away some positives from Jerez, like Troy’s speed in the wet, plus what we learned during two days of testing after the race. Last season we showed our potential at a lot of racetracks and we are determined to show it again!”

Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli believes that Le Mans should suit the squad better than Jerez.

“I think the new bike is already better than last year’s at stop-and-go tracks like Le Mans, which is basically a sequence of straights interrupted by mostly slow, 180-degree hairpins,” he says. “The GP4 worked well during winter tests at Valencia, which is also quite stop and go. The bike still isn’t perfect in fast corners but it is good in slower corners. The main thing we are working on now is front-end confidence, so that our riders can really attack high-speed corners. “During our Jerez tests we worked on weight distribution, engine management and some new Michelin race tyres. We also did some important work with Loris and Michelin’s 16.5in front tyre which improved his feel for the bike.”

Capirossi works to get back up front

Loris Capirossi salvaged four World Championship points from a determined ride in atrocious conditions at Jerez. The Ducati Marlboro Team rider finished a luckless 12th but is determined to get back up front at Le Mans after positive post-race tests at the Spanish track.

“We learned some useful things during the Jerez tests that we hope will help us in the future,” says Capirossi, who won the 1994 French 250 GP at Le Mans. “I’ve won races at this track even though it’s not my favourite; it’s very stop and go, so it’s not a lot of fun for the rider. The only two corners that I really like are turn one – which is a big test for a rider – and the Musee left-hander. We are working to improve the GP4 in fast corners, and I think we are making good progress in that area, so I’m relaxed and focused. We are definitely moving forward step by step, and that is what really matters.”

Bayliss ready for resurfaced Le Mans

Troy Bayliss is raring to get going at Le Mans. The Aussie was one of the fastest men in the race when he crashed out of the Spanish GP two weeks ago, so he’s anxious to get back on board and back up front. He is also super keen to try out Le Mans’ new surface.

“It’s really good news that they have resurfaced the place,” says the Ducati Marlboro Team man. “Last year the track was slippery in the rain, and I ended up sliding out of the race. The Le Mans layout is kind of okay, but at the end of the day they’re all the same – a racetrack is a racetrack, you’ve just got to get around it as quick as you can. As far as the bike goes, we’re still learning, but I reckon Le Mans is going to be better for us, the track should suit us okay and we’ll be out for a good result.”

The track

Legendary for its 24-hour races, Le Mans has been hosting World Championship GPs on and off since 1969. The Bugatti circuit, very different from the longer 24-hour car track, returned to the GP calendar in 1999, since when the event has built a huge following in bike-mad France.

Le Mans has undergone various layout changes and safety modifications over the past few years.
The daunting high-speed first turn was tightened for the ’99 GP and the Musee left-hander was also modified to lower speeds. Further modifications were carried out before the 2002 event and the track has been resurfaced for this year’s race. The circuit character is very stop-and-go, with plenty of slow turns where braking and acceleration performance are of vital importance. Riders and their engineers therefore concentrate on honing their machines’ braking stability, as well as improving rear-end traction for the numerous hairpin exits.

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: 202 (32xMotoGP, 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)
Le Mans 2003 results. Grid: 3rd. Race: DNF

Troy Bayliss

Age: 35 (March 30, 1969)
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP4
First GP: Australia, 1997 (250)
GP starts: 19 (18xMotoGP, 1×250)
World Superbike victories: 22
World Championships: 1 (Superbike: 2001)
Le Mans 2003 results. Grid: 14th. Race: DNF.