Michel Fabrizio talking to the Ducaticorsefriends about his latest SBK performances:
“I realized that I needed to step up a level and I’ve worked on changing my mental attitude. I am also doing a lot more physical preparation and am trying to eat more sensibly than I did last year, thanks to the advice of my trainer Leigh “Rok” Bryan”.

“Last year I did all I could to learn from Troy and it was amazing to have him as a team-mate but I was always going to be second to him. This year, on the other hand, I feel like I can rival Noriyuki. The win at Monza really helped my confidence and since then I’m fighting for the win, and not just for points, every weekend. I’m third in the championship and although I’m not thinking about the title just yet, I am trying my best to get to the podium each and every race, I’ve realized that the only way to face a long championship like this is to take things race by race…”

Thank you Michel Fabrizio and Ducati Corse

With an incredible lap in tricky conditions, Casey Stoner was the winner of a brand new BMW today, as the fastest rider in the Official MotoGP Test session at the Jerez circuit in Southern Spain. Rain clouds threatened to dampen the atmosphere at the first competitive action of the 2009 MotoGP season, but the Ducati Marlboro Team rider lit up the 45-minute shootout by registering a stunning 1′38.646 lap before the showers came and brought the practice to an abrupt end, smashing the existing circuit lap record by nearly 1.5 seconds.

Stoner’s Ducati Marlboro team-mate Nicky Hayden had a mixed session, as he set the eleventh fastest lap with a 1′40.401. The American continued his steady adaptation to the Ducati this weekend, with some positive steps forward during this morning’s first run out. However, he also had a brave escape as he ran off track towards the latter stages of the timed practice.
The Kentucky rider bravely steered his Desmosedici GP9 to safety through the gravel trap as he left the track at high speed, but returned to the garage without a scratch. Despite the small setback, enough progress has been made for Hayden to be in a positive mood once he and the rest of the Ducati Marlboro join up at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar in two weeks time, for the opening race of the 2009 season.

Factory test rider Vittoriano Guareschi also took part in the practice session, and was able to set his very own personal best on the Andalusian track in 1’41.485, confirming the progress made this weekend by the GP9.

CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) Fastest overall - 1’38.64: “I really don’t know where that fast lap came from, especially at this track where I’ve never even been on the podium before! It’s been something of a bogey track for myself and the Ducati. The last two races here were difficult, but we definitely found something yesterday afternoon and that made us feeling more confident about Jerez. This is a very, very good step for us. This morning we went out and changed something else and immediately had a good feeling with the bike but still it was not in the right direction: we hit another wall. We were consistent but we needed to go a little bit further. This afternoon we changed a little bit the setting in the rear of the bike to try to get a bit more traction but I came out in the qualifying session not really expecting too much. I thought the rest were going to really up the ante. They did that and got their lap times down, but I never expected to do the lap times that I did when I needed to pull them out. It’s a great start to the year, but the real work now begins in Qatar. Now I need these two weeks to come better physically, just fitness. The wrist is coming better and better all the time and the arm is getting stronger and it doesn’t effect me when I ride so now I can use these two weeks to train a lot more and try to get ready for the beginning of the season. We look forward to it”.

NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Marlboro Team) 11th fastest - 1’40.401 : “This morning we made some small improvements and I was able to go a bit quicker but the qualifying session was a bit of a disaster. We were making some changes beforehand but ran out of time to get the bike ready and I lost some time at the beginning of the session. Then when I went out we had a clutch problem and I had to change to my second bike, which I’ve hardly ridden this weekend, and it had a different setting. Casey has shown the package is good and to be honest I’d hoped to be closer to him by this stage but it’s time to go racing now so we’ll go out to Qatar, work hard and see what happens.”

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italiano.

After the accident occurred last June 27th during the Dutch GP, Pramac Racing rider Mika Kallio will miss the next MotoGP round in Laguna Seca, USA. The ring finger of his left hand, injured during the accident on the Assen circuit, doesn’t allow the Finnish rider to step on his Ducati Desmosedici GP9 Sat next 5th July for the US Grand Prix. The finger, during the fall, was burnt in the final part reaching the bone and making lose forever the nail to Mika. Luckily the nervous system of the finger hasn’t been damaged. At the moment a bandage has been placed on the finger so the it can be disinfected daily, but soon, probably after Sachsenring and Donington race, a new part of skin will be stitch up on the top of the finger to definitely close it. During the next two European races Mika will have to use an imitation skin protection on the injured finger. Pramac Racing Team has decided to don’t substitute the Scandinavian rider for Laguna Seca weekend, but will race only with Niccolò Canepa.

Fabiano Sterlacchini – Pramac Racing Team Technical Director: “Mika’s condition are surely better than what we thought straight after the race, but notwithstanding this we preferred to give him a weekend off to recover. This would have been for him the first time in Laguna Seca and with his precarious physical conditions we preferred to don’t take any more risk and make him be at the best in three weeks time for Sachsenring. Mika will not go under surgery in these weeks before the German GP, but will continue to follow medications and cleaning of the injured finger to avoid infection and further complications. For this motive the Pramac Racing Team will race in Laguna Seca only with one rider, Italian Niccolò Canepa who will make his debut on the Californian circuit.”

Mika Kallio – Pramac Racing Rider: “I was so excited to race in Laguna Seca,
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At 5pm this afternoon Ducati Xerox rider Noriyuki Haga underwent successful surgery at the Derby City Hospital. Having fractured the ulna in his right arm in yesterday’s crash at Donington Park, Noriyuki today had a plate and screws inserted to set the bone. The surgical team deemed the surgery a success and there were no unforeseen complications.

Prior to the operation, medical staff took a closer look at his right shoulder blade and an x-ray unfortunately confirmed that he has multiple fractures to his left scapula. The scapula will not necessitate surgical intervention and the bone should knit itself back together in time; this complication should not prolong Noriyuki’s recovery time. The Japanese rider should be discharged from hospital tomorrow (Tuesday) and he and his family will fly back to Italy so that Noriyuki can begin the necessary physiotherapy treatment.
The Ducati Xerox rider will not participate in the next tests at Imola but it is foreseen that he will compete in the next round at Brno.