The second day of the Wrooom Press Ski Meeting at Madonna di Campiglio
saw Filippo Preziosi (Ducati Corse General Manager) inform the
international press regarding the technical aspects of the Desmosedici
GP12 that Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden will ride in the upcoming
test at Sepang (31 January - 2 February).
"As is the case every
year, it's a pleasure to kick off our season in such a nice setting as
Madonna di Campiglio," Preziosi began before providing a brief summary
of the work schedule that led to the assembly of the GP12, currently
taking place in Borgo Panigale. "Over the recent months, we followed an
intensive, consistent test program, which culminated with the two-day
post-race test in Valencia. By analyzing the data-acquisition
information, the riders' comments and the setup sheets, we defined the
target values for the new frame geometry. Now, with Jeremy (Burgess),
Juan (Martinez) and our riders, we'll work at the track to define the
bike's base setup so that we can then proceed with the customary
development work that's typically done during winter testing, with the
goal of starting a trend of improvement in terms of competitiveness.
Normally, it takes two years to complete the process from the
calculation stage, to design, to component construction, to test-bench
‘shakedown,' to track testing, to racing. By compressing this process
down to a span of just months, we've accepted a challenge that we know
will be very difficult, but we believe it's possible. All this is thanks
to the extraordinary group that includes Valentino and Nicky, who last
year agreed to a number of tests that often affected their performance,
as well as our team, our designers and our sponsors-in particular the
Title Sponsor, a partner that has always been steadfastly at our side.
Ducati is a company that has already faced significant challenges in the
past, and I'm proud to be a part of it."
Tomorrow, Wrooom will
be dedicated to the Ferrari drivers, so Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden
will have the chance to enjoy Madonna di Campiglio before the final
day, featuring the kart and auto exhibition with the riders and drivers
on the town's frozen lake.