In his crew’s search for a solution to the Ducati’s handling ills, Valentino Rossi finds an answer—adapting teammate Nicky Hayden’s settings
BROOKLYN, NY, MAY 3 – Ducati Marlboro’s Valentino Rossi said he was “quite satisfied” after finishing ninth and more than six seconds behind his teammate, Nicky Hayden, in the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez. That the nine-time world champion would be satisfied with ninth out of 17 finishers is a stunning revelation for a rider known for his fierce competitiveness. But rather than focus on the result, he was talking about the progress he and his team had made with the Desmosedici GP12 and what it meant for the future.
“For sure the result is not fantastic and we have to do better, but I think the race of today is quite important for make a step in the next races, because today I arrived with another setting, different setting, and more in Ducati style, because with this bike from the first test we try to make a setting that create some feeling that I had in the past, but unfortunately is not the right way,” Rossi said.
“This bike need something different. Need to ride a little bit in a different way. So we were also unlucky during the weekend, because I had this setting to try from Friday morning, but always bad, bad conditions so we don’t have time for understand. And starting with a complete new setting for the race I lose too much time in the beginning. And for that reason I was not fighting with Nicky and with the other guys in that group, because at the end I had a quite good pace.”
Photo Gallery: Rossi cites GP12 progress—using Hayden’s bike settings - Sport Rider Magazine
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