Valentino Rossi Ducati – MotoGP 2012

The second and final day of testing at Valencia took place in sunny conditions, allowing both Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden to make full use of the available track time. Rossi worked closely together with Filippo Preziosi on the setting of the GP11 machine with the big bang engine configuration, completing 70 laps. His detailed feedback and the data gathered over the past two days will help the Ducati engineers develop the GP11 and adapt it more to the riding style of the nine-time World Champion.

Nicky Hayden spent a lot of time out on track today, completing 91 laps throughout the session and testing both the screamer and big bang versions of the engine, setting his best time on the latter version and ending up sixth fastest overall. The American was able to improve his pace from the weekend and was satisfied with the job done.

NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati MotoGP Team)  6th fastest – 1:32’583
“That’s it – the season is finally over! Today was a positive day for us. We tried the screamer and it wasn’t easy to switch between engines but it was important to do a proper test on them both and get the data we need to make an important decision. I am leaning towards sticking with the big bang but we will make the decision together. In general I am happy because we have been pretty quick. We know there is a lot of work to do but we are ready to get on with it. We tried a new Bridgestone, which I liked a lot and actually I did my fastest time on it. I also went well on the race tyre we used on Sunday and we were just a couple of tenths off my best. We tested some other things that I liked but we need to test them more. I want to thank everybody in the team because they did a great job as always even though it wasn’t easy, coming on the back of two races.”

FILIPPO PREZIOSI, Direttore Generale Ducati Corse
“After these two days of tests we will go back to Ducati for a meeting, where we will decide which path to take between the two engines, the big bang and the screamer, although the information we have is pointing towards the former. It will be a decision we will make by analysing the data in depth as well as planning the way forward around all the other things we learnt at the test. The objective is clearly to allow Valentino to ride  like Valentino! We know we have to improve the bike in order to achieve this, especially the front end. He has given us some very precise information and now it is down to us to use it. We would obviously have liked to give him the opportunity to go faster today but even though that wasn’t the case he has impressed everybody over the last two days with the way he works, his calm approach and his positive attitude towards everything. Nicky also worked very hard, as usual, and set a good lap time on the new Bridgestones as well as the ones we were already using, which is another big positive. Now we have to work to give them both a more competitive bike for the next test.”

Unofficial lap times 10th November 2010

1.Casey Stoner  1:32.066
2.Jorge Lorenzo 1:32.179
3.Ben Spies   1:32.322
4.Marco Simoncelli  1:32.450
5.Dani Pedrosa  1:32.497
6.Nicky Hayden  1:32.583
7.Alvaro Bautista  1:32.738
8.Randy De Puniet   1:32.836
9.Andrea Dovizioso  1:32.942
10.Hiroshi Aoyama  1:33.105
11.Hector Barbera   1:33.168
12.Colin Edwards  1:33.325
13.Cal Crutchlow  1:33.483
14.Loris Capirossi  1:33.740
15.Valentino Rossi  1:33.761
16.Karel Abraham  1:33.793
17.Toni Elias  1:34.800

Circuit Record: Casey Stoner (Ducati – 2008), 1’32.582 – 155.732 Km/h
Best Pole: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha – 2006), 1’31.002 – 158.436 Km

Valentino Rossi
“This is a very emotional day but I’m very happy as well because I don’t have any regrets and there have been no bad moments or thoughts throughout these seven seasons together with Yamaha. From the beginning it was something great and we worked very well together. Like in life, in sport the results are crucial but just as important is the enjoyment and we had this at Yamaha. We had a great fusion in my team – the Australians, the Italians, the Japanese, the English and many more…a lot of people all together having fun. If in 2004 somebody had told me that I would win four world championships with Yamaha and 46 Grand Prix I would have signed in blood! I am happy. I have to thank first of all Masao Furusawa because we went through some difficult moments but we were able to improve the bike and make it the best machine, then I just have to say a big thank you to everybody who helped me in these seven seasons, and wish everyone good luck.”

Masao Furusawa
“I would like to thank Valentino very much, I started in MotoGP in 2003 and it was a terrible year, it was almost like I was in hell! I really wanted to make the YZR-M1 a better bike but the more investigated it, the more I realised I needed something else, more than the bike. So we found Valentino Rossi. First of all I didn’t believe Valentino would come to Yamaha because the bike wasn’t great but somehow it worked. After South Africa in 2004 I felt like I was in heaven, it was a very exciting and memorable year. In 2004 Valentino was the only one who could win on the YZR-M1 so he contributed a lot to developing the bike. This year not only Valentino but also three other riders were fast so it’s clear that our YZR-M1 is a pretty good bike. This is mainly because of Valentino’s contributions over the years so I really appreciate that and I want to wish him all the best in the future.”

Lin Jarvis
“In 2003 when we had our worst year ever in GP racing and finally we said that whatever we were going to do, without Valentino Rossi on the seat it wasn’t going to work! That was the point where we decided that we needed him. There were some exciting and secretive negotiations with Valentino and it was a very important decision but, with the backing of Masao Furusawa and the President of Yamaha Motor Company, we made it happen. It was ‘do or die’. With a huge commitment from Yamaha, the engineers and everybody in the team we made it work. We are very, very grateful because Valentino’s arrival really turned things around for Yamaha and we came back to victorious ways. We are incredibly thankful and grateful to him for that. We’ve had so many exciting and enjoyable moments with him and with the crew that he brought with him, who are great guys. Today we will be saying goodbye to a great number of people including Davide Brivio, Jerry Burgess and the whole crew. We’ve had a super time, it’s been a really excellent team and we will miss them tomorrow, it will be a strange day.”

Fiat Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi sent the following message today from his home in Italy. The reigning World-Champion is currently convalescing after breaking his leg at the Italian MotoGP round three week’s ago.

“Three weeks have passed since the accident and two since I was discharged from hospital, and I am very happy about how my recuperation is progressing. I am feeling a lot better and I’m starting to live a semi-normal life again, although for a completely ‘normal’ life I will have to wait until I’m back on my bike! I am walking with crutches and since a few days I’ve been able to put my foot to the floor. Honestly, I didn’t expect to feel this good just a few weeks after the incident, and I mean both physically and in my ‘spirit.’

“The rehabilitation is continuing as usual, both sitting in the hyperbaric chamber and with some exercises in the gym. Unfortunately my shoulder is still giving me some pain but I am working on the muscles to reduce the pain a bit. If the rehabilitation proceeds without trouble and if everything continues in this way, then my objective is to return at the Czech Grand Prix in Brno.

“I have started to leave the house and my good friends haven’t left me on my own for even a minute, although I’m not used to spending so much time in Tavullia! I miss my bike, my team and the paddock a lot and this ‘new’ sensation is pushing me to get better as quickly as possible.
“I’ll speak to you, but more importantly see you, soon.

Ciao, Valentino Rossi.”