2012 MotoGP Prep
On Tuesday during the 22nd edition of the Wrooom Press Ski Meeting at Madonna di Campiglio in Italy, the international press spoke with MotoGP Ducati riders Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden.
The Ducati duo explained what they expect in the upcoming 2012 MotoGP Championship, hoping for better results on the GP12, which is a 1000cc prototype due to the increased engine capacity for this year’s season.
And on Wednesday, Ducati Corse General Manager Filippo Preziosi spoke to the press about the technical aspects of the GP12 that Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden will pilot in the first official test of 2012 MotoGP at Sepang Jan. 31 through Feb. 2.
And the GP12 is a completely different bike than the one that nine-time world champion Rossi and 2006 MotoGP Champion Hayden competed on in 2011 MotoGP; Preziosi says that "Ninety percent of the parts are brand new" on the Ducati GP12.
Preziosi says the GP12 will still have an aluminum perimetric frame and carbon swingarm, but each piece is totally redesigned. The only components that remain the same are the front forks and steering components, he says.
Filippo Preziosi (Ducati Corse Team Manager) says: "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."
On Thursday, Wrooom will focus on Ferrari Formula 1 drivers, allowing Rossi and Hayden some time to enjoy the famed ski resort in the Dolomites.
