After the Catalunya weekend, Casey Stoner together with Ducati Marlboro Team concentrated on getting the best out of the Desmosedici GP9. It is the first time Stoner tested the new bike and the feedback is very positive.


Enthusiastic on the new bike’s performance, the young Ducati Marlboro racer ruled the scene on Monday at Catalunya.

Radical improvements to the bike consist in the addition of a carbon fiber frame and an updated chassis layout. The masterminds behind these changes are Filippo Preziosi, Ducati Corse General Manager and the British design consultant Alan Jenkins.

All of their work resumed in a Monday day of testing when MotoGP title holder, Stoner, obtained a best lap time of 1´41.533 which positioned him in front of Valentino Rossi. I believe that their goal was accomplished, don’t you?

Tomorrow, Stoner will be back on the GP8 continuing to improve this year’s racing package so he had time for a short interview:

“So far things have been very good,” Stoner told motogp.com referring to his initial Desmosedici GP9 experience. “We have improved in some areas where we have been struggling a little bit lately and considering we have only changed one thing on the bike from standard set-up we have been doing some pretty decent lap times. So it is definitely an improvement.”

The talented 22 year-old continued, “With the 2008 bike we have arrived at a point where it is difficult to get much more out of it. So to just jump on this new one and go fast straight away means we are very happy with the results so far.”

When asked if his instantaneous good feeling with the GP9 could bring its race debut forward to the current season, Stoner replied, “I very much doubt that. This is a 2009 bike and we basically just needed to get an understanding, so that they (Ducati) know they are going in the right direction, and so that they can keep making improvements for the end of season tests.”

Describing the new features of the Italian firm´s latest prototype, designer and Ducati manager Preziosi explained, “It´s not a change in the direction of development, but another step forward in the same direction. With the 990cc the seat supports and the footpegs were attached to the frame. With the 800cc they are both completely separate and on the GP9 the front part is even more dedicated to support and the dimensions become more limited.”

“The fact we´ve used carbon fibre in the production of the chassis is not the most relevant point, it is more the shape that is different from before.”