The French MotoGP was the best result so far this season for the Ducati factory team with Andrea Dovizioso leading the race and narrowly missing out on a podium after Marx Marquez passed him for 3rd in the dying laps of the race as the track dried.  Nicky Hayden finished 5th. Enjoy this photo gallery from Le Mans.

Source: Ducati Corse

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Ducati Team riders Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden turned in strong performances in unpredictable race conditions in the French GP, taking their Desmosedici GP13 machines to fourth and fifth place, respectively.
It seems rookie sensation Marc Marquez is not just happy to upset World Champions like Jorge Lorenzo after his strong drive from the field unseated Andrea Dovizioso from a podium position after the Italian had led the race for 8 laps.

With the MotoGP riders having gone almost the entire race weekend at Le Mans with no wet riding, a light rain began falling shortly before the start, only to relent about mid-distance, creating the conditions for an exciting and eventful race. Dovizioso grabbed the top spot from the front row, and he led eight laps in the early going, fending off eventual winner Dani Pedrosa for some time before finally conceding the lead position. On a steadily drying track surface, the Italian began losing grip in the latter stages, but although he slipped out of podium contention with just two laps remaining, he was pleased to have ridden a steady and intelligent race for his best result of the season so far.

The same was true of Hayden, who had shrugged off a fourth-row starting position to advance to sixth place on lap one. The American ran as high as fourth before eventually slipping one spot near the end.

Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team, 4th
“It’s always nice to be at the front of the pack! I’m really happy with my feeling with the bike, and as long as the tyres were decent, I was able to manage the situation well. Dani had more than I did, but I was still able to keep a good pace. We had good grip, which helped us to have a nice race, but as the track dried, the tyres began wearing a lot. I couldn’t keep the pace in the last six or seven laps, and unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make the podium. I’m sorry for the team about that, but we had a positive weekend in all aspects, even in the dry.”

Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team, 5th
“Rain races are tough, especially when you don’t have much time to set up the bike! I got a great start and picked up some positions in the first few corners. I didn’t feel great at first, but I began to improve and was closing on the lead group when they were battling with each other. I really enjoyed that, especially when the track was pretty wet. Things got more difficult as it dried, but I was hanging in there. I was looking for a way past Rossi, and when he crashed, I picked it up and ran wide. I put my head down and tried to close the gap, but I made a mistake, and after Marquez got by, I just tried to stay up and get to the finish. Top-five is our best result of the season, but for a while, I thought I had a possibility to do something really good. Still, there were moments this weekend when we showed more potential than we have all year, and I’m really looking forward to Mugello.”

Paolo Ciabatti – Ducati MotoGP Project Director
“We head home from Le Mans with some positive feelings. Both Andrea and Nicky had good races, and it was nice to see the Ducati at the front in a GP again, and fighting for the top positions for the entire race. This circuit is certainly suited to our bike’s characteristics, but it was also easy to make mistakes in the wet conditions that began drying toward the end, so we have to be satisfied with the result. Our team really worked well this weekend, so I want to thank not just the riders, but also our technicians and engineers, as well as the guys from Ducati Corse in Bologna, for all of their efforts.”

Source: Ducati Corse

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Andrea Dovizioso saved the best for last today in qualifying at Le Mans, setting a time of 1:33.603 on his final lap that vaulted him onto the front row of the starting grid for tomorrow’s French Grand Prix at a circuit where Ducati has traditionally run well.

The Italian consistently posted decent lap times during the day and was particularly fast in the two tight corners of the second sector, but it was at the end of the session that he really shined, posting his best times in all but the final split to secure the third-best time as the chequered flag flew.

Dovizioso’s teammate, Nicky Hayden, wasn’t as fortunate, as he struggled to put together a solid lap in the latter part of the session. The American will start the race from the fourth row.

Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team, 3rd (1:33.603)
“I’m pleased with the work we’ve done over the weekend because we’ve been consistently fast and we have the pace to do a good race—maybe not to finish on the podium but we’re much closer to the competition than we have been at other tracks. I was surprised to do a 1:33.6, as I didn’t think I’d be able to do that, but it was a beautiful feeling. Although I know it will be a difficult race, I still hope that it’ll be dry tomorrow; those are the conditions that we’ve practiced in and we’re pretty fast. Still, it shouldn’t be a big problem even if it rains, as it seems that our GP13 works well in the wet.”

Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team, 10th (1:34.242)
“We made a little step this morning and were able to improve my lap time and position, and although I didn’t improve in FP4, I was on used tyres the whole time and did my best lap time at the end. I thought we were on a good way, but in qualifying I didn’t really put a good lap together. I did a decent lap in my first exit, but in the second one I couldn’t get heat in the tyre. One second to the front isn’t bad at other tracks, but our potential here was better. It’s certainly frustrating to end up tenth on a day when things seemed to be going well, but we’ll see what the weather does tomorrow. Hopefully we can recover in the race. Congratulations to Dovi and his guys, as they did a great job.”

Sources: Ducati Corse

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Ducati racers Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden have had an encouraging start to the French MotoGP posting times just 1/2 a second behind faster runner Dani Pedrosa.

Although rain had threatened for part of the day, conditions were quite good for the first two free-practice sessions of the French Grand Prix, in which Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden put their Desmosedici GP13 machines into the seventh and eighth positions, respectively, in the combined times.

The two Ducati Team riders had finished the morning session in the top five, although it took them until the latter stages of the afternoon outing to lower their times. The gaps between the riders were quite small, with just over a second separating the top ten; Dovizioso and Hayden were .54 and .56 seconds from the leader Dani Pedrosa.

Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team, 7th (1:34.578)
“I’m pleased because we’re closer than we have been at the other tracks with our fastest lap, but especially our pace. I managed to do my best time on the final lap of my long run, which is nice. We’re pretty good with the setup, and although we still have to work on the details, I’m happy to be so close.”

Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team, 8th (1:34.590)
“The start to the weekend has been a little more positive than at some of the other races. In the morning we were making good steps in each exit, although not as much in the afternoon. Our lap time was pretty good, but it didn’t come easily, so we need to make the bike calmer in order to be more consistent. We do have some good sections, especially the second sector, but we have to improve on change of direction in the tighter areas. We’ll see what the weather does tomorrow; today could well be some of the only dry track time we get before the race.”

The Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team knew that the French Grand Prix would be challenging for Andrea Iannone, who is healing from an injury to his left knee and an operation to his right forearm. The first day of free practice confirmed that, for although the Italian wasn’t in as much pain as had been expected, he suffered a hard fall in the second free-practice session. Fortunately, he walked away from the incident relatively unscathed.

In the morning, Iannone managed to maintain a decent pace, steadily improving until he concluded the session in twelfth place. The circuit’s chicanes presented a challenge for his arm, but although the stitches caused him some discomfort, the muscle was working well. Following the session, the Clinica Mobile staff removed the stitches from his still-painful knee.

Andrea improved his time by seven tenths in the afternoon, but his session ended nine minutes early with the aforementioned crash, which happened when his rear tire lost traction on the exit of the last turn.

Michele Pirro finished his first day as a substitute rider for the Ignite Pramac Racing Team with a best time of 1:35.864. The Ducati Test Team rider had already taken part in the 2013 championship via a wildcard appearance at the Spanish Grand Prix, and he’ll do so again during the next round, at Mugello on June 2, as well as Misano on September 15.

It was a challenging day for the Italian, who has switched from the development version of the Desmosedici GP13 to Ben Spies’ race machine. The goal for tomorrow is to improve the setup in order to lower his best lap time.

Andrea Iannone – Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team, 12th (1:35.433)
“Today it was important to understand if I could do the race, especially as we look ahead to Mugello. Near the end of the second session, I wanted to try the last changes we’d made to the bike, and we also changed the tire. I fell, but that’s how it goes—fortunately, I wasn’t hurt and I’ll try again tomorrow. I think the crash may have been due to the tire change; it was new, so I should’ve been more careful. Although I’m struggling with my arm and knee, I’ll be in the race. I can do it, and I need to understand how the arm is before and after. For the moment, I can say that it has improved, but I’ll wait for Sunday to be sure because I’m certainly putting it under some stress. Dr. Claudio Costa and the Clinica Mobile are helping me a lot, and removing the stitches helped the knee to feel better so that I immediately went better. I want to and have to improve as quickly as possible tomorrow, and seeing that Nicky and Andrea went pretty well gives me hope.”

Michele Pirro – Ignite Pramac Racing Team, 14th (1:35.864)
“The day was a bit difficult, as I had some small problems in both sessions. I had to change bikes in the afternoon, but I actually felt more comfortable on the second one. I think that the situation slowed me down a bit. I’m still satisfied because although it’s my first time with the Ducati on this track, and I’m still getting used to this version of the bike, I began gaining confidence. I hope that we’ll also be able to ride in the dry tomorrow so that I can continue to get better. There’s room for improvement, and we must try to get everything set. I’m sure we can do it.”

Sources: Ducati Corse, Pramac Racing

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This fourth round of the MotoGP championship promises to be rather unusual for the Pramac Racing team, as team rider Ben Spies, still injured, will be substituted by Ducati test rider Michele Pirro. The Italian already rode at Jerez, in the first of three wildcard appearances that he’s making this season.

Pirro finished 11th in his first MotoGP outing for Ducati riding the development machine.

The Bugatti Circuit, which is situated approximately 200 km (124 miles) from the City of Lights, has hosted the French Grand Prix since 1969, when Giacomo Agostini topped the 500cc class. Last modified in 2008, the track is currently 4.185 km long (2600 miles) and rather narrow, with several slow hairpins that riders approach hard on the brakes.

Michele Pirro – Ignite Pramac Racing Team
“I’m happy to have this opportunity. This weekend I’ll use the same bike that Ben would have used. I’m sorry for him because I know he’s struggling due to his shoulder injury, and since MotoGP bikes are very physical, if you’re not truly fit, riding is difficult. I hope to do my best and to repay the trust that the guys from the team and Ducati have placed in me. We’re really working hard.”

The Pramac Racing team would like to thank Ducati and Michele for their cooperation.

Source: Pramac Racing

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Ducati has been on the podium so infrequently in recent years it is easy to forget that Valentino Rossi put the red bike on the podium at Le Mans both times he raced there albeit with weather assistance. It seems the Ducati usually shines when the sun isn’t.  Can new star Andrea Dovizioso make it 3 for 3?

The Ducati Team, having carried out two days of testing at Mugello last week, now heads to France for the second European stop on the 2013 MotoGP tour, at Le Mans. The venue is legendary in motorsports, and although the Bugatti Circuit that hosts the bikes only shares a small section of the longer Circuit de la Sarthe that is used for the historic 24 hour automobile race, it nonetheless presents its own challenges, including many hard-braking zones that could suit some characteristics of the Desmosedici GP13.

Although this will be Andrea Dovizioso’s first visit to the track aboard the Ducati, the Italian has enjoyed good performances at the French circuit, earning his first Grand Prix pole position there in 2003 (in the 125cc class), along with a pair of premier-class podium finishes, in 2010 and 2011. Nicky Hayden doesn’t include Le Mans on his list of favourite circuits, but he’s hopeful of a respectable performance, particularly if his still-recovering right wrist is in better condition than it was in Spain.

Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team
“The conditions at Le Mans are always tricky, in part because it’s typically raining! Still, I think it’s a good track for Ducati, and it’s a really good track for me. That being the case, we should go there with confidence and see if we can understand a little bit about where we can improve, although for the moment, we still shouldn’t think too much about the result.”

Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team“We’ve had a couple of days off after a very busy week, so I was able to head north and regroup. Honestly, I’ve struggled at Le Mans, but one of the keys to the track is hard braking, which is a strong point of the Desmosedici. We’ve seen a lot of spectators at the last couple of races, and I imagine that will also be true at Le Mans. My wrist has improved since Jerez, and although it’s still not perfect, I expect to have less pain in France. Hopefully we can have some fun and do a good race.”

Vittoriano Guareschi – Team Manager “Le Mans is a particular circuit with a stop-and-go layout that’s much different from the tracks where we’ve raced so far this season, and we’ve gone well there in recent seasons, with podium finishes the last two years. We’re coming off of a busy week of testing, during which we were able to try some things with our setup that we hadn’t explored before. It would be nice if the weather allowed us to take advantage of a dry track all weekend, although that’s not often the case at Le Mans.”

Le Mans Circuit Records
Lap record: Dani Pedrosa (Honda – 2011), 1:33.617 – 160.932 Km/h (99.999 mph)
Best pole: Dani Pedrosa (Honda – 2008), 1:32.647 – 162.617 Km/h (101.045 mph)
Track length: 4.185 km/2.600 mi
2013 MotoGP race: 28 laps (117.180 km/72.812 mi)
2013 MotoGP race time: 2 p.m. local time

2012 podium: 1st Jorge Lorenzo, 2nd Valentino Rossi, 3rd Casey Stoner
2012 pole: Dani Pedrosa (Honda), 1:33.638 – 160.896 Km/h (99.976 mph)
2012 fastest lap: (lap 21) Valentino Rossi (Ducati) 1:44.614 – 144.015 Km/h (89.487 mph)

Ducati Team results at Le Mans (best finish)
2012: 2nd (Rossi)
2011: 3rd (Rossi)
2010: 4th (Hayden)
2009: 5th (Stoner)
2008: 15th (Melandri)
2007: 3rd (Stoner)
2006: 2nd (Capirossi)
2005: 7th (Capirossi)
2004: 8th (Bayliss)
2003: DNF

Dovizioso’s MotoGP results at Le Mans
2012: Qualifying, 3rd; Race, 7th
2011: Qualifying, 3rd; Race, 2nd
2010: Qualifying, 7th; Race, 3rd
2009: Qualifying, 5th; Race, 4th
2008: Qualifying, 10th; Race, 6th

Hayden’s MotoGP results at Le Mans
2012: Grid, 11th; Race, 6th
2011: Grid, 10th; Race, 7th
2010: Grid, 5th; Race, 4th
2009: Grid, 13th; Race, 12th
2008: Grid, 6th; Race, 8th
2007: Grid, 7th; Race, DNF
2006: Grid, 10th; Race, 5th
2005: Grid, 5th; Race, 6th
2004: Grid, 7th; Race, 11th
2003: Grid, 13th; Race, 12th

Source: Edited Ducati Corse Release

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Launched in 1985 and marketed as a street version of the TT1 racing bike, the Ducati 750F1 was truly a minimalist sports machine for the rider who desired no frippery. Sporting the Ducati signature elements such as cam belt drive and steel trellis frame that are fast being left by the wayside on modern Ducatis, the 750F1 and its rare limited editions are a reminder of how simple Ducatis once were.  Here is all of them.

The 750F1 was released in 1985 and was the last of the Pantah engined machines and the last Ducati to be designed before Cagiva took over company (hence the elephant logo on the tank. Looking like a TT2 racer that took a wrong turn at the racetrack, the frame was a modified TT2 unit in which was mounted a 75bhp 750cc version of the 650 Pantah powerplant. 1,801 were produced in 1985 and 1986.

The frame was based on the TT2/TT1 racers and the bike sported the then trendy 16 inch front wheel, and cast iron floating Brembo brake rotors. The engine was really just a bored out 650 Pantah but the light weight and accessible power delivery made it a decidably competent back road machine. The 750F1 is very collectible today, especially the higher spec limited edition Montjuich, Laguna Seca and Santamonica models.

Up against the 100bhp Suzuki GSX-R750 and Yamaha FZ750 the 750F1 looked pretty weak but the limited edition Montjuich could go toe to toe with the Japanese. That is because the Montjuich was a true race replica in the old Ducati sense. The original version came with racing tires and no indicators. Full of trick bits, the Montjuich (named after the Spanish race circuit) was light at 341lb (155kg) and thundered out 95bhp from its Verlichi exhaust. Just 200 were made (20 came to the USA) and they remain highly desirable and sought after. Two other limited edition models the Laguna Seca and Santa Monica followed although in general they weren’t as highly specced.

The Laguna Seca was a limited edition made to commemorate Marco Lucchinelli’s success in the Battle of the Twins race at Laguna Seca in 1986. The model was similar to the limited edition Montuich, although it displayed some signs of cost cutting. The tank was steel instead of aluminum and the wheels were straight off the more pedestrian Paso rather than the composite Marvic / Akronts. Just 296 were made in 1987.

The third and final limited production F-1 model, the Santamonica was named after the Misano racetrack where Marco Lucchinelli won the opening round of the World TT F-1 championship in 1986. The Santamonica’s motor was unchanged from the the previous year’s Laguna Seca. Likewise the rest of the bike apart from the wheels and brakes. All of the 204 produced had the dual seat and white/red colour scheme. Nearly all Santamonicas (including this example) were exported to Japan.

Our usual suspect Ducati photographer Phil Aynsley is responsible for these gorgeous photos. You can check out more photos of these bikes and many more Ducatis over at Phil Aynsley

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Carlos Checa and Team SBK Ducati Alstare have decided that the Spanish rider will not take part in today’s sessions or tomorrow’s races at the ‘Autodromo di Monza’.

During the last week Carlos Checa has been receiving treatment for an osseous edema to the humerus of the left shoulder. This physical problem conditioned yesterday’s sessions, with Checa reporting pain in his shoulder.

Overnight the inflammation worsened and early this morning, after consultation with both the doctors of the Clinica Mobile and Ducati Alstare’s management, it was decided that Carlos should not ride and should instead continue to recuperate in order to be back in shape in 2-3 weeks time.

Checa will therefore not participate in the rest of the practice sessions or tomorrow’s races and will concentrate on preparing for the next round, to take place in two weeks at Donington Park (UK).

Source: Team SBK Ducati Alstare

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Fresh off of last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix and Monday’s post-race test at Jerez, Ducati Team riders Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden were back on track Wednesday and Thursday, this time at Mugello.

As the Tuscan circuit is one of the team’s selected test tracks, this was an opportunity to carry out important setup work with the Desmosedici GP13, with an eye toward the Italian Grand Prix, set to take place at Mugello 31 May – 2 June.

Thanks to perfect weather conditions—similar to those that accompanied last year’s Grand Prix at Mugello—the team was able to take full advantage of the planned day and a half of track time, with Dovizioso riding 42 laps on Wednesday and 54 on Thursday, and Hayden turning 29 and 60, respectively. Both riders rode with hard and soft versions of the Bridgestone tyres that will be used at the GP.

The Ducati Team was joined at Mugello by the Ducati Test Team, with Michele Pirro testing in preparation for next week’s French Grand Prix, where he’ll compete as a substitute rider for Ignite Pramac Racing Team’s Ben Spies, while Franco Battaini continued development work with the laboratory version of the GP13.

Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team (96 laps)
“It was an interesting day and a half because the conditions were really good for testing for the race. It was quite warm, and the temperature this afternoon was similar to what we normally have here for the Grand Prix, so true race conditions. The lap times weren’t bad, but we must improve our pace, although it’s difficult to talk about times since we don’t really have any references. However, I will say that I think this track is better suited to the Ducati’s characteristics.”

Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team (89 laps)
“I wasn’t sure of my physical condition, but my wrist was actually a bit better than at Jerez. We didn’t do a lot of laps, but for the first time in a long time, we had great weather here at Mugello. We were able to do some things with the chassis and geometry that we had wanted to try at the first three races, along with a couple of things with the electronics. We’ll know how our pace compares when we’re here with the other teams in a few weeks. A big thanks to the team, as it’s not easy for them to do a big GP weekend, plus a post-race test, and then pack up and do another day and a half of testing in a different country. Hopefully it will help us to make the home fans proud when we come back here for the race.”

Source: Ducati Corse

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Andrea Iannone – Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team
“I can’t exactly say that I’m at my best. Following the Jerez weekend, I flew to Barcelona for an operation on my right arm, to address the problem that has been bothering me since Qatar, but now I really feel bad. I’m sure it will take some time, but I’m confident because Dr Mir has operated on many other riders in the past, and he certainly has valuable experience in this area. He told me that he doesn’t often see such a compressed muscle, but it seems that everything went well; I just have to wait for the pain to pass. He also worked on the wound on my knee to try and speed up the recovery, and although that was painful, I’m glad that he was able to do it. I can’t wait to have this all behind me so that I can get back on my bike.”

The following comment was released by Dr Mir’s clinic:

The patient Andrea Iannone was operated on this afternoon at the Quirón Dexeus University Hospital for compartment syndrome in his right forearm. Dr Xavier Mir, Quirón Dexeus University Hospital Director of Microsurgery and Hand Surgery, carried out a release of the forearm fascia via microsurgery. In addition, he surgically cleaned the wound in the patient’s right knee. The patient will remain in the hospital for 24 hours.

Source: Pramac Racing

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