The Ducati Team Manager discusses the 2010 campaign with Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden and also previews 2011 in a video feature interview.
Vittoriano Guareschi reviewed his first season as Team Manager of the Ducati factory team in a special post-season interview, which can be viewed in the attached video, discussing the 2010 campaigns of Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden.
“This year has gone well and not so well for us. We suffered at the start, wasting some good opportunities, but in the end we have recovered. We started the season with a GP10 that had an engine that was unprecedented, a big bang version in contrast to the screamer that was used the year before. We had to work on the set-up for Casey and make the bike as familiar for him as possible,” said Guareschi, who continued to review the Australian’s season.
“At the start of the year, and until mid-season, we weren’t able to extract the full potential of the engine. Starting at Aragón we found a set-up that satisfied him fully and then we became main players. If it had been like this from the very start of the year then we would have been amongst those fighting for the title until the end.”
Two weeks on from winning his first F1 drivers’ championship in the Abu Dhabi, there is still little sign of Sebastian Vettel taking a rest. This weekend he demonstrated his Red Bull on the streets of the Berlin in his native Germany.
If that wasn’t enough, he then headed to Dusseldorf where he and Michael Schumacher clinched their fourth successive Nations Cup title at the annual Race of Champions (ROC) event.
Vettel’s Berlin run took place on Saturday on a temporary track constructed on June 17th Street, allowing Formula One’s youngest champion to drive an F1 car in front of the famous Brandenburg Gate. He then completed a driver’s parade along Yitzhak-Rabin Street, aboard the Red Bull tour bus.
Happy to be able to celebrate with his fans in the German capital, Vettel said: "It was a dream come true for me today and it was great that so many people were here, even in the cold weather. It’s something very special to drive in front of the Brandenburg Gate and to leave a signature of rubber written by my slicks! You don’t get such a chance very often in life - it was a great day.”
On Sunday, neither Vettel nor Schumacher made the finals in the individual ROC competition, but in combination they were again invincible in the Nations Cup. In a repeat of the last two finals, Team Germany lined up against Team GB, represented by touring car stars Andy Priaulx and Jason Plato. The two teams were extremely closely matched and needed a sudden-death shoot-out to decide the result, with Schumacher beating Priaulx by a fraction.
Nicky Hayden earned the Executive Director's Award presented by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) for his dedication and service to the Indiana Motorcycle Safety and the Awareness campaign.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Senior Vice President Mel Harder accepted the award on Hayden's behalf from ICJI Executive Director T. Neil Moore at the 16th annual Operation Pull Over Awards Banquet on Nov. 19 in Carmel, Ind. The ICJI and Governor's Council on Impaired & Dangerous Driving played host to the banquet.
"I'm honored to receive this award," Hayden said. "It's been great to work with everyone from the ICJI on this project. I know how great riding motorcycles can be when done the right way, and I'm happy to help increase awareness of safety for all riders in Indiana and everywhere."
Ducati Team star Hayden lent his time and talent to endorse safe, sober riding by all motorcyclists across Indiana. He was featured in many radio and television spots warning against drinking and riding and speeding, and promoting motorist awareness and the use of a helmet and other safety gear. Hayden also was featured in the outdoor and print advertising portion of the popular campaign.
The MotoGP World Champion talks about his first premier class title in a feature interview, discussing the moments of his campaign which stood out for him and also looking ahead to defending his crown in the 2011…
MotoGP World Champion at the relatively tender age of 23, Jorge Lorenzo has already accomplished one of his lifelong ambitions. The Spanish rider broke a number of records on his way to the 2010 title, amassing nine victories and a total of 16 podiums, and in the attached video feature interview he talks about his achievement in the depth.
The first of Lorenzo’s wins came in Round 2 at the Jerez, his first premier class victory on home soil and one which holds special significance for him. “We were highly motivated when we got to Jerez but the race didn’t start in the best manner, as I dropped to fourth or fifth. But then suddenly my mind just changed and I started to go much quicker, recovering seconds on the leaders. My adrenaline was so high and I wanted the win whatever happened. I took risks and fortunately it happened,” said Lorenzo.
Pirelli were delighted with the progress made at this week’s two-day tyre test in the Abu Dhabi, where all 12 Formula One teams got their first taste of the Italian company’s rubber ahead of their return to the sport as sole tyre supplier next season.
"We've passed our first test with full marks,” said Paul Hembery, Pirelli's motorsport director. “All the teams have done plenty of laps and everyone has worked very hard. On Monday, we begin to analyse the data collected over the last two days.
“The comments from the drivers are very encouraging: they especially enjoyed the performance of our front tyre, which is an area that we have worked on considerably. This was one of our objectives, and I'm delighted that we have hit our target.”
Over the two days at Yas Marina, the teams racked up nearly 11,000 kilometres - more than Pirelli had accumulated in three months of private testing using a Toyota TF109 with Nick Heidfeld, Romain Grosjean and Pedro de la Rosa at the wheel.
“Throughout these two days we've tried out the medium and soft compound tyres and we've had good results from both of them, particularly in terms of wear rate,” added Hembery.
Pirelli’s next private test, to fine tune the tyres, will take place in Bahrain on December 12-16. There will then be another private session in Europe during January, before all the teams reconvene at the beginning of February for the first official 2011 test with the finalised Pirelli compounds.
The Italian gave his first reaction following his shoulder operation on Sunday, underlining his determination to be ready for the Sepang Test in February.
Valentino Rossi is fully aware of the road to recovery that awaits him following surgery on his shoulder on Sunday, and despite acknowledging that he needs to be “calm and patient” in his rehabilitation the 31 year-old is eager to try out his repaired shoulder.
In the aftermath of his operation in Italy on Sunday Doctor Alessandro Castagna, one of the specialists who operated on Rossi, said he expected the nine-time World Champion to fit in time for the MotoGP Test at Sepang which takes place at the start of February next year, provided there were no complications to the Italian’s recovery.
Rossi appears to have taken stock of the advice and is anticipating a careful approach, and gave his post-operation reaction to the crew of Italian broadcaster Mediaset’s humorous show ‘Striscia la Notizia’.
“I’m pretty bad and it’s very painful, but that’s normal in the days that follow an operation. I’m finding it difficult to sleep,” said Rossi. “The operation went well. Everything is how it should be. My arm is immobilised, and the shoulder is expected to recover 100%. Now it’s just a question of time, I have to be calm, patient, and to wait.”
With his focus on the Sepang Test, which should be his second on the Desmosedici, Rossi continued: “The shoulder was much worse than we suspected and the operation lasted twice as long as was planned. The tendons which we thought were a little bit affected were in fact completely damaged. Now I have a shoulder which is like new, and I’m eager to try it out. I hope to be fit for February 1st, the first Test of 2011, and ride the Ducati.”
Abu Dhabi will play the host to Pirelli's debut as Formula One racing's official tyre supplier this week, as the Italian company returns to the sport following a 19-year absence. The 12 teams will test the Pirelli’s tyres for the first time from Friday over a two-day session at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Pirelli have already carried out eight private tests at the Mugello, Monza, Barcelona, Valencia, Jerez and Paul Ricard as they refined the different tyres that will be supplied to the teams next year. The company used a Toyota TF109 to rack up 7000 kilometres with Nick Heidfeld, Romain Grosjean and Pedro de la Rosa at the wheel.
"We come to these tests with plenty of confidence and satisfaction with our work carried out so far," said Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery. "The tests in Europe have given us all the data we needed at this current phase of development. From tomorrow, the drivers and the engineers from every team will give us their opinions and the feedback, which are of vital importance for the second phase of testing: a challenge that we are already well-prepared for."
The Abu Dhabi tests will be led by the teams, who have determined the programme they would like to cover. Both the medium and the soft compound slick tyres will be used, distinguishable by a coloured stripe on the sidewall. Every team will have eight sets of tyres available, four for day one and four for day two, which adds up to a total supply of 384 Pirelli tyres.
During the test, the teams will be fully supported by Pirelli's engineers and technicians. In particular, each team will have an assigned engineer as well as being able to rely on the back-up of the entire Pirelli contingent, which numbers 30 people in Abu Dhabi.
Alessandro Castagna, one of the two specialists who performed the Italian’s shoulder operation on Sunday, believes he will be fit in time for the MotoGP Test in the Malaysia on February 1st.
February 1st 2011, the date of the next Official MotoGP Test, is firmly fixed in Valentino Rossi’s mind as the Italian begins his rehabilitation from the shoulder surgery which took place on Sunday. The normal recovery period following a procedure such as the one undergone by Rossi is 90 days, but with 79 until the Sepang Test the schedule is tight.
In an interview with the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport Doctor Alessandro Castagna of the Milan Humanitas Institute, who along with Doctor Giuseppe Porcellini performed the operation, explained his view on the chances of Rossi being fit to ride the Ducati in Malaysia.
“It usually takes 90 days and he has 79 until the first Test. I’m sure that if everything goes smoothly and there are no complications he can be ready for it,” said Dr Castagna.
The nine-time World Champion will require a splint to support the shoulder for three weeks, and his recovery programme will consist of three important stages.
“The inflammatory phase (immediately after surgery) usually lasts for between three to five days,” continued Dr Castagna. “The second phase usually a month and a half or two during which the capillaries in the area will aid the production of fresh cells that will help the healing process. The final stage will be the re-strengthening of the joint. In the middle of the second stage Valentino will start the rehabilitation with the first steps being in the pool, followed by gym activity.”
Discussing the surgery Dr Castagna said: “The operation itself had no particular problems, but we encountered a situation like at the supermarket: pay for one, get three. To give an idea of the situation it normally takes 35 minutes to stabilise a shoulder, and with Valentino it took us an hour and 50 minutes.”
“In simple terms the supraspinatus tendon and the glenoid ligament were both very damaged. We had to clean the area to prepare it for its natural healing process, and then close it with 12 stitches. The fibrocartilage surrounding the humerus was displaced so we put it back and fixed it with bio-absorbable staples. All of this was done in an area which measured a maximum of 2-3 centimetres.”
Position | Driver | Country | Team | Points |
1 | Sebastian Vettel | Ger | Red-Bull Renault | 256 |
2 | | Spa | Ferrari | 252 |
3 | Mark Webber | Aus | Red-Bull Renault | 242 |
4 | Lewis Hamilton | Gb | McLaren-Mercedes | 240 |
5 | Jenson Button | Gb | McLaren-Mercedes | 214 |
6 | Felipe Massa | Brz | Ferrari | 144 |
7 | Nico Rosberg | Ger | Mercedes GP | 142 |
8 | Robert Kubica | Pol | Renault | 136 |
9 | Michael Schumacher | Ger | Mercedes GP | 72 |
10 | Rubens Barrichello | Brz | Williams-Cosworth | 47 |
11 | Adrian Sutil | Ger | Force India-Mercedes | 47 |
12 | Kamui Kobayashi | Jpn | BMW Sauber-Ferrari | 32 |
13 | Vitaly Petrov | Rus | Renault | 27 |
14 | Nico Hulkenberg | Ger | Williams-Cosworth | 22 |
15 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Ita | Force India-Mercedes | 21 |
16 | Sebastien Buemi | Swi | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 8 |
17 | Pedro de la Rosa | Spa | BMW Sauber-Ferrari | 6 |
18 | Nick Heidfeld | Bmw | Sauber-Ferrari | 6 |
19 | Jaime Alguersuari | Spa | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 5 |
20 | Heikki Kovalainen | Fin | Lotus-Cosworth | 0 |
21 | Jarno Trulli | Ita | Lotus-Cosworth | 0 |
22 | Bruno Senna | Brz | Hispania-Cosworth | 0 |
23 | Lucas di Grassi | Brz | Virgin-Cosworth | 0 |
24 | Karun Chandhok | Ind | Hispania-Cosworth | 0 |
25 | Timo Glock | Ger | Virgin-Cosworth | 0 |
26 | Sakon Yamamoto | Jpn | Hispania-Cosworth | 0 |
27 | Christian Klien | Aut | Hispania-Cosworth | 0 |
Pos. | Rider | Bike | Nation | Points |
1 | Jorge LORENZO | Yamaha | SPA | 383 |
2 | Dani PEDROSA | Honda | SPA | 245 |
3 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | ITALY | 233 |
4 | Casey STONER | Ducati | AUS | 225 |
5 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | Honda | ITA | 206 |
6 | Ben SPIES | Yamaha | USA | 176 |
7 | Nicky HAYDEN | Ducati | USA | 163 |
8 | Marco SIMONCELLI | Honda | ITA | 125 |
9 | Randy DE PUNIET | Honda | FRA | 116 |
10 | Marco MELANDRI | Honda | ITA | 103 |
11 | Colin EDWARDS | Yamaha | USA | 103 |
12 | Hector BARBERA | Ducati | SPA | 90 |
13 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | Suzuki | SPA | 85 |
14 | Aleix ESPARGARO | Ducati | SPA | 65 |
15 | Hiroshi AOYAMA | Honda | JPN | 53 |
16 | Loris CAPIROSSI | Suzuki | ITA | 44 |
17 | Mika KALLIO | Ducati | FIN | 43 |
18 | Alex DE ANGELIS | Honda | RSM | 11 |
19 | Roger Lee HAYDEN | Honda | USA | 5 |
20 | Kousuke AKIYOSHI | Honda | JPN | 4 |
21 | Carlos CHECA | Ducati | SPA | 1 |
22 | Wataru YOSHIKAWA | Yamaha | JPN |
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The Ducati Team Manager discusses the 2010 campaign with Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden and also previews 2011 in a video feature interview.
