MotoGP: Ducati Marlboro Team in Assen with several new updates

The Ducati Marlboro Team, following its development process of the Desmosedici, will introduce several new updates at Assen. Valentino Rossi will take to the track with the GP11.1 version, the design of which began after the Sepang tests and the construction following the approval of the GP12 chassis by the riders in the first test carried out in Jerez.

For the GP11.1 the Racing Department has created an 800cc engine which fits into the chassis on which the Ducati engineers are working in anticipation of 2012. The bike will also use the new "DST-Ducati Seamless Transmission" gearbox whose design began in 2010.

Nicky Hayden, who has already punched out four engines, will use the GP11 at Assen equipped with the "step 2" chassis, with further modified stiffness compared to the version introduced in the Estoril tests. At Laguna Seca, once the engines have been rotated, he will drive the GP11.1.

Assen is a track that both Ducati Marlboro Team riders really like and have achieved excellent results there: seven victories and three podiums in all classes for Valentino Rossi, one victory and a podium for Nicky Hayden.

FILIPPO PREZIOSI, Ducati Technical Director
“We decided to create the GP11.1, i.e. an 800cc engine inserted into the GP12 chassis, to have the possibility of accelerating the development of the bike for next year and, at the same time, providing our riders with a starting point with the highest potential for the current championship. Considering that Valentino has never ridden the GP11.1 yet, this choice may require the team a few races to fully exploit its potential but we have continued with it because we consider it an important step in our development process. The new generation gearbox on the other hand represents a solution that we think is an immediate improvement. The Ducati Racing Department will continue to study the next developments both for this and next year. At the same time we developed a further chassis "step" for Nicky while waiting to provide him with the GP11.1 version at Laguna Seca".

RECORD OF THE ASSEN CIRCUIT

Official Record: Dani Pedrosa (Honda – 2010), 1'3
4.525 - 172.982 Km / h
Best Pole: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha – 2010), 1'34.515 – 173.001 Km/h
Circuit length: 4,542 km
2011 MotoGP race: 26 laps (118,092 km)
2011 MotoGP race time: 15:00 pm Local Time
Number of turns: 26
Race distance: 118,092 km

PODIUM 2010: 1st Jorge Lorenzo, 2nd Dani Pedrosa, 3rd Casey Stoner
POLE 2010: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha – 2010), 1'34.515 – 173.001 Km/h

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM RESULTS IN ASSEN (BEST)
2010: 3rd (Stoner)
2009: 3rd (Stoner)
2008: 1rd (Stoner)
2007: 2rd (Stoner)
2006: 12th (Hofmann)
2005: 9th (Checa)
2004: 8st (Capirossi)
2003: 6st (Capirossi)

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM – RIDERS' DATA

VALENTINO ROSSI
Motorcycle: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP11
Race number: 46
Age: 32 (born in Pesaro on 16 February 1979)
Residence: Tavullia (Pesaro, Italy)
GP number: 247 (187XMotoGP, 30X250cc, 30X125cc)
First GP: Malaysian GP, ​​1996 (125cc)
Number of victories 105 (79XMotoGP, 14X250cc, 12X125cc)
First GP win: Czech GP, 1996 (125cc)
Pole Position: 59 (49XMotoGP, 5X250cc, 5X125cc)
First Pole: Czech GP, 1996 (125cc)
World Titles: 9 (7XMotoGP/500cc, 1X250cc, 1X125cc)

Rossi results at Assen in MotoGP
2010: Qualifying: / Race: /
2009: Qualification: 1th; Race: 1rd
2008: Qualification: 3th; Race: 11rd
2007: Qualification: 11th; Race: 1rd
2006: Qualification: 18th; Race: 8rd
2005: Qualification: 1th; Race: 1rd
2004: Qualification: 1th; Race: 1rd
2003: Qualification: 3th; Race: 3rd
2002: Qualification: 1th; Race: 1rd
2001: Qualification: 3th; Race: 2rd
2000: Qualification: 6th; Race: 6rd

Rossi results at Assen in 250cc
1999: Qualification: 1th; Race: 2rd
1998: Qualification: 3th; Race: 1rd

Rossi results at Assen in 125cc
1997: Qualification: 1st; Race: 1st
1996: Qualification: 8th; Race: DNF

NICKY HAYDEN
Age: 29 (born July 30, 1981 in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA)
Residence: Owensboro, USA
Motorcycle: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP11
Race number: 69
GP number: 140 (140xMotoGP)
First GP: Japanese GP, 2003 (MotoGP)
Number of victories: 3 (3xMotoGP)
First GP win: US GP, 2005 (MotoGP)
Pole positions: 5 (5xMotoGP)
First Pole: US GP, 2005 (MotoGP)
World titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2006)

Hayden results at Assen in MotoGP
2010: Qualification: 5th; Race: 7rd
2009: Qualification: 13th; Race: 8rd
2008: Qualification: 4th; Race: 4rd
2007: Qualification: 13th; Race: 3rd
2006: Qualification: 4th; Race: 1rd
2005: Qualification: 5th; Race: 4rd
2004: Qualification: 16th; Race: 5rd
2003: Qualification: 12th; Race: 11rd