Sixth and ninth place for the Ducatis in Sepang….

SIXTH AND NINTH PLACE FOR THE DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM AL
DEBUT IN SEPANG

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss finished
their debut with the Desmosedici at the Marlboro Grand Prix of Malaysia in sixth
and in ninth place in the order of arrival. It was Ducati's first race
Marlboro Team on this track and all the experience accumulated during
the weekend will be very useful again in the 2004 season.

“It was an important weekend for us in terms of experience.”
– declared the director of the Ducati Marlboro Team Livio Suppo, Racing Consultant
– “Although we had done some tests in January, today's test is
It was our first race here in Sepang. It's all experience, useful for
understand in which direction we need to work especially on slippery circuits
like this. Both our drivers had a good race giving like
as usual the best of themselves. We go to Phillip Island confident that we can
achieve a good result”.

Today's race, which was played in very hot and humid conditions,
was won by Valentino Rossi which he thus secured
the championship victory with two races to go. Ducati remains firmly
in second place in the World Constructors' Championship standings.

Loris Capirossi with today's sixth place, he confirmed and strengthened
his fourth position in the drivers' standings. The Italian pilot is
was the author of an excellent start, which saw him sprint from the second row
immediately in second position. After losing something in the first laps she fought
for a good part of the race with Hayden and Checa.

“I started very well, then I lost something in the first laps but I am
managed to recover” – said Capirossi – “We knew
of not being one hundred percent here, but the race was better than
in Motegi. This track is very slippery and the bike was spinning quite a bit.
With the engine power we are okay but we are missing something in traction and otherwise
we managed to get the best setting for this circuit. We do not have to
However forget that this is our first year, a year of learning,
and today we learned a lot. I congratulate Valentino: he is
He was very good throughout the season and deserved the title."

The Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy bayliss, ranked
ninth on his race debut at Sepang, driving with a good pace through the stages
initials of the race, but due to loss of traction he had to give up some
positions in the final.

“It was a good race” – commented Bayliss who had started
from the third row in eleventh position – “But when it seemed that
everything was going well I started to lose my rear end when
I opened the throttle when exiting corners. The set-up I chose has deteriorated the
my rear tire. However, we learned a lot from this race. In the
meeting with my technicians this evening we will take stock of the race to understand
how to continue to improve”