Rossi: new chassis, old problems

Tuesday, 08 November 2011 20:33 by Matteo Aglio

Rome wasn't built in a day, and the same must be said of the Ducati if we take Filippo Preziosi's word that this test marks the start of a new project.  The highly anticipated twin-spar aluminum frame has arrived, but for now it doesn't seem to have brought significant changes to the Desmosedici. Valentino Rossi gave an overview of the situation after day 1, but his comments sound quite similar to those we have been hearing all year. 

New Chassis, Old Problems – "Our mid-corner problems still haven't been solved - the Italian pointed out immediately - although I can ride the 1000cc a little better than the 800cc, which confirms my sensations from the previous tests.  We are also struggling to get all our power to the ground, especially now that we have more horsepower.  That said, for a first test with a new bike, it was a pretty positive day."

The main advantage of this new chassis is that it allows the team more freedom to make modifications during the season.  "This makes things easier for us - Valentino confirmed - even looking ahead to next season, we don't need to change, and therefore seal, an engine every time we want to modify the chassis."

According to Rossi, the key still lies in the weight distribution: "We have already begun to modify the riding position. For now the new bike behaves very similarly to the old one, even if I'm able to push the front a little bit more.  I was expecting this; you can't solve all your problems instantly."

The final gap to Dani Pedrosa was around 1”600, and Valentino set his fastest time in the morning, without improving any further as the day progressed: "I was more or less always at the same lap times.  This is another problem we are familiar with; we get to a certain level, and then we aren't able to improve any further."

The Engine: A known Quantity – One area that hasn't been problematic for Ducati is the engine, and Rossi seems satisfied with 1000cc unit.  "I think it's good, although I wasn't really close enough to anyone else to make a comparison.  Maybe tomorrow I will do that.  But the Honda still seems to be at another level, especially under acceleration, while the Yamaha looks to be suffering a bit here after going so well at Brno.  Spies is a good rider, and he has always been fast at this circuit."

The Doctor also got a chance to examine the new 2012 spec Bridgestone tires today: "They seem a little easier to use, but the difference is still very small.  They need to try harder."

Three Decisive Months – It's important to keep in mind that the bike used today is not the bike that will be used in 2012.  We will have to wait for the Sepang tests to get a first glimpse of the "real" GP12. "This is an important test session, and we need to cover a lot of kilometers and reveal all the defects with this new design.  Then we have three months to use this data and design the definitive bike."