Valentino Rossi Starts New Ducati Era

Valentino Rossi starts his Ducati MotoGP career in testing at Valencia – rides both 'big bang' and 'screamer' engine. After seven years at Yamaha, Valentino Rossi began a new era with Ducati at Valencia on Tuesday. Delayed by morning rain, Rossi left the pits on a black Desmosedici bearing his famous #46 at 12:20 local time. It marked the start of a new adventure in which the Italian will try to become the first rider in history to lift the premier-class crown for three different manufacturers.

Rossi rode for a total of 56 laps, with a best lap time of 1min 33.882sec.

That put him tenth out of the 17 riders and compares with his best Yamaha lap from Sunday's race, which he finished third, of 1min 32.970sec. The overall best lap time on Tuesday was 1min 32.012sec, by Rossi's former team-mate Jorge Lorenzo.

As rumoured, seven-time MotoGP champion Rossi tried both a 'big bang' and 'screamer' engine. Rossi used a 'big bang' Desmosedici GP11 for virtually the entire day, as he worked on geometry and other settings, then made one final run on the 'screamer' version.

Rossi raced with a 'big bang' engine throughout his Yamaha career, and Ducati also used the technology in 2010, but are prepared to switch back to the even-firing screamer if the Italian prefers it.

The Doctor is unable to speak publically about the test due to conditions placed on his early contract release by Yamaha, but Ducati Corse general director Filippo Preziosi was able to comment on a day that will go down in the factory's history.

“It has been an exciting day for sure. The main thing that hit me today was Vale's positive feedback and his capacity for analysis," said Preziosi. "Today he tested the GP11 with the 'big bang' engine on a standard setting, which he modified step by step to adapt it to his riding style.

"His first comment when he lifted his visor up was a positive one about the power delivery and then he gave some impressive technical details. We certainly have a lot to do to adapt the bike to his riding style but it is really nice and very interesting to work in this way.

"We worked on the geometry and setting today to see how the bike responded and to get a bit of experience working with both Vale and Jeremy [Burgess].

"At the end of the session he went out on the screamer version but we will make more of an analysis between the two engines tomorrow because they deliver the power in very different ways - the big bang has a more regular power curve whereas the screamer is more aggressive but also more powerful.

"Nicky [Hayden] tried both versions today and this evening we will have a look at all the data.”

Hayden, who was ninth fastest, indicated that it won't be an easy choice.

Source :  Valentino Rossi Starts New Ducati Era

Casey Stoner Reach Pole Position

Stoner Reach Pole Position - Casey Stoner's pole position in the series of the 16th MotoGP race will take place in their own homeland, on Sunday (16/10) tomorrow. Stoner, Ducati rider mainstay, occupying pole position after being the fastest at the Australian MotoGP qualifying session with a record time of one minute 30.107 seconds.

The Spaniard had just hook the title of world champion Jorge Lorenzo will start from second position after posting the best time of one minute 30.775 seconds. Meanwhile, the third starting position will be filled by Ben Spies, who began the season ahead will join with Lorenzo. Spies posted a record time of one minute 31.386 seconds.

Weather conditions that could damage the schedule of the free practice session on Friday, is no longer the bully on the qualifying session. Sunlight shines bright and race tracks were no longer wet, just a little disturbing winds.

Only when the remaining few seconds before time runs out, the drizzle had dropped so that the drivers had opted to stay and no longer working to improve the record time they have made.

Stoner seems to be a little breath of relief given that only Lorenzo and Spies that may be a little disturbing its dominance in the series this time. Two rival Stoner, Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa are not too show maximum results. Rossi could only be satisfied at the start of the eighth position, while Pedrosa is recovering from an injury can only be satisfied to start at the 15 th position.

Previous Stoner has also shown its seriousness during free training session by being the fastest. With results like that, Stoner seemed to want to prove to the public that he was able to win the race at Phillip Island four times in a row.

Stoner's victory was at least to shift the position of Valentino Rossi who is now in third place standings. Italian racer only one point higher ahead of Stoner after able to take full points from the Sepang MotoGP series. Rossi collected 181 points while Stoner has 180 points.

Moto GP 2010, Jorge Lorenzo the New World Champion

Moto GP 2010, Jorge Lorenzo the New World Champion, Jorge Lorenzo sealed the 2010 MotoGP world title after finishing third at Sepang Circuit, Malaysia, Sunday (10/10/10). Meanwhile, Valentino Rossi's fantastic to win this race, after a tight battle with Andrea Dovizioso and Lorenzo. For Lorenzo, this third place finish was far from enough to win his first title in MotoGP. With the additional 16 points in Sepang, this Spanish rider to collect a total of 313 points, and could not be overtaken again by the closest rival, Dani Pedrosa, the new possibilities could appear at Phillip Island, Australia, next week - Pedrosa crash during practice in Motegi Circuit, Japan, last week, so that was absent in two series, including at Sepang.

Actually, Lorenzo job to secure the world title, very easy. Fiat Yamaha rider, who started from pole position, enough to finish among the poorest in the order of nine. However, the former two-time world champion 250cc class was featured quite insistent, and eventually finished third.

But overall, this race at Sepang as the stage action from Rossi. "The Doctor" shows his ability to ride the "iron horse", because after the runoff to the order of 11 (the start of the sequence 6), seven-time world champion this premier class bulldoze all opponents, including exciting duel against Dovizioso on lap 15.

Good results are also shown Ben Spies. Tech 3 Yamaha rider, who next season, replacing the position of Rossi at the Yamaha factory team - to be a tandem Lorenzo - able to finish at number four, after winning a duel against fellow rookie MotoGP 2010 Alvaro Bautista, who finished fifth, and Marco Simoncelli.