DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM PREPARE FOR 80TH EDITION OF HISTORIC DUTCH TT

2010-06-23 10:42
The Ducati Marlboro Team makes the short trip from the UK to Holland this week as the legendary Assen circuit prepares to host the 80th edition of the Dutch TT this Saturday. The sixth race of the season comes in the middle of an intense period of races for the MotoGP world Championship, which moves directly to Spain next weekend for the GP of Catalunya.

Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden are happy for the opportunity to get back on track so quickly, however, with both riders still feeling like they have a lot to prove on the Desmosedici GP10. The pair have special MotoGP memories of Assen with podiums and victories to their names there - Hayden having taken the win in 2006 and Stoner in 2008.

CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team
“I have made some mistakes at times this year and at other times we have struggled to find the right set-up but for one reason or another things have not worked out as they should done despite the fact we have had opportunities to do well and even win races. We have the pace, we have a competitive technical package and the whole team is doing a great job, as always, so hopefully we can put everything together at Assen. We found a good set-up in the warm-up last Sunday – we could have maybe done with a little more grip but in general I was happy with the bike so in theory we should be on the pace in Holland too. I don’t want to make any predictions, just keep working well with my team and see if together we can turn this situation around.”

NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Marlboro Team
“Assen is a unique and special circuit and I have had some of my best races there. It has been changed a lot over the years – some sections are better and some are worse – but there are a lot of long sweeping corners and the grip is good so you can use it to generate speed. The best part of the track is the last “left-right” switch, a place where you can make a decisive pass on the brakes if you get it right. I’m not happy with the result from Silverstone and at Assen I’d love to be able to take advantage of our recent progress with the set-up of the bike to get a better result.”

VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager
“Whenever I think of Assen I smile because it was the track I made my final World Supersport win at as a rider and because both our riders have won there in MotoGP! Joking aside, even though the latest modifications have taken a little of the excitement away it is still a nice track, similar to Silverstone in the way the corners link together but without the bumps and with good grip. Since we found a good set-up for the British track we hope we can start practice well on Thursday and make the most of the potential we know we have for the race.”

THE TRACK
This weekend marks the 80th edition of the Dutch TT, which also formed part of the first World Championship season back in 1949 and has stayed on the calendar ever since. In 2006 the track under went major alterations, with the removal of the majority of the Northern Loop section, making way for the TT World fans’ area. The rest of the circuit retains much of its original character, making it one of the most technical and physically demanding tracks on the calendar. Unlike a lot of other circuits, which feature long straights and medium-fast corners, Assen is tight, flowing and characterised by high-speed corners and quick changes in direction. Even the surface is unusual, with many sections cambered in the style of a public road to aid drainage, which is often required due to the frequently inclement weather.

Source: Ducati

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