As announced during the briefing by Ducati Corse chief Filippo Preziosi at Ducati's Wrooom! launch event, the Bologna factory's test team has headed to Jerez to continue work on the modifications made to the Desmosedici GP11 based on the input from Valentino Rossi after the Valencia tests. The list of changes is impressive: different forks, a revised front subframe/chassis with more flex, altered triple clamps, a different swingarm, a different electronics package. Enough to keep test riders Franco Battaini and Vito Guareschi (taking off his team manager's hat to make way for his test rider's helmet) busy for three whole days at Jerez.
No times were released - as is so often the case when the test team rides - and the times set would not be a true reflection of the state of the Ducati, as both Guareschi and Battaini are a tick or so slower than a MotoGP regular, but the press release issued from the test spoke of progress being made. The emphasis is clearly on improving the front end of the Ducati, it's weak point almost from the inception of the 800 project, and Vito Guareschi reported some improvements in that area, while Battaini worked on the electronics. Just how fruitful the work has been will only truly be visible at Sepang, once Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden take to the track again for the first of the official MotoGP test at the beginning of February.
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