Daily Update MotoGP

Ducati Marlboro MotoGP Project Director Livio Suppo has commented on the rumour that former MotoGP riders Troy Bayliss and Max Biaggi are being lined up to test the Desmosedici GP8, confirming that the Italian factory are considering such a move.

Ducati Marlboro MotoGP Project Director Livio Suppo has commented on the rumour that former MotoGP riders Troy Bayliss and Max Biaggi are being lined up to test the Desmosedici GP8, confirming that the Italian factory are considering such a move.

Both riders currently compete in Superbike racing on Ducati production machinery and could test the MotoGP 800cc prototype on which factory rider Marco Melandri and satellite pair Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli are currently struggling to achieve satisfactory results.

World Championship regulations state that MotoGP teams may only test with their nominated MotoGP riders on tracks that are part of the calendar along with their competitors on specific pre-defined dates, usually after Grands Prix - as seen recently at Jerez and Estoril.

But with only World Champion Casey Stoner able to produce anything resembling competitive lap times at present Ducati are reviewing their private testing options.

Bayliss has ridden for Ducati in MotoGP, whilst Biaggi boasts years of World Championship experience and both could provide crucial test insights to improve matters, with Honda and Yamaha having stepped up their game at the start of the 2008 campaign.

Suppo explained to motogp.com, `It´s not an easy situation to resolve with Marco. We have to try to understand if there is something on the bike that just suits Casey, or if it is just a feeling of Marco´s. The rules don´t allow us to test with the factory riders on the MotoGP circuits, apart from in certain circumstances, so we are thinking about having Max and Troy test the bike, but this is not for sure yet.´

`We have two riders in Superbikes with experience in MotoGP and they have different riding styles. They are both very fast with our Superbike so it could be interesting to have their feedback.´

Suppo also confirmed to motogp.com that Japanese rider Shinichi Ito will temporarily take over Niccolo Canepa´s Bridgestone-Ducati test duties after the Italian rider hurt his foot in a scooter accident.
ref [motogp.com]