Stoner to Ducati

[05 Busa LE]

From ducati.com:

The Ducati MotoGP Team have reached an agreement with Casey Stoner to take part in the 2007 MotoGP World Championship, with an option for the following year.

The start of a new era for MotoGP, which will see 800 cc bikes taking the place of the 990 cc powered machines, also marks the start of a fresh chapter in Ducati.

Following the first positive tests carried out with the Desmosedici GP7, the Borgo Panigale-based team are looking to the future with confidence and have decided to offer an opportunity to the talented young Australian.

With the benefit of Loris Capirossi's enormous experience and the support of the entire team, Casey can now get to grips with the new technical package that will be made available to him and fully demonstrate the great talent that he has already expressed this year on his debut in the top category.

 

[gtrpimp76]

So what of the Gibernau? Man, that Rossi curse just wont go away.

 

[Charlesbusa]

I like Stoner, we'll see if he can be fast on a Duc.

Now if he can just learn how not to crash in a race

 

[05 Busa LE]

I think Gibernau's out ... they're saying that his surgery will keep him from the last race in Valencia, but it sure sounds funny. It'll be interesting to see the new 800's; I wonder how the lap times will compare? Funny thing--when I watched a tape of the 250's, I swear they looked faster in the corners than the GP bikes. Probably are, since their exit speeds wouldn't be affected as much by wheel spin. (And I saw a while ago that Ducati was testing a GPS traction-control device!)

 

[05 Busa LE]

At Portugal, Roberts had the fastest lap at 1'37.914, with a top speed of 202 mph (in practice) while Aoyama (250's) had the fastest lap at 1'41.676, with a top speed of 165 mph (in qualifying). Top speed difference is 37 mph, which probably accounts for much of the 4 second difference in lap times. Would be interesting to see a lap breakdown, to see if the speed difference in the straights accounts for much of the lap time difference.