Sete Gibernau seems to have convinced Ducati that he still has what it takes to be a competitive MotoGP rider after crowning his second three-day 'comeback' test for the Italian factory with a best lap less than half-a-second slower than world champion Casey Stoner's official lap record.
Gibernau, who retired from MotoGP at the end of 2006 after losing his Ducati seat to Stoner, clocked up around 800kms during the second test. The Spaniard initially worked with the next year's carbon-fibre framed GP9, then the current GP8, before finishing with a final exit on the GP9 for a 'back to back' comparison.
The 35-year-old former double MotoGP World Championship runner-up made repeated runs of 4 or 5 laps and proved he had lost none of his fitness by lapping consistently in the low 1min 51secs range, despite air temperatures of over 30°C and track temperatures exceeding 50°C.
Sete had clocked a best lap time of 1min 51.7secs during his June test for Ducati, offered after an informal meeting at the Catalan Grand Prix, but set a very impressive 1min 50.5secs - with race tyres fitted to the GP8 - during this second outing.
Stoner set a new race lap record of 1min 50.003secs on his way to second place in June's Italian GP, but the next fastest Ducati lap was a 1min 51.181secs by Stoner's troubled team-mate Marco Melandri. Satellite Alice riders Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli set best race laps around the 1min 51.8secs mark.
Gibernau's best lap would have placed him fifth fastest during the race.
Official air and track temperatures during the Italian Grand Prix race were slightly lower than this week's test, being 29°C and 42°C respectively.
"I want to thank not only Ducati but also all the guys that have supported me here," declared Gibernau. "Some of them worked with me in 2006 and it was great to find ourselves together again. I've really enjoyed myself today and have had a completely new experience as a rider.
The faster you go, the more obvious it becomes that this bike demands a real physical and mental effort, but when you manage to ride it well, the satisfaction is unique.
"I hope my work has been of use to Filippo [Preziosi], to help understand the differences between the GP8 and GP9. They are two machines with characteristics typical of Ducati, and the GP9, although new, shows great potential."
But what happens now?
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Gibernau had already been tipped to replace Melandri, perhaps as early as next weekend's German Grand Prix, even before his impressive second test.
Melandri, who has taken only one top ten finish from his first nine starts as a factory Ducati rider, seems to have lost all hope of adapting to the Desmosedici - and is rumoured to be heading to Kawasaki - but is now expected to stay until at least the summer break, which begins after Laguna Seca on July 20.
Gibernau is surely poised to take Melandri's seat should a separation be agreed, and it is hard to believe that the current situation can continue for a full season, but Ducati Corse's general manager Filippo Preziosi confirmed only that further 'opportunities' for Gibernau will be evaluated.
"First of all I want to compliment Sete and thank him for the great job he has done here this week," stated Preziosi. "It is always a pleasure to work with an experienced rider like Sete and his feedback will undoubtedly help us.
"His comments are very similar to those made by Casey and Vittoriano and this confirms that we're proceeding in the right direction. We will evaluate with him whether there can be other opportunities for him to work with us on track with our bikes. He has certainly demonstrated that he's still able to ride very fast," Preziosi declared.
Preziosi also hopes Gibernau's speed will prove to Melandri and Elias that the Desmosedici is not just a bike built for Stoner.
I hope that this result will also spur on Marco and Toni," he said. "In the last months we have worked hard to improve the GP8 but I think I can now say that it is a good level and we hope that they too can get the most out of the machine in the coming races."
Guintoli has made gradual, but clear progress, with the Desmosedici in recent events, rising from the back of the field to the edge of the top ten.
link-http://www.crash.net/motorsport/motogp/news/165738-2/gibernau_very_fast_but_will_he_race.html
Gibernau, who retired from MotoGP at the end of 2006 after losing his Ducati seat to Stoner, clocked up around 800kms during the second test. The Spaniard initially worked with the next year's carbon-fibre framed GP9, then the current GP8, before finishing with a final exit on the GP9 for a 'back to back' comparison.
The 35-year-old former double MotoGP World Championship runner-up made repeated runs of 4 or 5 laps and proved he had lost none of his fitness by lapping consistently in the low 1min 51secs range, despite air temperatures of over 30°C and track temperatures exceeding 50°C.
Sete had clocked a best lap time of 1min 51.7secs during his June test for Ducati, offered after an informal meeting at the Catalan Grand Prix, but set a very impressive 1min 50.5secs - with race tyres fitted to the GP8 - during this second outing.
Stoner set a new race lap record of 1min 50.003secs on his way to second place in June's Italian GP, but the next fastest Ducati lap was a 1min 51.181secs by Stoner's troubled team-mate Marco Melandri. Satellite Alice riders Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli set best race laps around the 1min 51.8secs mark.
Gibernau's best lap would have placed him fifth fastest during the race.
Official air and track temperatures during the Italian Grand Prix race were slightly lower than this week's test, being 29°C and 42°C respectively.
"I want to thank not only Ducati but also all the guys that have supported me here," declared Gibernau. "Some of them worked with me in 2006 and it was great to find ourselves together again. I've really enjoyed myself today and have had a completely new experience as a rider.
The faster you go, the more obvious it becomes that this bike demands a real physical and mental effort, but when you manage to ride it well, the satisfaction is unique.
"I hope my work has been of use to Filippo [Preziosi], to help understand the differences between the GP8 and GP9. They are two machines with characteristics typical of Ducati, and the GP9, although new, shows great potential."
But what happens now?
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Gibernau had already been tipped to replace Melandri, perhaps as early as next weekend's German Grand Prix, even before his impressive second test.
Melandri, who has taken only one top ten finish from his first nine starts as a factory Ducati rider, seems to have lost all hope of adapting to the Desmosedici - and is rumoured to be heading to Kawasaki - but is now expected to stay until at least the summer break, which begins after Laguna Seca on July 20.
Gibernau is surely poised to take Melandri's seat should a separation be agreed, and it is hard to believe that the current situation can continue for a full season, but Ducati Corse's general manager Filippo Preziosi confirmed only that further 'opportunities' for Gibernau will be evaluated.
"First of all I want to compliment Sete and thank him for the great job he has done here this week," stated Preziosi. "It is always a pleasure to work with an experienced rider like Sete and his feedback will undoubtedly help us.
"His comments are very similar to those made by Casey and Vittoriano and this confirms that we're proceeding in the right direction. We will evaluate with him whether there can be other opportunities for him to work with us on track with our bikes. He has certainly demonstrated that he's still able to ride very fast," Preziosi declared.
Preziosi also hopes Gibernau's speed will prove to Melandri and Elias that the Desmosedici is not just a bike built for Stoner.
I hope that this result will also spur on Marco and Toni," he said. "In the last months we have worked hard to improve the GP8 but I think I can now say that it is a good level and we hope that they too can get the most out of the machine in the coming races."
Guintoli has made gradual, but clear progress, with the Desmosedici in recent events, rising from the back of the field to the edge of the top ten.
link-http://www.crash.net/motorsport/motogp/news/165738-2/gibernau_very_fast_but_will_he_race.html
