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Preziosi: "Rossi? Fatal attraction"
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Valencia - There was a lot to discuss during the press conference held by Filippo Preziosi this afternoon. Fifteen minutes in English and fifteen in Italian, to explain, to a packed Ducati hospitality area, the work program for the next two days of testing. Two days that will see Valentino Rossi on the Desmosedici for the first time.
Chosing an engine. This is the most important aspect of the test - Preziosi began - to chose which motor to move forward with (between the big bang or the screamer, ed.) To decide we will give the riders - Rossi and Hayden - three bikes: a big bang GP10, and two GP11's; one with a big bang evolution and one with a screamer. He will start with the big bang GP11, and then move on to the others."
Help! Just as Preziosi was talking about the big bang, a gust of wind nearly took down the hospitality structure. Luckily that big bang was avoided, and there were no "screamers" during the scare either.
Problem: keeping Rossi calm. All this - Preziosi said, picking up where he left off - means working without worrying too much about lap times. But I think Rossi might not agree. I'll have to find a way to convince him." In some strange way, he will actually get some help with this from Yamaha. The Japanese manufacturer has strictly forbid Rossi (and they have ways of enforcing it) from talking about the Ducati or the test.
Thank you, Yamaha. No, not for putting the gag order on Rossi, but for allowing him to test with Ducati this week. A formal gesture of fair play that isn't all that common in the paddock these days.
The truth doesn't exist. I don't have any particular preference for one engine or another. Aside from the different sounds they make, which you notice immediately, they are actually quite similar in terms of performance. The better one is the one that wins. The better one is the one that the riders feel better with.
If you want to talk about the truth, you have to realize that objective measures can only provide less than 50% of the answer, the rest comes from the rider's feelings. For this reason, even if we have charts and graphs with all the data, and even if we have feedback from the test rider, it is still up to the race riders to decide."
I would have killed Casey. Sunday night, when it hit me that Stoner was no longer our rider, I suddenly felt very sad. I didn't think I was so attached to him. He is a fast rider, and an honest man. He is able to push a bike to its limits within a few laps, which is a big advantage. These are his strengths. You know them. He also has defects, for which there have been moments when I could have killed him. You know those as well..."
The fatal attraction to Valentino. I spoke with Valentino a few times, even before he decided to race with us. There is something dangerously charming about him: dangerous because you find yourself liking your one of your opponents, which is never good. I understand why there are people that would do anything for him. The engineers that know him, they can tell you that his debriefings are like university lectures. Well, I would think they are more fun than that. He is the greatest rider of all time. As a motorcycle enthusiast and a fan, I am curious to see what he will do at Ducati."
Burgess and Preziosi's youth. The first rider that I admired, when I was a kid, was Freddie Spencer. He had Jeremy Burgess for a crew chief. I'm almost nervous to work with him. I have spoken with him several times, and found him to be a nice person. He isn't the slightest bit arrogant, and he is very logical." .
Ducati: an atom bomb. This morning, with Burgess and his group, we did an engine change. This afternoon we will put it all back together. I could see in their eyes that they were somewhat perplexed. Taking the engine out of a Desmosedici is like setting off an atomic bomb: the biggest piece that is left couldn't fill up a cup."
When Rossi pulls into the garage. The work method won't change too much compared to a week ago. When Stoner would pull into the garage, three people would immediately go to him. The center of it all was C2 (Cristian Gabarrini's nickname, ed). There will be three people with Rossi as well, but the main reference will be Burgess. With C2, the emphasis was always on the data; with Burgess it will be his vast experience.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.
Preziosi: "Rossi? Fatal attraction"
http://www.gpone.com/index.php/en/slider/2410-preziosi-qrossi-fascino-pericolosoq.html
Valencia - There was a lot to discuss during the press conference held by Filippo Preziosi this afternoon. Fifteen minutes in English and fifteen in Italian, to explain, to a packed Ducati hospitality area, the work program for the next two days of testing. Two days that will see Valentino Rossi on the Desmosedici for the first time.
Chosing an engine. This is the most important aspect of the test - Preziosi began - to chose which motor to move forward with (between the big bang or the screamer, ed.) To decide we will give the riders - Rossi and Hayden - three bikes: a big bang GP10, and two GP11's; one with a big bang evolution and one with a screamer. He will start with the big bang GP11, and then move on to the others."
Help! Just as Preziosi was talking about the big bang, a gust of wind nearly took down the hospitality structure. Luckily that big bang was avoided, and there were no "screamers" during the scare either.
Problem: keeping Rossi calm. All this - Preziosi said, picking up where he left off - means working without worrying too much about lap times. But I think Rossi might not agree. I'll have to find a way to convince him." In some strange way, he will actually get some help with this from Yamaha. The Japanese manufacturer has strictly forbid Rossi (and they have ways of enforcing it) from talking about the Ducati or the test.
Thank you, Yamaha. No, not for putting the gag order on Rossi, but for allowing him to test with Ducati this week. A formal gesture of fair play that isn't all that common in the paddock these days.
The truth doesn't exist. I don't have any particular preference for one engine or another. Aside from the different sounds they make, which you notice immediately, they are actually quite similar in terms of performance. The better one is the one that wins. The better one is the one that the riders feel better with.
If you want to talk about the truth, you have to realize that objective measures can only provide less than 50% of the answer, the rest comes from the rider's feelings. For this reason, even if we have charts and graphs with all the data, and even if we have feedback from the test rider, it is still up to the race riders to decide."
I would have killed Casey. Sunday night, when it hit me that Stoner was no longer our rider, I suddenly felt very sad. I didn't think I was so attached to him. He is a fast rider, and an honest man. He is able to push a bike to its limits within a few laps, which is a big advantage. These are his strengths. You know them. He also has defects, for which there have been moments when I could have killed him. You know those as well..."
The fatal attraction to Valentino. I spoke with Valentino a few times, even before he decided to race with us. There is something dangerously charming about him: dangerous because you find yourself liking your one of your opponents, which is never good. I understand why there are people that would do anything for him. The engineers that know him, they can tell you that his debriefings are like university lectures. Well, I would think they are more fun than that. He is the greatest rider of all time. As a motorcycle enthusiast and a fan, I am curious to see what he will do at Ducati."
Burgess and Preziosi's youth. The first rider that I admired, when I was a kid, was Freddie Spencer. He had Jeremy Burgess for a crew chief. I'm almost nervous to work with him. I have spoken with him several times, and found him to be a nice person. He isn't the slightest bit arrogant, and he is very logical." .
Ducati: an atom bomb. This morning, with Burgess and his group, we did an engine change. This afternoon we will put it all back together. I could see in their eyes that they were somewhat perplexed. Taking the engine out of a Desmosedici is like setting off an atomic bomb: the biggest piece that is left couldn't fill up a cup."
When Rossi pulls into the garage. The work method won't change too much compared to a week ago. When Stoner would pull into the garage, three people would immediately go to him. The center of it all was C2 (Cristian Gabarrini's nickname, ed). There will be three people with Rossi as well, but the main reference will be Burgess. With C2, the emphasis was always on the data; with Burgess it will be his vast experience.
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