Valentino Rossi - Photo Credit: Ducati
The Ducati team will have an important few days ahead as they prepare to race in the season-closing Valencia Grand Prix before testing their 1000cc machine at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in the days following the event.
Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden will stay in Spain to continue the development of the GP12 on Tuesday and Wednesday, a crucial day as the new bike goes up against its counterparts from Honda and Yamaha.
Unsurprisingly, the team's overriding emotion will be one of reflection with the passing of Marco Simoncelli fresh in everybody's minds and Team Manager Vittoriano Guareschi hopes this weekend will be a celebration of his life.
“The Valencia Grand Prix will have a different atmosphere than normal because we've been thinking about Marco since Malaysia. He'll be with us in Spain and beyond, but I think there will also be positive feelings in the paddock, because for Marco, racing equalled happiness, which is a concept that I understand very well. That being the case, we'll do what we always have and do our best to provide Vale and Nicky with what they need to have a nice race. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday we'll take part in the test, and we'll see the new-generation bikes together for the first time.”
