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Chinese GP
Shanghai
4th May 2008 |
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Ducati
Marlboro team bounce back to form in china
The Grand Prix of China saw
both Ducati Marlboro Team riders return to the top five as Casey Stoner
clinched third place and Marco Melandri produced his best performance of
the season with a battle to fifth. Stoner had hoped to be more involved
in the battle for victory but a dramatic change in the track conditions
led to a different tyre choice than in practice, which limited the
Australian's performance. However, the podium is still a positive finish
to the weekend for the World Champion, who remains fourth in the
championship (text and photos by Ducati
corse press). |
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Portuguese GP
Estoril
13th Apr 2008 |
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Stoner rides around
problems for a meritable sixth place
Casey Stoner produced
another example of the class and maturity that made him World Champion
as he overcame an unfortunate technical problem to salvage a worthy
sixth place. Shortly after the start of the race a part of the on-board
camera on Casey's GP8 came lose, flapping dangerously between his
handlebars and front fairing. After dropping all the way back to
eleventh place, Stoner showed great composure and skill to fix the
problem himself before putting together a sensational comeback that saw
him set the fourth fastest lap of the race on his way to sixth place.
That was enough to seal 10 crucial points that keep the Australian
holding firmly to fourth place in the championship (text and photos by Ducati
corse press). |
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Spain GP
Jerez
30th Mar 2008 |
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Tough but determined
race for Stoner and Melandri
It certainly wasn't an easy
Grand Prix of Spain for the two Ducati Marlboro Team riders at the
tricky Jerez circuit but a show of character and determination. For
Casey Stoner, who was never completely comfortable with the set-up of
his GP8 all weekend, his desire to give 100% combined with a touch of
bad luck saw him run into the gravel twice. After a superb start lifted
him to third place on the opening lap, the World Champion's first
off-track excursion came on the third lap and saw him relegated to last
place. By the 22nd lap an exciting fight-back had lifted him back into
the fight for fifth but contact with Nakano at the end of the back
straight led to another trip across the gravel. Stoner again returned to
the track in eleventh and without enough remaining laps to repeat his
comeback (text and photos by Ducati
corse press). |
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Qatar GP
Losail
9th
March 2008 |
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Stoner starts title
defence with a win in Qatar as Melandri
battles hard
Casey Stoner savoured the
Australian national anthem with his eyes firmly closed under the bright
lights of Qatar after taking victory in the first night race in the
history of the sport. The MotoGP World Champion started the defence of
his title from fourth on the grid and had dropped to fifth by the end of
the first lap, before charging through to set up a stirring battle with
Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. The Spanish rookie proved to be the
most difficult obstacle between Stoner and his eleventh career MotoGP
win but by the eighth lap Stoner was in control and little by little he
opened out an insurmountable gap (text and photos by Ducati
corse press). |
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Desmosedici GP8
Borgo Panigale
9th January 2008 |
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Desmosedici GP8 tech
specs
Engine:
liquid-cooled, 90° V4 four-stroke,
desmodromic DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
- Capacity: 799cc - Maximum power: more
than 200hp - Maximum speed: in excess of 310
kph/192 mph - Frame: Tubular steel trellis-style
chassis, pressed aluminium swing-arm.
Suspension: Ohlins upside-down 42mm front forks
and Ohlins rear shock absorber, adjustable for
preload, compression and rebound damping - Tyres:
Bridgestone 16.5" front and rear - Brakes: Brembo,
two 320mm carbon front discs with four-piston callipers. Single
stainless steel rear disc with two-piston callipers -
Dry weight: 148kg (text and picture by Ducati
corse press). |
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Wrooom 2008
Madonna di Campiglio
7th January 2008 |
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CASEY STONER AND MARCO
MELANDRI UNVEIL THE DESMOSEDICI GP8
MotoGP Press Ski Meeting
2008 was action-packed with a press conference attended by reigning
World Champion, Casey Stoner, and his new team mate, Marco Melandri,
wearing the official Ducati Marlboro Team gear for the first time. The
Ducati Desmosedici GP8 launch was set in the breathtaking scenery of
Madonna di Campiglio in the Trento Dolomites. The two riders
ceremoniously broke an ice sculpture to reveal the new bike in its 2008
livery and tomorrow, Ducati Corse CEO and General Director Ducati Motor
Holding, Claudio Domenicali, will talk to the press about the bike's
technical innovations (text and picture by Ducati corse
press). |
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