The Ducati Team will take to the track at the bwin Grand Prix Ceské Republiky with Valentino Rossi only, as Nicky Hayden, who injured his right hand in a qualifying crash at the Indianapolis GP, is staying in the United States to recover.

The Brno circuit, which was built in the mid-’80s, features a large variety of corner types and elevation changes; it is fast, flowing, and very wide. Rossi has collected four podium finishes there in addition to his seven wins across all classes. The Italian rider will look to put two disappointing round in the U.S. behind him, where he struggled with set-up and grip issues with his bike. He will however be buoyed by his good past record at the track, and will hope that he and his team can rediscover some of the form shown earlier in the season.

Valentino Rossi

"Laguna and Indy were two very difficult races, so I’m happy that we race again in just a few days, at Brno. The next two weeks will be very important for the rest of the season. I expect to do better in the Czech Republic, as it’s a track that I like and that is more ‘normal.’ I had a pretty good dry race there last year with Ducati, also in terms of the gap to the front. Then next week we’ll have two days of testing at Misano, where we’ll have some new things to try that I hope will help us to be faster in the last part of the season."

Vittoriano Guareschi, Team Manager

"With Valentino we’ll work to recover after two very challenging races. He likes Brno, he has won many races there, and last year he had a decent race."

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