Doha (Qatar), 2 March 2005

The Ducati Marlboro Team has concluded the second day of a three-day test at the Losail circuit in Qatar. Despite strong winds, the good weather (air 28° C/track 48° C) helped Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa complete the scheduled programme and carry out tests with several different types of front race tyres.

While yesterday Loris Capirossi had concentrated on establishing a good set-up for his Desmosedici GP5, today the Italian tested the numerous front tyres brought by Bridgestone and ended with an excellent time of 1m57.69s in his 58 laps. "Today was a really tough day, but it gave me a lot of satisfaction" commented Loris. "We tried a lot of front tyres and at the end of the day three rear race tyres. I set a good time, I'm pleased about that but am ready to work even harder tomorrow". As well as the tyres, Loris also tested a number of different gearbox settings.

Carlos Checa was also on the pace, recording a quickest time of 1m57.91s in his 60 laps. The Spanish rider also concentrated almost entirely on the front tyres."We worked a lot with the front tyres, I tested several different types but in the end found a good compromise" declared Carlos. "It was a long hard day, but I am pleased that I was able to get the most out of it. The track also improved, we were able to work better than yesterday and as a result the times were quicker".

Tomorrow the Ducati Marlboro Team will wrap up the three-day test at the Doha circuit, where it will return for the Qatar GP on Saturday 1 October.

The next test sessions for the team are:

Barcelona - IRTA Tests, 18-20 March

Jerez de la Frontera - IRTA Tests, 25-27 March