With his team-mate Carlos Checa sidelined through injury, Loris Capirossi and test rider Vittoriano Guareschi carried the hopes of the Ducati Marlboro Team during the second and final official MotoGP test, which concluded at Jerez on Sunday.
Capirossi was just 11th on day one, slipped to 18th on day two, but recovered to claim fifth - 0.576secs behind Repsol Honda's Nicky Hayden - with the aid of a qualifying tyre on the third and final day.
"I am very satisfied with the qualifying tyres: the ones I tested were really excellent," commented Loris, who tested several types of tyres throughout the weekend. "Even the front tyres go well here at Jerez and the rear race tyres are already pretty good.
"We felt the absence of Carlos over the last three days, and with him for sure we could have got through a lot more work," he admitted. "However I gave everything I could, now all we have to do is wait for April 10."
Meanwhile, Guareschi's Sunday schedule included a long-run with the team's new engine braking system, which both Capirossi and Checa have also previously tested but appeared unprepared to race at this stage. Guareschi finished 21st fastest out of the 22 riders on the final day.
"These were three hard days of work," declared Filippo Preziosi, director of Ducati Corse, who has been present at both of the tests at Barcelona and
Jerez. "We return home with a massive amount of data accumulated by Loris and Vitto, who were both tireless in their work as always.
"I would like to thank Loris for his dedication and professionalism: he worked really hard and that allowed us to make the most of this important test session, even in Carlos's absence," he added.
Jerez MotoGP test times – Sunday:
1.
Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda
1min 39.983 secs
2.
Marco Melandri ITA Team Movistar Honda
1min 40.291 secs
3.
John Hopkins USA Team Suzuki
MotoGP 1min 40.418 secs
4.
Valentino Rossi ITA Gauloises Yamaha
1min 40.539 secs
5.
Loris Capirossi ITA Ducati Marlboro
1min 40.559 secs
6.
Alex Barros BRA Camel Honda
1min 40.569 secs
7.
Sete Gibernau SPA Team Movistar Honda
1min 40.662 secs
8.
Colin Edwards USA Gauloises Yamaha
1min 41.284 secs
9.
Shinya Nakano JPN Fuchs Kawasaki
1min 41.328 secs
10.
Makoto Tamada JPN Konica Minolta Honda
1min 41.38 secs
11.
Max Biaggi ITA Repsol Honda
1min 41.431 secs
12.
Alex Hofmann GER Fuchs Kawasaki
1min 41.453 secs
13.
Troy Bayliss AUS Camel Honda
1min 41.529 secs
14.
Kenny Roberts USA Team Suzuki MotoGP
1min 41.913 secs
15.
Nobuatsu Aoki JPN Team Suzuki MotoGP
1min 42.121 secs
16.
Toni Elias SPA Fortuna Yamaha
1min 42.387 secs
17.
Ruben Xaus SPA Fortuna Yamaha
1min 43.961 secs
18.
James Ellison GBR Blata WCM
1min 44.041 secs
19.
Shane Byrne GBR Team KR-KTM
1min 44.272 secs
20.
Roberto Rolfo ITA D'Antin Ducati
1min 44.395 secs
21.
Vittoriano Guareschi ITA Ducati Marlboro
1min 44.447 secs
22.
Franco Battaini ITA Blata WCM
1min 45.379 secs
