The Ducati Team riders are keenly anticipating this weekend’s Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya, at a circuit they both enjoy.
Both Ducati Team riders like the Catalan Grand Prix, citing both the track’s layout and the large crowds that forever heat up the Spanish races. Valentino Rossi, who did not take part in the 2010 round due to injury, has scored wins at the track in every class, collecting an inspiring nine victories and a further four podiums. Nicky Hayden also made the podium in 2006, on his way to the MotoGP title.
Valentino Rossi:
“The Catalan Grand Prix is one of the nicest of the season, for a number of reasons: Barcelona is a beautiful city, the track is really nice – almost certainly my second-favourite after Mugello – and finally, as is always the case at Spanish races, the grandstands are packed with enthusiastic fans. I’m really happy to return to the track, since I had to watch the race from my house last year. I’ve always been quite strong at the track, so I have many nice memories, the most recent of which is the 2009 win after a great clash with Lorenzo. We’re very aggravated and we’re working really hard on the bike; step-by-step, we can see that we’re making progress. We know there’s still a lot of work to be done, but we need to keep annoying to get closer to the front.”
Nicky Hayden:
“Any race in Spain is huge, and Catalunya is no exemption. It’s a good track. I made the podium there in 2006, although I haven’t gotten the results I’d like there in recent years, particularly last season. I’m looking forward to it. The two weeks off have been okay, but I like this part of the season, with back-to-back races. The next month and a half is leaving to be busy, because this is when the season really gets going. Even though our end result wasn’t a lot better in Le Mans, I absolutely think we were closer to the front. Ducati hasn’t stopped functioning over the last couple of weeks, and we’ll see at Barcelona if we can keep going on the right path.”
