Both Ducati Team riders got off to a positive start in the Spanish Grand Prix weekend at Jerez de la Frontera, with Andrea Iannone and Andrea Dovizioso notching up the fourth and fifth quickest times respectively on the combined timesheets.
During the morning session, the two Italians worked to obtain the best possible set-up for their Desmosedici GP15 machines, only making use of rear tyres with the hardest compound available. Dovizioso ended FP1 in fourth place, while Iannone finished the session in twelfth.
In the afternoon, with the air temperature considerably higher than the morning, the Ducati Team men continued with the set-up work on their GP15 bikes, and towards the end of the session, went out on track with the softer rear tyre option, setting third (Iannone) and fourth (Dovizioso) quickest times respectively in FP2. In the combined standings (FP1 and FP2) they were fourth and fifth.
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 1’39.511 (4th)
“To sum it up, I’d say that today we went pretty well, even though we have not yet reached an ideal set-up. Today we did a bit of experimenting, in the sense that we are trying out two quite different set-ups on my GP15, trying to understand what is the right path to follow on this track. I am still a bit undecided, but in any case the sensations are positive and the bike is working well, and above all I am sure I have a bike with a high potential also here at Jerez. In the three previous races the GP15 has always been competitive and so I am pretty optimistic about this weekend”.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’39.535 (5th)
“Today went well and I am pleased: after the good sensations in Argentina here we have a good pace and we are also quick on this track. We still have work to do, because here at Jerez the drop in the tyre towards mid-race is quite significant and it’s always very difficult for everyone to find the ideal set-up, with the aim of being constant for the entire 27-lap race. We did some major modifications and we also found some positive aspects, and now we have to get a good overall picture of the situation, but it was a positive first day for me”.
