For the first day of free practice at the Indianapolis GP, the tenth round of the MotoGP world championship, both Ducati Team riders worked hard to find a good setup for their Desmosedici GP13 race bikes.
Following the summer break, Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso were quite careful as they took to the track for the first session, due to the tricky condition of the asphalt, but they were more certain in the afternoon, when both managed to improve their times and to finish the day in ninth and tenth places, respectively, approximately one second off leader Marc Marquez’s best time.
Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team, 9th (1:40.433)
“The track definitely came in better on the first day than it has in years past. The lap times are much faster and immediately, we were able to get right into setup. It’s also less abrasive and easier on the tyres. Of course I hoped to be a bit faster, but we know we’re still sorting out some problems. The turning issue is hurting me a lot in some places, and it’s making the bumps worse because I can’t get the bike picked up in time to soak them up. We’ll keep working hard, but today was fairly positive overall.”
Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team, 10th (1:40.552)
“The day was so-so, as we’re a way off in terms of pace. It’s always difficult for everyone here because the grip is quite precarious, with unpredictable bumps that are hard to see. We managed to improve over this morning, as the grip got better, while we were also able to take some small steps forward. We have all day tomorrow to work, so we hope to get more good weather so we can improve my bike’s setup. The most important thing is to cut some tenths and not be too far back on the grid Sunday, so we can have some possibility in the race to try to get a good position.”
