Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden today took part in the first session of the two-day test at Valencia aboard Ducati Corse GP9.

The first session of a two-day test got underway in hot and sunny conditions in Valencia today, a day full of new things for the Ducati Marlboro Team. At close to 11.00 in the morning, when the garage doors were opened, the spotlights were all focused on Nicky Hayden and on his ‘Stars and Stripes’ liveried Ducati, which had its first run at the Ricardo Tormo circuit.

Hayden, like new team-mate Casey Stoner, carried out his first run of the day with the GP8 before turning his attention firmly on the GP9. The American continually improved his rhythm throughout the course of the day, stopping the clock with a best lap of 1′33.960.

Stoner, immediately at ease aboard the GP9, as he was during his first and only test of the machine in the post-race test in Catalunya, set the fastest time of the day, dipping under the circuit best lap record that he himself set in Sunday’s Valencia GP.

Click the photograph of GP9 to download Ducati Corse GP9 wallpaper

Casey Stoner - best lap 1′32.464 (54 laps): “The feelings from this first day of testing in Valencia with the GP9 have been definitely good. We tried many things, some worked well, others less so, but this is normal because the bike is quite different in its characteristics and in its reactions compared to the GP8. We still have other things to try but the feeling is already excellent and in fact we were able to lap consistently quickly. I am very happy with the behavior of the engine that seems to me to be more progressive and predictable. The bike is more stable in braking which is really saying something because the GP8 was already very efficient from this point of view. We have to work more on the rear set-up but the potential is good, it is just a question of finding the right set-up. Also as far as the tyres are concerned I am satisfied, above all the specification that we used this morning, with which we were able to maintain an excellent rhythm for thirty laps. A good start from this point of view. I think that Nicky is content with his first day at Ducati, he continued to improve during the day and I am sure that with a few more days with the bike he will find himself in good shape.”

Nicky Hayden - best lap 1′33.960 (79 laps): “It has been a very intense day and full of many things to test and to understand, but it was exactly as I expected it to be. I did just one run with the GP8 and then I switched completely to the GP9. Obviously there is a lot of work to do but I am happy, it was a good day that has allowed me to understand that the bike has good potential and, more than anything, I can say that I really enjoyed myself. This first day has given me an appreciation of the bike and the team. One of the things that really impressed me the most was the acceleration. I found myself pretty comfortable on the bike, and I really didn’t make a lot of changes to levers and handlebars. We have not even changed a lot the settings; we have just made some small changes, some mapping settings, a couple of tyres, in order to try and understand the direction of the bike and to feel comfortable on it”.

October 27th lap times
1. Stoner (Ducati) 1.32.464 (54 laps)
2. Pedrosa (Honda) 1.32.672 (60)
3. Rossi (Yamaha) 1.32.921 (34)
4. Vermeulen (Suzuki) 1.33.142 (67)
5. Capirossi (Suzuki) 1.33.325 (75)
6. De Angelis (Honda) 1.33.375 (77)
7. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1.33.550 (44)
8. Dovizioso (Honda) 1.33.675 (57)
9. Hopkins (Kawasaki) 1.33.760 (74)
10. Melandri (Kawasaki) 1.33.782 (75)
11. De Puniet (Honda) 1.33.832 (80)
12. Hayden (Ducati) 1.33.960 (79)
13. Elias (Honda) 1.34.129 (81)
14. Gibernau (Ducati) 1.34.451 (52)
15. Kallio (Ducati) 1.34.793 (60)
16. Jacque (Kawasaki) 1.34.925 (71)
17. Canepa (Ducati) 1.34.995 (62)
18. Takahashi (Honda) 1.35.203 (73)

Casey Stoner took a dominant victory in the final round of the 2008 MotoGP season to secure second place in the Constructors’ World Championship for Ducati. Today’s win, at the circuit where he celebrated his debut success in the 125cc class back in 2003, was also the 150th for Australian riders in all Grand Prix classes.

Not only that, but Stoner’s sixth victory of the season means that the Italian factory have taken 17 wins from 36 races since the start of the 800cc era - an average of almost 50%.

Marco Melandri enjoyed a positive but ultimately unfortunate final race with Ducati, the Italian rider coming through from the very back of the grid to lap in tenth place, only to run off track two laps from the end - returning to finish the race in sixteenth.

Tomorrow the Ducati Marlboro Team will be back on track to begin preparations for next season, with Casey Stoner joined for the first time by his new team-mate Nicky Hayden.

Speaking on the occasion, Stonner said, “We couldn’t really have asked for much more today. To end a difficult season in this way is a fantastic feeling and it’s a nice way to thank everybody at Ducati for their hard work. Once again my crew got it right, finding a good setting for the bike despite limited dry track time. To be honest I was quite worried during qualifying yesterday because I didn’t have a good feeling at all but by the time we put the softer tyres on the bike was already feeling better and then the guys did a fantastic job overnight and in the warm-up this morning to iron out a few more of the problems. This was the first time we’ve ridden in these conditions all weekend so there were still a few question marks before the race, so to go out and set the pace like that was a nice feeling. Now I’m really excited about testing the new bike tomorrow. It felt good the last time I rode it and I’m sure they’ve made it better, so hopefully we can have a good first session and go home for the winter full of optimism about next season.”

MotoGP 2008 Valenciana Results
1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro 46′46.114
2. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda + 3.390
3. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team + 12.194
4. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) JiR Team Scot MotoGP + 24.159
5. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda + 26.232
6. Colin Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha + 32.209
7. Shinya Nakano (JPN) San Carlo Honda Gresini + 34.571
8. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team + 35.661
9. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP + 38.228
10. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini + 47.583
11. James Toseland (GBR) Tech 3 Yamaha + 52.107
12. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Alice Team + 52.350
13. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki + 52.833
14. John Hopkins (USA) Kawasaki Racing + 53.227
15. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP + 53.411
16. Marco Melandri (ITA) Ducati Marlboro + 1′08.387
17. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing + 1′11.181
18. Toni Elias (SPA) Alice Team + 1′37.055

MotoGP 2008 Championship Standings
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 373
2. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro 280
3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda 249
4. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 190
5. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) JiR Team Scot MotoGP 174
6. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda 155
7. Colin Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha 144
8. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki 128
9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) San Carlo Honda Gresini 126
10. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 118
11. James Toseland (GBR) Tech 3 Yamaha 105
12. Toni Elias (SPA) Alice Team 92
13. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Alice Team 67
14. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini 63
15. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 61
16. John Hopkins (USA) Kawasaki Racing 57
17. Marco Melandri (ITA) Ducati Marlboro 51
18. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing 50
19. Ben Spies (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 20
20. Jamie Hacking (USA) Kawasaki Racing Team 5
21. Tadyuki Okada (JPN) Repsol Honda Team 2

Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd., announced the launch of its all-new GS150R for the Indian market today in Delhi. This also marks the motorcycle major’s arrival in the country’s 150cc market segment. The dynamic GS150R will be offered in four electric colours – blue, orange, grey and black.

Giving cutting-edge technology a new name, the latest bike from Suzuki stable would ensure a smooth, comfortable riding experience to the rider. GS150R’s engine has been specially designed to fulfill conflicting demands of acceleration and fuel efficiency – the most significant aspect in city riding.

Launching the charismatic bike Mr. Atul Gupta, Vice President (Sales and Marketing) said, “Riding on the burgeoning biking segment in India, we, at Suzuki, are all geared up to spice up the competition with our impulsive GS150R. Packed with the perfect combination of terrific power and stunning looks, GS150R will be synonymous with authority on the Indian roads.”

“Suzuki has maintained a leading image by leveraging high-quality Japanese technology with its thorough understanding of the local automotive market. We are confident that GS150R will fascinate bikers across India with its agility, comfort and affordable price. This will further provide impetus to our aim to capitalize on the emerging opportunities in the Indian motorcycle industry,” added Mr. Gupta.

Armed with world’s first eco-mode-equipped engine rpm indicator, the new bike has a unique GSX-R-derived engine rpm indicator lights that provide indication to the rider about the optimum up-shift timing. Moreover, sporty style headlight, with built-in positioning light inspired from Suzuki international super bike, GSX-R, gives GS150R a very distinct and muscular look. The bike also boasts of a super sleek, streamlined aerodynamic shaped LED Tail Lamp and Integrated Rear Turn Signals based on GSX-R styling, which takes the style quotient to the next level.

In addition, the bike has a Majestic Fuel Tank bringing high user satisfaction with the impression of being ‘stronger’. The shock absorber has a separate oil reservoir, which facilitates oil cooling effectively, thereby, ensuring growth in its performance. Its Engine Balancer Technology, equipped with ‘balancer driven gear fitted with a rubber damper’, further delivers a more comfortable riding experience to the bike enthusiasts.

“Launch of GS150R is a part of our effort to constantly provide the Indian market with high quality products and services. Renowned for its safety features and durability, Suzuki has maintained its competitiveness across all market segments. Suzuki aims to be very active in the coming year and this launch is a step in the same direction,” concluded Mr. Katsumi Takata, Joint Managing Director, Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd.