sachsenring vu par les ducati boys

[theophil]

CAPIROSSI: "IT'S LIKE A GO-KART TRACK'

Ducati Marlboro Team man Loris Capirossi was satisfied with his British GP ride but what the Italian really wants is to repeat his podium finish from June's Mugello GP.

"It's a strange track, like a go-kart track," he says. "For sure it's very difficult on a MotoGP bike, anyway we go there with a strong feeling, determined to get a good result before the holidays, but we will see what new tyres Bridgestone bring. The first few corners are so, so slow, but after the horseshoe right-hander it becomes quite a nice track. There's the fast run downhill and the very fast turn 12, a really exciting corner because you're in fifth gear, maybe 220kmh, and it's blind and also negative camber.

After Germany I go home and I stay home, I'm going nowhere! I have a 45-foot motorboat, which we use most days. There are a lot of beautiful bays around Monaco, but the problem is there are also a lot of boats, so you have to go early, because it's like supermarket parking!"

CHECA: "SLOW DOESN'T MEAN EASY"

Carlos Checa comes to Germany fresh from an impressive British GP, where he rode the third fastest lap on his way to finishing fifth, after running 17th at the end of the first lap. Checa was second at the Sachsenring in 2001.

"It's a special kind of track and I like it, apart from the first part, which is too slow," says the Ducati Marlboro Team rider. "I always enjoy tracks that feature plenty of elevation changes and the Sachsenring is very up and down. It's slow circuit but that doesn't mean it's easy because MotoGP bikes are big, very powerful and have wide tyres, so this place is a lot of work. It's so tight that you hardly ever use full throttle, maybe only for seven per cent of the lap. Maximum horsepower means absolutely nothing, so you work in other areas of engine performance, like low- and mid-rpm. We don't change the base set-up too much from track to track, we just hope that our Bridgestone tyres work well on this asphalt.

My main aim during the break is to have some rest. I will spend some time at home in London, plus I'm going trekking and climbing in the Pyrenees for a few days. I'm really looking forward to that. It's good that everyone in the team gets a break, we all need to recharge!"