World SBK

In preparation for the upcoming Nurburgring round of the World Superbike Championship, the Ducati Xerox Team carried out two days of testing at Italian circuit Mugello on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The two factory riders divided the work, Michel Fabrizio on track on Tuesday and Noriyuki Haga taking over the ropes yesterday. The test was a very useful exercise for both riders after the month long summer break.

On Tuesday Michel made more than 65 laps during the day, working hard with his technicians to record a best time of 1:52.0, on a "Q", in the late afternoon.

During the day the Italian rider tried different set-ups and also tested several new tyre solutions provided by Pirelli. On Wednesday morning, in equally hot conditions, Noriyuki took to the track, carrying out a very similar work programme to Michel and clocking up around 60 laps by the close of play. His best time of the day was a 1:52.6 recorded on race rubber.

Noriyuki Haga says: "This test has been helpful, allowing us to get feeling back with the bike after the summer holiday. It has been useful preparation for this weekend's German round, giving us the chance to test settings. I completed a lot of laps, trying different set-ups and making constant improvement throughout the day."

Michel Fabrizio says: "The test will hopefully help us make a good race at the Nurburgring. I've tried different settings and the new rear tyres provided by Pirelli gave great results."

This week, Ducati also announced that it will no longer run the factory effort in WSBK.