After a positive first two days during the final round of the 2011
MotoGP season, the Ducati Team had an unfortunate and premature end to
the Valencia Grand Prix, with riders Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden
both being taken out of the race in a Turn 1 racing incident.
The American experienced pain and swelling in his right hand following
the fall, but an X-ray in the mobile clinic didn’t reveal any fractures.
Rossi and Hayden finish the season seventh and eight, respectively, in
the final points standings.
A post-race test will take place at the Valencia circuit on this Tuesday and Wednesday.
Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) DNF
“There’s really nothing to say about today, other than that I’m sorry
beyond measure not to have been able to put on Sic’s T-shirt for the lap
of honour. It’s truly a shame. I started well and all the conditions
were in our favour for having a nice race, but we were unfortunate and
received no points here either. We finish the season tied with Sic, with
him ahead of me in the standings. I guess that’s my tribute to him!”
Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) DNF
“I felt some riders coming up the inside really fast as we approached
Turn 1. Then something happened and it was just the domino effect—race
over in the first corner. I’m okay other than my hand being pretty sore.
It’s unfortunate. One of our bike’s strengths is generating heat in the
tyres, and that’s what you need on a cold, wet track like this. Already
on the warm-up lap, the bike felt good. It’s easy to say now, but I
honestly feel like we could have put up a decent fight today and had
some fun.”
Vittoriano Guareschi (Team Manager)
“Today I’m particularly sorry to have to talk about a race in which once
again, we weren’t able to capitalize on our potential. In practice,
both Vale and Nicky demonstrated that they were able to ride this track
well in the conditions that we had for the race, but after they both
started well, they really were victims of a classic first-turn crash. It
happens, but it hurt Ducati worse than the others. There’s not much
else to say. Now we’ll focus on the work that’s about to start for
2012.”
