Saturday Jul 22 2006
Free Practice - Laguna Seca

The Ducati Team worked hard to make progress at Laguna Seca this morning, Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau ending the last of the event's three free practice sessions 11th and 15th overall.
Both Capirossi and Gibernau aren't having the easiest of times at this challenging racetrack, working to improve front tyre endurance for tomorrow's race. Conditions were already burning hot this morning, with track temperatures reaching 40 degrees.

LORIS CAPIROSSI, 11th fastest, 1m 23.970s
"Unfortunately the tyres Bridgestone brought here don't seem to suit the new surface. We have just a few good tyres, so we have used them sparingly. Last year the rear was the problem here, this year it's the front - our soft fronts don't last long enough and the hard tyres tuck the front. We made a small step forward this morning and we hope to make another this afternoon, but I can't push hard and I'm worried that our front problem will prevent stop me improving my lap times with a rear qualifier."



SETE GIBERNAU, 15th fastest, 1m 24.403s
"I'm not comfortable with how I'm riding and how we are moving along here. We have to keep working to see if I can get a pace or a rhythm because I don't even have that. I've had a couple of run-ons at the Corkscrew because I can't stop the bike and I can't use the front, that's what I'm chasing. Right now we are in trouble and we've got to work to improve things because it's the worst it's been."

Temperatures: Ambient: 27 degrees. Track: 40 degrees