NEWS CATEGORIES:

NEWS ARCHIVE >>
SOFTPEDIA REVIEWS >>

Ducati Goes After Melandri The Italian constructor made Melandri an offer for the next season	By Ovidiu Panzariu, Sports Editor 26th of September 2006, 12:28 GMT Adjust text size:


Ducati were given a boost last weekend, with Loris Capirossi winning the Chinese GP in style. The Italian rider managed to resist Marco Melandri's attacks in the early laps and went on to win the race by a comfortable 6-seconds margin. With 3 wins this season, Capirossi made Ducati think about the future. The next season, Loris will certainly run for Ducati. He made the announcement earlier this month. Still, the team officials are now seeking for the perfect teammate to fight for the World title next season. Since Sete Gibernau has been struggling all season to finish in points, Ducati believes Marco Melandri would be the perfect replacement. "It's 50-50. We contacted Marco before Malaysia and made him a firm offer in Australia. In the meantime, his victory at Phillip Island changed the landscape a bit, but I think he is interested in our proposal because we can offer him something Honda can't - a seat in a genuine factory team", said Ducati's general manager, Livio Suppo. Melandri has had a hell of a season so far and, if it weren't for that crash in the Catalunya GP, the Italian might have gotten a chance at the world title. He is currently running for Gresini, a satellite for Honda, and lies 3rd in overall standings, 27 points behind leader Nicky Hayden. Ducati would have a great team next year, if they'll succeed in convincing Melandri to sign for Italian constructor. Capirossi is currently 4th in overall standings, despite suffering serious injuries in the same Catalunya GP. As for his great run this season, the same Suppo admitted that his team is lucky to have convinced Loris to stay with Ducati for another year. "This is our best season by far. Our increase in power is due to a combination of factors; the bike has progressed along with the Bridgestone tyres and Loris is like a fine wine, improving with age", concluded Suppo. In the meantime, Marco Melandri still believes in his chances of clinching the world title. Although we have to admit they're pretty slim, Melandri has to recover 27 points in 2 races. More, he has to overcome Valentino Rossi too, who's 15 points ahead of him overall.

Rating:

vote(s) so far

Read by 397 user(s) | Add comment | Link to this article

Subscribe to news |

Print article |

Send to friend

© Copyright 2001-2008 Softpedia
Contact:

SEARCH THE NEWS ARCHIVE :

Today's News | Yesterday's News | News Archive

MORE RELATED ARTICLES:

Melandri Takes Turkish GP

The Moto GP Was Close to Tragedy

Marco Melandri Could Also Miss the Dutch TT

Loris Capirossi Dissapointed After MotoGP Disaster

Marco Melandri Makes Extraordinary Discovery

Sete Gibernau Is Happy With German GP Performance

Loris Capirossi Signed Ducati Extension

Melandri Wins Australian Thriller

User opinions:

No user comments yet.

Be the first to express your opinion using the form below!

Share your opinion:

SUBMIT PROGRAM \| ADVERTISE \| GET HELP \| SEND US FEEDBACK \| RSS FEEDS \| ENTER NEWS SITE \| ENGLISH BOARD \| ROMANIAN FORUM
© 2001 - 2008 Softpedia. All rights reserved. Softpedia™ and the Softpedia™ logo are registered trademarks of SoftNews NET SRL.	Copyright Information \| Privacy Policy \| Terms of Use \| Update your software \| Archive