Carlos Checa and team mate Ayrton Badovini are almost back to full fitness and with a two-day private test under the belt at Jerez last week, the two Alstare Ducati riders are hoping that the Assen round will give them more luck than the disappointing Aragon weekend.
The Ducati 1199 Panigale (but all the twin cylinders) suffers on circuits that have lengthy straights like Aragon and Monza losing out on top speed compared to the four cylinders, but Assen should be much more Ducati friendly, even if the Spaniard has only won once at the Dutch circuit in 2011.
“I hope that the tests we carried out in Jerez after the race in Aragon bear fruit this weekend at Assen.
Those two days were very important and in The Netherlands, on a track that is traditionally less problematic for the Ducati, maybe we’ll be able to make some good progress.
I feel fit and healthy but the unknown at Assen is always the weather – I’ve seen some wet forecasts already so we need to work to be prepared come Sunday, whatever the conditions,” said Checa.
Ayrton Badovini hopes to be physically stronger at Assen following his injuries sustained at Phillip Island last February.
The Italian was won at Assen but that was back in 2010 when he was still in the Superstock championship.
“I’ve been up up at my parents’ place and working with my personal trainer during the last days, so I should be stronger when I get to Assen.
It’s a track that I like, and where I hope we’ll suffer a little less as far as the riding characteristics of the bike are concerned.
I’m feeling confident, also because during the recent tests at Jerez we identified a few things that weren’t working with my riding style and we started to understand what I prefer.
So in Assen we’ll have a clearer idea as to how to prepare my bike,” said Badovini.