Can Ducati Win....

[f1manoz]

...in Italy?

Obviously the bike is bloody fast, as pre-season tests and subsequent races have shown. Both Capirossi and Bayliss have been fast everywhere they have gone.

Mugello should be one of the circuits that really suit the bike. It's quick and flowing.

However, like usual, tyres will be a major factor and unfortunately the Ducati is not good with making the tyres survive.

But can either Bayliss or Capirossi change this, make the tyres survive and deliver a home victory for Ducati?

[asha]

I expect the aprilia to go better here then anywhere else.

I think the ducati will have the same tyrewear problem as the other races.

[wreckless]

ducati will only win if barros runs too fast into a corner and punts both himself and rossi off. And i agree with asha, if aprilia cant perform her they never will.

[Rambo]

Give them a chance! If Aprillia can fight on equal terms with the Yamahas and poorer customer Hondas they'll be doing well. I don't see Suzukis or Kawasakis on the podium either!

[Dani Filth]

good point rambo .. this year .. the aprilia are doing better overall .. not only on the straight line ...

[Gerrit]

I disagree. The RS3 is a dead duck. In its second year, McWilliams finished third at Mugello on the RSW500. Harada took it to third in its first year at Donington- not to mention the poles scored with the RSW500.
The RS3 is at a similar stage in its life but has come nowhere near achieving anything even approaching the RSW500's results- nor is it likely to do so, certainly not this year. It isn't even a match for the KR3. And once Team Roberts gets the KR5 sorted, Aprilia can REALLY forget about getting any noteworthy results.
Mugello is Aprilia's test track, but they weren't even close to the leaders. How humiliating for Aprilia to see the Ducati, in its FIRST year, getting far better results......

[Rambo]

Different thing though - the RSW500 was basically a pumped-up 250. It went quickly at Donnington, Philip Island and the Saxonring because they allowed it to play to its strengths - corner speed. The new RS3 is trying to take on Honda and Yamaha on level terms. Totally different thing.

[Gerrit]

The end result is meant to be the same thing- winning; HOW you get the results doesn't really matter. And the RSW wasn't only competitive at those three tracks- Harada also finished 3rd in France in 1999 for instance, and 4th at Mugello and Barcelona. In sum, the RSW was more successful at doing its job in the two seasons that Aprilia raced it than the RS3 has been so far.
There are similarities- first season for both was with one rider, Harada in 1999, Laconi last year. Two riders in the second season, Harada and McWilliams in 2000, Edwards and Haga this year. The competition was just as stiff then- Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki had bikes capable of winning in 1999 and 2000, now the brands capable of winning are Honda, Ducati and Yamaha. The 1999/2000 results at least included several podiums and poles, plus top 5 finishes. To date, the RS3 hasn't gotten close to even a single pole or podium.
Compare that to Ducati's results, basically "trying to take on Honda and Yamaha on level terms." Ducati is doing a much better job. Pity they signed capirossi though- that cost them my support.

[Rambo]

No, what I mean is, it's the equivalent of Porsche running a 3.5L turbo straight-six up against slightly more powerful cars after running a 3.0L car of identical design and thrashing the competition at that level. The 3.5 will be competetive under certain conditions. Then, when that has reached the upper-end of development, they build a totally new car based on a normally aspirated V-10. It's going to take far more development and you wouldn't expect to beat the competition on their own terms straight away, would you?

Ducati have done a fantastic job - they're getting, if anything, *too much* hp out of their engine, spinning-up the wheels and burning the tyres too quickly.

The Aprillia has been disappointing so far but the level of competition - both in terms of riders and bikes - is far higher now than it was in 1999/2000, with the loss of Mick Doohan and consequently Honda dominance.