Ducati Team line up for GP of Japan with Hector Barbera alongside Andrea Dovizioso at Motegi

The Ducati Team has arrived at Motegi for the Grand Prix of Japan, the fifteenth round of the 2016 MotoGP World Championship and the first of three challenging end-of-season overseas races that will continue over the next two weekends in Australia and in Malaysia.

The Italian squad will be lining up at Motegi with two riders, but this time Andrea Dovizioso will have as his team-mate Hector Barbera from Spain, who takes part in the world championship with Avintia Racing. Thanks to the Spanish team, the rider from Valencia replaces Andrea Iannone for this race and will now be able to get some valuable track time with the same Desmosedici GP that he will race next season.

The Twin Ring Motegi circuit, the venue for a round of the premier category in Japan since 1999, has a very unusual layout, with a series of long straights followed by tight corners that are a tough test for braking and acceleration performance. In the past Motegi has proved to be a favourable circuit for the Ducati Team, which has scored some great results here: in particular four wins by Loris Capirossi and Casey Stoner, who clinched his first world title with Ducati in 2007.

Andrea Dovizioso likes the Japanese circuit a lot, and he has stepped onto the podium in all three categories, winning the 125 race in 2004, and setting two of his four career pole positions at Motegi. Last year the Italian qualified fourth with his GP15 and finished the race in fifth place.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 7th (104 points)

“Motegi is one of my favourite tracks because you brake very hard and even though we were unable to express all of our potential at the last round in Aragón, I think that this year we can be very competitive. In any case I start the weekend confident because here I have always scored quite good results in MotoGP, picking up two poles in 2010 and 2014.”

Hector Barbera (Ducati Team #8) – 10th (84 points)

“I am very excited, because it is incredible to be a part of the factory team, even though it’s only for one race. I really want to do well, and Motegi is a ‘stop-and-go’ track that adapts well to the Desmosedici GP, which has a lot of power. I am ready to capitalize on this occasion and do a good race, and I want to thank Ducati and Avintia Racing for giving me this opportunity.”

The Twin Ring Motegi

Located in a mountainous area, the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Japan consists of a 2.5 km banked oval and a classic 4.8 km road course built to international standards. Constructed by Honda as a test facility in August 1997, the road circuit became home to MotoGP in 1999. Twin Ring Motegi, which is around 100 km from Tokyo’s Narita airport and 30 km from Mito, is the venue for the Honda Museum, as well as a safety and riding school, dirt-track and go-kart tracks, a hotel, a restaurant, shops and event halls.

Fastest Lap: Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1’43.790 (166.5 km/h) – 2015

Circuit Record: Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1’45.350 (164.0 km/h) – 2014

Best Pole: Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1’43.790 (166.5 km/h) – 2015

Top Speed: Iannone (Ducati), 314.3 km/h – 2015

Track Length: 4.8 km

Race Distance: 24 laps (115.2 km)

Corners: 14 (6 left, 8 right)

Race Start: 07.00 (14.00 CET)

2015 Results

Podium: 1st Pedrosa (Honda), 2nd Rossi (Yamaha), 3rd Lorenzo (Yamaha)

Pole Position: Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1’43.790 (166.524 km/h)

Fastest Lap: Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1’54.867 (150.466 km/h)

Andrea Dovizioso

Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP

Race Number: 04

Age: 30 (born on March 23rd 1986 in Forlimpopoli, Italy)

Residence: Forlì (Italy)

Races: 254 (156 x MotoGP, 49 x 250cc, 49 x 125cc)

First GP: 2001 Italian GP (125cc)

Wins: 10 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)

First Win: 2004 South African GP (125cc)

Pole Positions: 16 (3 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 9 x 125cc)

First Pole: 2003 French GP (125cc)

Titles: 1 (1 x 125cc)

Hector Barbera

Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP

Race Number: 8

Age: 29 (born on November 2nd 1986 in Dos Aguas, Spain)

Residence: Andorra

Races: 239 (117 x MotoGP, 75 x 250cc, 47 x 125cc)

First GP: 2002 GP of Japan (125cc)

Wins: 10 (4 x 250cc, 6 x 125cc)

First Win: 2003 British GP (125cc)

Pole Positions: 9 (8 x 250cc, 1 x 125cc)

First Pole: 2004 Brazilian GP (125cc)

More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:

Avintia Racing rider Hector Barbera joins Ducati Team at Motegi

Avintia Racing rider Hector Barbera will switch from blue to red this weekend at Motegi. From tomorrow on, he is going to ride injured Andrea Iannone’s Ducati Team Desmosedici GP. Riding the official version of his own successful Desmosedici 14.2. is a big chance for the Spaniard and also a reward for his great season so far with Avintia Racing. At the same time, this race weekend is a welcome opportunity to test and familiarize himself with the bike he will be riding next season for Avintia.

In Avintia Racing, Barbera will be replaced with Australian Mike Jones, who will give his debut in the MotoGP class in Japan. Jones is Australian Superbike Champion 2015 and finished fifth overall this season riding for Desmo Sport Ducati Team, the structure of the former Australian World Superbike champion and MotoGP winner Troy Bayliss.

Hector Barbera

“I’m really happy. I have been waiting for this opportunity for many years and finally my dream comes true this weekend. First of all I want to say big thanks to Avintia for allowing me to join the factory team, because without their support and all the sponsors behind the team this wouldn’t be possible. Right now I feel excited, motivated and eager to get the best possible result. But until I jump on the bike tomorrow, I keep scratching myself because it’s so hard to believe. Today I did interviews and this kind of the things like a factory rider, but I still feel like a child on Christmas day and it takes time to realise that it is the reality and not only a dream. I’m sure this will be a special weekend and I will do everything in my power to justify Ducati’s faith in me with a good result”.