Struggles for Ducati in Spain

From Marlboro Ducati

JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA, SPAIN -- Casey Stoner and Marco Melandri lapped sixth and 15th fastest respectively on the first day of free practice at Jerez de la Frontera in Spain Friday.

Stoner suffered a small crash in the afternoon but he escaped injury and was able to return to action shortly afterwards. However, the incident was a setback to the World Champion's set-up work at a circuit that has proved to be one of the most challenging on the calendar for the Ducati Marlboro Team and his fastest time of the day of 1:40.828 was set in the morning practice when he was a close second.

Melandri remains a long way from the ideal set-up after working with the race setting he found so effective in Qatar, which has proved to be less so at the Spanish circuit.

"We knew before we started that this isn't the best circuit for us and we struggled from the first session this morning to find the ideal setting," Stoner said. "During the first practice we were struggling a lot getting the bike to enter the corner under heavy braking, which we finally fixed this afternoon, but then we started to get a lot more problems in the rear - it was pumping and moving around a lot.

"We really don't know what happened with the crash. There was no reason for it. The front's been a little bit nervous all day but not terrible and I just tipped it into the corner, it started to go and there was no way I could save it".

Melandri's best time was a 1:41.825.