Valentino Rossi: “Some big problems remain.”

Valentino Rossi admitted Ducati still has to make huge improvements to its new GP12 1000cc bike after he made his long-awaited public debut on a new twin spar aluminium chassis in Valencia today.

The nine-times world champion completed 71 laps on the new frame, which Ducati hopes will give Rossi and team-mate Nicky Hayden more front-end feeling.

He set a best time of 1.33.857 to finish 1.671s behind Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa, who topped the opening day of 1000cc testing with a best pace of 1.32.186.

Rossi said: “We need some experience and more data to understand this bike and unfortunately some big problems remain. Today we arrived at one level then could not improve. I still don’t feel very comfortable and we need to do another step.”

Explaining the issues he still has on the GP12, he added: “Our problem is always in the centre of the corner after the entry. I don’t have enough grip from the front to carry enough speed in the corner.

“This remains but we expected it would remain. Also we struggled very much in acceleration because with this amount of horsepower we spin too much. We have to do some modifications to the weight distribution and also electronics.

“This test is important to put the bike on the track and to understand the engine and everything else.  Now we start the important work for next year and try to be ready for February.”

Rossi’s team-mate Hayden was forced to withdraw from the test after discovering he broke two bones in his right wrist when he was involved in a first corner incident during last Sunday’s season finale.