The Ducati squad prepare for battle at the technical German track this weekend in Sachsenring. It is a circuit where Nicky Hayden and Casey Stoner have taken good results, plus the layout is enjoyable for both racers.

The pair arrive to the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland with full confidence, both keen to improve on their 2010 campaign season. For Hayden, who appeared on the podium four times at Sachsenring through 2004 and 2007, there are many parts of the circuit he appreciates.

“It is a very short lap at Sachsenring and the first part of it is very tight and technical, with probably the slowest run of corners on the whole calendar. Turns 1, 2, 3 and 4 are all in first gear – it’s like a car park!” says Hayden. “The back section is really fast though, with one of the coolest corners in MotoGP, which we call the ‘Waterfall’ – you arrive in fifth gear and nosedive into a blind corner. You have to be decisive there or you can easily lose a few tenths.”

“It is a track I like a lot and on paper it is one of the best on the calendar for me. I really like left-hand corners and this track is full of them, so it is also important that we have dual compound tyres here,” he adds.

Colleague Stoner is also a fan of the layout, where he claimed his first World Championship podium in the 125cc session in 2003 and won in MotoGP in 2008. The 24 year old is also happy with the progress made on his Desmosedici GP10, after back-to-back stage appearances in the prior two rounds.

“We have always had pretty good races at Sachsenring, I got my first-ever podium there and I’m definitely looking forward to it,” he says. “We’re a little more confident with the bike, everything has worked well enough in the last three races and we just need to find a bit more speed – just a few tenths of a second. We have to try a few different things to get some grip without losing the good feeling we have with the bike at the moment.”

On the pre-requisites for the German circuit, Stoner adds, “You definitely need good side grip at Sachsenring because through a lot of those long corners you need to keep the gas open as long as possible. Also when you come over the top at turn 12 the rear gets very light and wants to wriggle around, so you really need some traction over the top there.”

“I’m looking forward to the next race because if we can find a good set-up it can give us the opportunity to do well. I want to put some good results together and both myself and the team will be working hard and giving 100% to get them,” concludes Stoner.