Capirossi targets podium in Qatar

The Ducati GP7 bike has shown well over long runs and, although it may not have the out-and-out speed required for qualifying, Capirossi is still optimistic of a good showing straight out the box.

"This year is so important for me because I know I don't have too many more seasons in me, maybe one, maybe two, maybe more, I'm not sure," he said looking ahead to the 2007 campaign. "So I am more determined than ever to do my best and the first race is very important.

"It is great that we were able to test at Qatar only a few weeks ago. We made some good preparations during those tests with some good long runs, so I think we are ready to fight for the podium at this race.

"The track is okay for our style of bike and tyres. The big thing you really need for this race is good feeling from the front tyre, so we've had to work very hard on that for Qatar. You also need good agility for all the direction changes - and the GP7 is more agile than last year's GP6."

Capirossi's teammate Casey Stoner is equally upbeat about his prospects.

"I couldn't be happier with the team, everyone gets on great and the bike has got better and better at every track we've been to," said the Australian. "It's looking very competitive and the tyres are looking great as well.

"The tests we did at Qatar last month were very positive, so I'm feeling quite confident going into this race. I've had some good races in the past there, so it could be good for us. We were okay with tyres in the test; we ran a good race pace.

"The only thing with Qatar is the track surface, it can be pretty changeable, one day the track is fast, the next day it can be slow.

"It's not the most exciting track, it's very flat, with not enough camber on the corners, and most of it is average corners flowing together. It can be good for racing though, you normally get a nice little battle up front."