Ducati aim to continue Brno streak

The Italian manufacturer has won the last two Czech Grands Prix with Loris Capirossi in 2006 and Casey Stoner in 2007, and Ducati Marlboro team boss Livio Suppo is hoping to continue the streak.

"Brno has always been a track where our bike has been very much at home," he said. "We have taken victory in the last two seasons, but the track has been resurfaced and that creates something of an unknown for all of us.

"We just hope the grip is as good as it was last year and that the weather is stable over the three days so that we can prepare properly for the race."

Ducati's Marco Melandri is hoping to make the most of the relaid surface to score the result he was hoping for when he was much more competitive at Laguna Seca three weeks ago than he'd been throughout much of the season.

"The relaid track will be a new factor for everybody, but I hope we can continue to work as in Germany and America but this time finish it off with a result in the race," he said. "The track is definitely suited to our bike, so expectations are high."