Multi-time (AMA) F1 champion Mike Baldwin used to say that for every good day in racing you'll later be accosted by three or more bad ones. Ducati's MotoGP team enjoyed an unprecedented season in 2007 with Casey Stoner dominating the series and winning the title. By the end of the season Ducati had signed another young and strong rider, Marco Melandri and they were readying for a repeat in 2008.

Q 2007 was a dream season for Ducati's MotoGP team, winning races, winning the title. That kind of performance can be difficult to back up, simply because the season prior was so wonderful. so nearly perfect.

A Last season was so good, now seems to be a difficult season. But I think if we think about only Casey, the situation is not that bad at all. He has been a little bit down on luck. Without bad luck, he would be probably 20, 25 points from Valentino. So still open. In racing, it's like this. You can have an excellent week everything goes perfectly, and another one in which you have some problem. So far we cannot complain about anything with the situation with Casey.

Q Marco came to the team with really high hopes because he was jumping on a motorcycle that's fully capable of winning. I was surprised when he stalled.

A I think everybody was surprised, Marco first of all. The problem is to understand how to help him. Because now is almost eight months that he's riding our bike, and he really never find a good feeling, apart from China where he did a very good job. So it is very difficult to understand why. It is a question of just a lot of expectation, also from his side, and then if the expectation doesn't match with the result, there's a kind of frustration, and then it becomes difficult to do anything. Anyway, it's not easy, for sure, for him.

Q With China being the good result, it's looking less likely that he's going to be able to extract himself from this rut.

A That is what's strange, that once you get a result like that, you expect that you can keep that level and then improve. Unfortunately, after China, at Le Mans he went back to a very difficult moment, and at the moment he doesn't look too comfortable on the bike.

Q Then you've got Gibernau testing the Ducati MotoGP bike, as well. Can you talk about that a little?

A Today we had the first day. There was some rain in the afternoon, so Sete did only four (sessions) this morning and one (session) this afternoon. Of course it's been more than one year that he is not riding a bike, so you cannot expect to see him as fast as a rider that is in activity. But I spoke with him, he's very happy, and the feeling is back again. He told me it looks like this almost two years didn't exist. He spent almost all his life riding a bike, and now he's very happy to be again on a bike. We have two more days testing, and we will see.

Q When he rode for Ducati, his time on your bike was marred by injuries and he was dragged down by that.

A I think that the 2006 season for Sete was really, really unlucky, because since the beginning when he had trouble with the electronic gear shift in Jerez, I think this was a key point of his season, because coming from Honda he broke the engine in the last race in Valencia in 2005, and then first race with Ducati, second in practice, and sure with the potential to fight for the victory in the race, that, by the way, was won by Loris at the time. So sure the bike was good. And unfortunately had this little problem that doesn't allow him to finish the race. So Sete start again thinking bad luck and stuff like that. And then, of course, it's easy to speak when you're outside, when you're on the bike everything must be perfect, and if they start thinking that something is wrong, it doesn't work, simply. So has been really a pity to have this problem in the first race with Sete. But sure he has a good potential. He did the pole in Mugello and he did several good performances, without any good result, but sure, at the time nobody had doubt that the bike was good, and the rider as well.

Q But MotoGP bikes have changed a great deal since Sete last rode.

A The bike has changed, but Sete had the chance to ride the GP7 at the end of 2006 in Motegi. So he already went on the GP 800, and it was impressive, because he was faster than with the 1000. So he liked that bike, and for sure the GP7 [inaudible] with Sete in 2006.

Q With Melandri struggling and Gibernau now testing the bike, it doesn't take a whole lot for the rumor mills to suggest that Sete may replace Marco. Is that possible?

A Every time we do something, looks like there is something behind it. Like the test of Canepa in Barcelona. We are very happy with Niccolò. Niccolò is doing a very good job. Also in Barcelona he was pretty fast, because he was out only a few laps on Monday evening, and had four exits Tuesday afternoon. At the last he was able to be :43.6, which is a reasonably good lap time. So everybody now start asking, "So, will Niccolò replace Marco?" Is not the plan. We have Marco on board. We know the potential of Marco. We need to help him to find the feeling with the bike. Because no doubt about his talent.

Q On a personal level, it's got to be difficult for you, because you've known Melandri for, what, ten years? You've known him since he was a kid. He's a friend of yours.

A Yeah, of course. He's a special rider for me, Marco. I'm so sorry to see him in such a difficult situation. It looks like he has lost a little bit the feeling. He has no feeling with the bike. So of course - the gap you see Tuesday in Barcelona, is not only a technical gap. Is a question of motivation. If you feel the bike is not correct for you, it is difficult. That's why we believe that to have other riders that can perform well on the bike, can help Marco to understand that it is not the bike that is only for Casey. If you look at this situation, if you look at the test with Niccolò and Sete on the right perspective, is something that can help Marco to take away from his mind that this bike is only for Casey.

Q Can we talk about the Nicky Hayden to Ducati rumors?

A With Nicky, if you want, we can talk. We like Nicky. At the moment for 2009, we have a contract with Marco, so we cannot speak with anybody at the moment.

Q So none of it is true?

A No. If you say that Nicky could be potentially interesting for Ducati, that is correct. But at the moment, there's nothing more. Because we have a rider on board. We have two years with him, and the first goal is to try to have Marco happy with the bike.