Former Ducati and Honda MotoGP rider Sete Gibernau has been asked to test the new Desmosedici at Mugello next week.

The Spanish rider expressed his desire to get back on track during a brief visit to the Catalunya paddock last weekend, and offered the Ducati MotoGP Test Team a welcome opportunity to intensify its development program.

As a result, Gibernau, who knows the D16 very well, and was one of the first to test the GP7 in Motegi in September 2006, will join official test rider Vittoriano Guareschi next week.

This initiative will allow the team to gather important data during a period when official GP riders will not have the possibility to test due to the busy racing calendar.

"I'm honoured by this possibility that Ducati has given me," said Gibernau. I'm very excited and in perfect shape, even if it has been a while since I have been on a GP bike. It is just a test but I willl give my absolute maximum. I can't wait to enjoy once again the feeling of bringing a MotoGP machine to its limit.

Ducati Corse director Filippo Prezioso said: We were happy to see Sete so excited at the possibility of riding a MotoGP bike again, and it was this enthusiasm that led to the possibility of organising this test together. he tests we carried out with the GP9 in Catalunya earlier this week gave good feedback and, by having Sete and Vito testing alongside each other, we will be able to carry out a wide range of more intensive tests with our GP8 and GP9 machines."