Alstare Ducati's Carlos Checa has identified that the base setup he found with the Panigale during testing in Italy should translate well to this weekend's Moscow round and also hopes his shoulder injury is a thing of the past.

Including the Imola round and test, plus three days' riding at Misano in the same week, Checa covered 1400kms on the bike and his shoulder held up well, so he is confident it won't be a problem in Russia.

“During testing in Misano I was comfortable with the bike and now I hope that the base we identified there is a real base that we can use not only in Moscow but at other tracks too. Physically I feel good, and am working hard in the gym with my trainer," said Checa.

"The positive thing is that, despite completing 1400km between Imola and Misano, my shoulder didn’t give me any problems and so I’m pleased from that point of view. The Moscow Raceway is a unique track, small and tight, and power counts a lot on what is a long, uphill straight.

"Once there we need to work on the chassis, grip and manageability of the bike through the mixed sections of the track. I hope we can refine the set-up of my 1199 using our current base as a starting point and work well in preparation for the races.”