First pic: Valentino Rossi tests Ducati GP12 with new frame

Valentino Rossi has started evaluating Ducati’s new twin spar aluminium frame at the Valencia circuit in Spain this morning.

The nine-times world champion was one of the first on to the Ricardo Tormo Circuit once wet patches had dried up under blue and sunny skies.

The new chassis is a conventional twin spar aluminium version and has been designed to give Italian Rossi and team-mate Nicky Hayden more front-end feedback, while also curing an understeer issue that hampered the pair last season.

Rossi has set a best time of 1.33.857 so far. Spaniard Dani Pedrosa is currently the fastest rider on track with a 1.32.939 on board Honda’s new RC213V machine.