Ducati's World Superbike Champion Carlos Checa will reacquaint himself with MotoGP machinery this week after being tapped by the manufacturer to ride its 2012 machine.
The Spaniard will be present at his home circuit of Jerez to sample the 1000cc bike alongside Ducati's test rider Franco Battiani in place of Valentino Rossi, who is engaged with the Monza Rally show this week, and Nicky Hayden, who is recovering from wrist surgery.
This will be Checa's first outing on a MotoGP bike since he deputised for Mika Kallio on the Pramac GP10 in the final two rounds of the 2010 MotoGP World Championship season.
Since then, Checa has gone on to dominate the 2011 World Superbike Championship aboard the Althea Ducati, winning 15 races to seal his first international title and the manufacturer's first Superbike crown since 2008.
source: crash
