Cardion AB team launched in Prague

In a pale comparison to the unveiling of the factory Ducati team, Karel Abraham and the Cardion AB squad launched their privateer colours in Prague.

The MotoGP rookie lines up on the grid with the sixth of the Desmosedici GP11 fleet, speaking at the launch Abraham targeted the next testing session to reveal the first indication of how competitive he will perform this year. Commenting on his first experience on a MotoGP bike, Abraham said: "The bike is much more difficult to control and requires perfect physical fitness."

"Karel proved that he is a very fast rider," said crew chief Marco Grana, "He has a huge potential to do well right from the start of the season. Next year there will be a lot of fast riders in the premier class so it is clear that the competition will be huge. But in Valencia we showed what we are able to do." Abraham clocked a lap three seconds slower than the fastest rider, Jorge Lorenzo, but gained time on the second day finishing 1.7 seconds behind the 2010 MotoGP Champion.

With the inclusion of Abraham in the 2011 grid it marks the first Czech rider to compete in the premier class, which will see the Valencia Moto2 winner facing off against Cal Crutchlow for the Rookie of the Year honours.

After seeing the colourscheme of the factory outfit, how does the Cardion AB privateer team compare?