Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Leads Championship Heading to Italian Grand Prix

After a perfect weekend at Le Mans, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo prepare to go all out at Mugello for the Italian Grand Prix.

Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 27th May 2015

After a very successful weekend at Le Mans, where they scored the first Yamaha 1-2 of the season, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo head to ‘Autodromo del Mugello’ for Sunday‘s Gran Premio d’Italia in the flowing hills of Tuscany.

This weekend‘s race isn‘t just special for local hero Rossi, as it marks his first home Grand Prix of the season, but also for the team itself, which is based in Gerno di Lesmo.

The nine-time World Champion looks forward to putting on a show for the Italian crowd. Having secured a place on the podium at every round the MotoGP paddock has visited so far this season, he has once again established that he should never be ruled out come race day. He will aim to keep his podium streak going by adding another top result to his previous record of seven back-to-back premier class victories at Mugello from 2002 to 2008, two third places in 2009 and 2014, a 250cc win in 1999, and a 125cc win in 1997.

Lorenzo is also eager to get back aboard his YZR-M1. He impressed with his blistering pace at Jerez and Le Mans and is determined to keep the momentum going at the Italian track, where he fought a sensational battle with Marquez last year. The four-time World Champion has a six-consecutive podium run at Mugello in the premier class to his name, consisting of three wins in 2011, 2012, and 2013 and three second places in 2009, 2010, 2014. The challenging circuit also saw him take a first place in the 250cc class in 2006 and a 250cc second place in 2005.

The action at the winding 5245 metre circuit will kick off this Friday. Located 30km North-East of Florence, the GP at this historic track is a popular event, drawing thousands of enthusiastic spectators. Though Mugello is challenging, it is also a much beloved circuit amongst riders and engineers thanks to its mixture of fast and slow turns, a 1141 m longest straight and various uphill and downhill sections. Having hosted its first MotoGP event back in 1976, the track was bought by Ferrari in 1988 before becoming a permanent fixture in 1991 after extensive refurbishment. Set within beautiful countryside of Tuscany, the circuit offers great views, so the crowd can fully enjoy the action as they cheer on their favorite riders and teams.

VALENTINO ROSSI

Arriving at Mugello as the leader in the championship and being in a great shape is perfect. We are fast from the start of the season and this is important. I really like the Mugello circuit, the Italian Grand Prix is always a nice weekend, but also Jorge loves this track. Jorge and I will try to put our Yamaha‘s on top again, but this time I hope it will be in a reverse order! In Le Mans I struggled a bit, but I still managed to take second. At Mugello we must not make mistakes with the setup of the bike, starting from the free practices. We will work hard from the first day to make this a nice weekend. There will be so many people in Mugello. We will have even more fans visiting the track already on Saturday. It will be a great race!

JORGE LORENZO

Le Mans was a confirmation that I‘m feeling stronger and that I‘m in a great shape. Claiming a second victory in a row was very important to me and the team in order to know for certain that Jerez wasn‘t a one-time event. In Le Mans we got the pace and the rhythm to achieve another win. The YZR-M1 is a nice bike to ride and permits me to ride in the manner I like. In Le Mans we were able to do a perfect job during the whole weekend, as in Jerez, and now we look forward to racing again in Mugello. The track is maybe one of my favorites throughout the MotoGP calendar so I‘m eager to race there. In the past I got so many wins in Mugello and it‘s a suitable circuit for both me and the YZR-M1. It‘s fluid, with many uphill and downhill sectors and amazing, long high-speed corners such as Arrabbiata 1 and 2. I will try to fight again for the podium here and keep this nice momentum going!

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

Mugello is our first home race of the season and personally I find it one of the nicest circuits of the championship and it‘s located in a beautiful area. In the past our bike suited the track very well. Now that our riders are on top form, that makes the coming weekend even more exciting. It‘s really important to start working in the right direction from the first session, so we can prepare for the race in the best way possible, because I expect a really tough race. Let‘s make it another great race to remember in front of the Italian fans!