Nearly three weeks after the misfortune of Le Mans, culminating in separate crashes by riders Randy De Puniet and Loris Capirossi, the Pramac Racing Team is ready to turn around a season that hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts. The MotoGP tour heads to Montmelò for the fifth round of the series, on one of its best-designed tracks. In 2001, Circuito de Catalunya received the Best Grand Prix trophy, a prestigious annual award given by IRTA. The venue can hold as many as 104,000 spectators. It’s a favorite track for both Pramac Racing Team riders, and is the circuit where Loris Capirossi achieved his first podium finish as a Ducati rider, in 2003. That same season, Randy De Puniet won the 250cc race, and he backed it up the following year, again aboard an Aprilia. The team hopes to make progress with the setup of the bike in Spain, and to have a positive weekend. Fabiano Sterlacchini Pramac Racing Technical Director “We hope that Barcelona will be a redemption race for us. Both riders have always been very strong at this track. The long straightaway could certainly give all the Ducatis a hard time, as the Hondas are much stronger in such situations. We can do well if we manage the tyres. Loris seems very motivated, and he’s really looking forward to getting back on the track. Ducati has been working hard in recent days, and we’re making a bike that works well for us. If we had managed it better, we could have obtained some good results. I know what our riders can do, and we’re confident.” Loris Capirossi Pramac Racing Team Rider “I’m really motivated. I took a break and recovered the energy lost during my therapy after Jerez. I want to get back on my Ducati and show that we can do a good job. I love the Barcelona track, as it’s where I got my first podium during my previous stint aboard a Ducati. We have to be clever and study every little detail, and I hope that we’ll also have some good luck.” Randy De Puniet Pramac Racing Team Rider “I finally put aside the ill-fated race at Le Mans, and I’m ready for Barcelona. I’m pretty well physically, and I hope that the bike is as well. : I’m hopeful that we’ve made some improvements with the bike’s electronics, and I can’t wait to get back on the track. I like this circuit, even though the straight could be a little difficult for us. The important thing is to do well in practice and try to have a good race on Sunday”.