The Ducati Marlboro Team is preparing itself for one of the most popular events of the season for the teams, riders and fans this weekend, as the Grand Prix of Italy takes place at the Mugello circuit, located less than 90 kilometres from the factory’s headquarters in Borgo Panigale. As has become tradition the factory’s red army of fans will again gather in the Ducati grandstand at the Correntaio corner for both qualifying and the race, with 3,000 of them giving their passionate support to both Casey Stoner and Marco Melandri. Casey and Marco are both up for the challenge and are huge fans of the fast and technical circuit themselves, having both claimed podium finishes there in the smaller Grand Prix classes. Melandri took 250cc victory in 2002, having finished second in the 125cc race in ’98 and ’99, whilst Stoner took his maiden career pole in the 125cc class in 2003. He also finished second in the 250cc race in 2004 and just missed out on a MotoGP podium last season to fellow Ducati rider Alex Barros. GABRIELE DEL TORCHIO, CEO Ducati Motor Holding “Our home race at Mugello is upon us. It is always a very important occasion that traditionally brings together the Ducatisti and, as always, it will be a great party. We’re expecting to have a Ducati grandstand that is even redder and more passionate than ever! We will be supporting our riders and we will show that the spirit that drives Ducati Corse is the same as ever – one of fighting without ever giving up, even in times of adversity. In my opinion this spirit was perfectly demonstrated by our riders at Le Mans – by Casey pushing his bike back to the pits in an attempt to rejoin the race and Marco, who refused to throw the towel in after a problem at the start and ended up bringing a point home. The championship still has a long way to go and we’re just as aware of the strength of our rivals as we are of our own ability to fight for victory.” CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team “Whenever anybody asks me which is my favourite track, other than my home track of Phillip Island, Mugello immediately springs to mind. It is a true racetrack – fast, technical and demanding because it requires a precise line otherwise you can lose a lot of time. Last year we missed the podium by a little bit but the race was still important because we learnt some things about the bike that helped us be competitive at the races that followed. This year we arrive on the back of a tough race, where we had a problem that prevented us from scoring a podium, but on the whole it was a positive weekend because we had a fast and consistent pace going during practice. Hopefully we can manage to be just as fast at Mugello but have a good race too – for the fans, who always create such a special atmosphere in Italy, but mainly for everybody at Ducati and the guys in the team, who are working so hard and deserve a top result.” MARCO MELANDRI, Ducati Marlboro Team “I don’t think there are many tracks in the world that are as beautiful as Mugello and I’m sure the majority of riders would agree with me. It’s not just about the atmosphere and the fans, even though it is exciting to feel their presence and to see the grandstands packed out – as I’m sure the Ducati one will be. The track is enjoyable but demanding at the same time, with a long straight that isn’t perfectly straight! That makes it difficult, then you have a mixture of slow and fast corners, with fast changes of direction – you know when you are on a good lap. You have to be quick through the chicane and make sure you have good feeling with the front in order to be fast and aggressive. It is a circuit the Ducati technicians know well and where I hope we can have the chance to have a good race. I’d really like to do well in front of my home fans” THE TRACK At 5,245km, Mugello is one of the longest circuits on the current MotoGP calendar. It is distinguishable from other fast tracks because of its frequent changes in elevation and the speed of its two chicanes. Measuring some 1141m, the main straight is also one of the longest in the world and at the end of it the riders go from full throttle to full brakes as they drop from around 320km/h to around 100km/h in order to tackle the tight first turn. The rest of the track is an exciting mix of fast corners, quick direction changes and long bends that make tyre choice absolutely crucial. Mugello held its first GP in 1976 but only became a regular on the calendar after modernisation work in 1990. RECORDS Circuit Record: Max Biaggi (Honda – 2005) 1’50. 117- 171.472 km/h Best Pole: Sete Gibernau (Ducati – 2006) 1’48.969- 173.279 km/h Circuit Length: 5,245 km. MotoGP 2008 Race: 23 laps (120.635km) MotoGP 2008 Schedule: 14:00 CET DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM – RIDER INFO CASEY STONER Age: 22 (16th October 1985) Residence: Montecarlo Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP8 GP Appearances: 100 (39xMotoGP, 31×250, 30×125) GP Victories: 18 (11xMotoGP, 5×250, 2×125) First GP Victory: Valencia, 2003 (125) First GP: England, 2001 (125) Pole positions: 10 (6xMotoGP, 2×250, 2×125) First pole position: Italy, 2003 (125) World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2007) MotoGP track record at Mugello: 2007: Grid: 1st; Race: 4th 2006: Grid: 9th; Race: DNF MARCO MELANDRI Age: 25 (7th August 1982 in Ravenna, Italy) Residence: Derby, UK Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP8 GP Appearances: 160 (84xMotoGP, 47×250, 29 x 125) GP Victories: 22 (5xMotoGP, 10×250, 7×125) First GP Victory: Holland, 1998 (125) First GP: Czech Republic, 1997 (125) Pole positions: 9 (6×250, 3×125) First pole position: Germany, 1998 (125) World Titles: 1 (250, 2002) MotoGP track record at Mugello: 2007: Grid: 6th; Race: 9th 2006: Grid: 6th; Race: 6th 2005: Grid: 7th; Race: 4th 2004: Grid: 5th; Race: 9th 2003: Grid: 12th; Race: 11th