With exactly one third of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship completed, the Ducati Team is about to tackle the seventh round of the season this weekend in Spain, at the Montmeló circuit on the outskirts of Barcelona. A long straight and numerous corners with good overtaking points make the Catalan circuit one of the most spectacular on the calendar and the Catalan GP always attracts massive crowds year after year.

Last year’s edition saw Andrea Dovizioso start from seventh on the grid, and finish eighth in the race. In any case the Montmelò track, where he won in 250cc in 2006, is one of the Forlì rider’s favourites. His team-mate Andrea Iannone on the other hand, started from eleventh on the grid with his Pramac Racing GP14 and finished in ninth. Both riders will be trying to continue the Ducati Team’s run of positive results, which has so far extended to six podiums in the first six rounds of the season.

The Catalan GP weekend gets underway on Friday morning with the first session of free practice at 09.55 CET, while the 25-lap race is scheduled for Sunday at 14.00 CET.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 3rd (83 points)

“At Montmelò we want to confirm the speed we had at Mugello, and I think that the Desmosedici GP15 can also be competitive at Barcelona. All of our disappointment over what happened at Mugello has been channelled into the determination and desire to get a good result there. I really like this circuit, it’s one of the best in the calendar and I can’t wait to make up for the last race. At Mugello we lost a lot of points in the championship, but we must think positively and I believe that at Barcelona we can fight for the podium once again”.

Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 4th (81 points)

“It’s a good moment for me and I am very happy to return to the track and do the next race. Barcelona is a great track and I’ve won races there in the past, once in Moto2 and once in 125cc. This week I managed to train a bit better and my shoulder is a bit better, still not 100% but it’s OK. Despite my physical difficulties, the Mugello weekend was fantastic, so we’ll try and do our best also at Montmelò”.

The Barcelona-Catalunya circuit

In 1989, through the joint collaboration of the Catalan Autonomous Government, the Montmeló Town Council and the Royal Automobile Club of Catalunya (RACC), work began on building a state-of-the-art race track for one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Located twenty or so kilometres north of Barcelona, the circuit opened for business in September 1991 and welcomed its first international event that same month with the Spanish F1 Grand Prix. It went on to host the European Motorcycle Grand Prix and in 1995 became home to the Gran Premio de Catalunya. Considered to be one of the best circuits of the recent era, the Circuito de Catalunya can accommodate over 100,000 spectators.