After a tough Grand Prix in the Czech Republic two weeks ago, which saw the return of Toni Elias after a lay-off of just 51 days with a broken left femur and a new injury problem for Marco Melandri, who missed the race after suffering an exposed discal hernia in his neck during practice, the Spaniard and the Italian are ready to tackle what promises to be another special weekend for the team led by Fausto Gresini. Gresini Racing’s headquarters are located in San Clemente, just a few kilometres from the Misano circuit – making this weekend’s GP di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini a second home race of the season for the Italian outfit. TONI ELIAS, boosted by the confidence of his successful return to action at Brno and his well-deserved eleventh place, is looking forward to the Italian race: “Soon after my crash at Assen I set my comeback target for Brno. I worked hard, eight hours a day, and made it back at around 60% fitness. I took the weekend as a kind of test and it was tough but with another two weeks of rehab behind me I feel more confident now. I’ve still got a lot of work to do, of course, but I feel calm. At Brno we received some updates for the chassis, exhaust and engine. Unfortunately, because of my physical condition, I wasn’t able to make the most of them. I’m happy to be racing at Misano, my team’s home circuit. During the week before Brno I had the opportunity to complete a couple of laps there on a street bike to test out my physical condition before tackling the GP in the Czech Republic. It is an interesting circuit but also difficult. On Friday we’ll have an extra hour of practice because the circuit is new to the calendar. I’m just disappointed I won’t be at full fitness because I’d like to pay my team back with a top result. All the guys in the garage, my chief engineer Fabrizio Cecchini included, live close to the track and they’re looking forward to this race.” MARCO MELANDRI: “The medical checks after Brno confirmed a discal hernia between the fifth and sixth vertebrae but luckily the need for surgery was ruled out. I need more rest and physiotherapy right up until the eve of the Grand Prix. The situation is better compared to Brno but I know I am running out of time. I just hope to be in good shape for the race because this is a special Grand Prix for my team. As a circuit Misano has changed a lot from the one we knew: there are some new sections and they are running it in the opposite direction so it’s like a completely new track. The best place to overtake? Under braking at Quercia! It won’t be easy to pass though because there are at least four first gear corners. For me it will be a physically challenging race after the problems I had at Brno. I’ll have to see how it is when I get on the bike on Friday but I’m hoping to be fit. To have a second race in Italy as well as the traditional race at Mugello is a privilege for the Italian riders. Racing in front of our fans is an incredible feeling!” ANOTHER HOME RACE: The MotoGP World Championship returns to Misano after a 14-year hiatus this weekend for the second race of season on Italian soil. For Fausto Gresini’s staff, Misano is as close to a home Grand Prix as they could possibly get, with the Gresini Racing headquarters located just three kilometres away in San Clemente. The Honda Gresini Team’s nerve centre is the epitome of functionality: an area measuring 1,100m², doted with the very latest in motorcycle preparation technology and logistic organisation. Fabrizio Cecchini, who has worked with Fausto Gresini since 1997, when the team was born, is responsible for the technical side of things and oversees the work done to ensure all the preparations are made for a season competing at the highest level. The heart of the racing division lies in two rooms dedicated to bike maintenance and tuning, which are joined on to an engine room. This is also home to the first engine ever used by Team Gresini: Alex Barros’ twin cylinder Honda 500 from 1997. There is also a cleaning room with a bath, where each part of the bike is washed and comes back as new. Team Gresini also has its own facilities to create the interior structure of the pit box. Each year, at the end of the season, plans are made for a new box structure that must improve that of the previous year in terms of both functionality and elegance. There is even a graphic design office, where the bike’s stickers are drawn up. All the material, spare parts and long-haul transporter boxes are stored in a huge warehouse. On the first floor there is a storeroom for the team’s uniform and merchandise. Outside there is a motocross track, where the riders can train on one of the team’s two supermoto bikes.