The old fashioned layout of Mugello makes it one of the favourites for the MotoGP riders. Technical but fast, with a main straight measuring over a kilometre in length and without the stop-and-go sections that break up the rhythm and flow of modern circuits, the Tuscan venue has yet to be mastered by a Ducati Marlboro Team rider despite four podiums and two fourth places out of six visits there in the premier class. With the Desmosedici 800cc machine having crossed the line in third place in 2007 with Alex Barros and second last year with Casey Stoner, there is no reason why the upward trend cannot continue this weekend. The World Championship standings are as close as they could possibly be after four rounds, with the same four protagonists as last year Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi, Stoner and Dani Pedrosa covered by just nine points. Ducati Marlboro Team rider Stoner also has nine points more than he did at the same stage last season. Both Stoner and his team-mate Nicky Hayden will have plenty of support as they fly the factory colours this weekend, cheered on by 3,000 Ducatisti who will once again pack out the Correntaio corner in Ducati red. LIVIO SUPPO, MotoGP Project Director “Mugello is a special race for us. The atmosphere is unique and we have lots of great memories. It will be tough, like always, but I think we can do well as the impressive lap times recorded by Troy and Vitto in the recent test demonstrated. Let’s hope the weather doesn’t play games with us like it has on so many occasions already this year so that we can really prepare well for our home race!” CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team (3rd in the championship on 65 points) “I can’t wait to race again Mugello a circuit where I’ve had good results and some unforgettable moments, such as my first ever pole position in 2003 (125cc) and my first pole for Ducati in 2007, even though we just missed out on the podium in that race. Last year I finished second and considering the progress we’ve made since then, I’m sure we can be fighting for it again this time. It will be a tough race because the level of the competition is so high, as you can see from the championship standings, and all the home riders will be more determined than ever to do well, but I also like Mugello a lot it is one of my favourite circuits. The fans are really passionate and even though they may get behind one rider more than others you can see that in general they have a passion for the sport above anything. Hopefully we can pick up a good result because this is Ducati’s home circuit and that always makes it extra special.” NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Marlboro Team (15th in the championship on 9 points) “It is going to be really nice for me to race at Mugello as a Ducati rider because I can remember from past seasons seeing all the fans dressed in red and cheering on their riders from the grandstand. It is an honour and a privilege for me to now be a part of this team and this tradition. I hope with all my heart that I can be competitive because those fans don’t deserve to see a Ducati at the back. The track is awesome there are maybe a few too many bumps but the layout is incredible and in general it is one of the best GPs of the whole championship. I’d really like to have some better results on the board and be going into the factory’s home race with some more experience under our belts but we are making progress and now I hope we can make a good step on Friday so that we can build on it over the rest of the weekend.” THE TRACK Measuring 5.245km in length, the Mugello circuit is one of the longest on the current MotoGP calendar and it stands out from other fast tracks thanks to the drastic elevation changes and the high-speed chicanes. The main straight, at 1,141km, is also one of the longest on the calendar and it is followed by a blind rise into the tight turn one, San Donato, where the riders’ speed drops from around 320km/h to less than 100. The front straight is the fastest part of the track, with the rest an exciting mixture of fast sweepers, quick direction changes and long ‘parabolica’ corners, without any tight hairpins or stop-and-go sections to break up the flow. It is perhaps because of this that the Tuscan circuit is one of the riders’ favourites. Mugello hosted its first GP in 1976 but did not become a permanent fixture on the calendar until major reconstruction works took place in the early 90s. MUGELLO TRACK RECORDS Circuit Record: Casey Stoner (Ducati – 2008), 1’50.003 – 171.649 Km/h Best Pole: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha – 2008), 1’48.130 174.623 Km/h Circuit Length: 5,245km MotoGP Race 2009: 23 laps (120.635 km) MotoGP Timetable 2009: 14:00 Central Europe Time PODIUM 2008 : 1st Valentino Rossi, 2nd Casey Stoner, 3rd Daniel Pedrosa POLE 2008: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha – 2008), 1’48.130 174.623 Km/h DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM’S BEST RESULTS AT MUGELLO 2008: 2nd (Stoner) 2007: 4th (Stoner) 2006: 2nd (Capirossi) 2005: 3rd (Capirossi) 2004: 4th (Bayliss) 2003: 2nd (Capirossi) DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM RIDER INFO CASEY STONER Age: 22 (Born 16th October 1985 in Southport, Queensland, Australia ) Residency: Switzerland Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP9 GP Appearances: 117 (56xMotoGP, 31×250, 30×125) GP Victories: 24 (17xMotoGP, 5×250, 2×125) First GP victory: Valencia, 2003 (125) First GP: Great Britiain, 2001 (125) Pole positions: 20 (16xMotoGP, 2×250, 2×125) First pole position: Italy, 2003 (125) World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2007) MotoGP track record at Mugello: 2008: Qualified: 4th. Race: 2nd 2007: Qualified: 1st. Race: 4th 2006: Qualified: 9th. Race: DNF NICKY HAYDEN Age: 27 (born 30th July 1981 in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA) Residency: Owensboro, Kentucky, USA Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP9 GP Appearances: 103 (103xMotoGP) First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) Number of victories: 3 (3xMotoGP) First GP victory: USGP, 2005 (MotoGP) Pole positions: 5 (5xMotoGP) First Pole: USGP, 2005 (MotoGP) World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2006) MotoGP track record at Mugello: 2008 Qualified: 6th. Race: 13th 2007: Qualified: 13th. Race: 10th 2006: Qualified: 4th. Race: 3rd 2005: Qualified: 4th. Race: 6th 2004: Qualified: 2nd. Race: DNF 2003: Qualified: 17th. Race: 12th