REPSOL HONDA TEAM HEADS FOR MAJESTIC MUGELLO The 2010 MotoGP World Championship resumes this weekend with one of the classic races on the calendar as the stunning Mugello circuit hosts the Grand Prix of Italy. Repsol Honda riders Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa arrive at the fast and sinuous circuit looking to build on their solid starts to the season, and each is determined to take away the best possible result as MotoGP enters its busiest phase of the summer. For Dovizioso this will be a special race – being at his home circuit – and he arrives at Mugello on a high after scoring a hard-fought podium finish at the last race in France just over a week ago. The 24-year-old, who was born in Forli just 95km away from Mugello, knows what it feels like to lead the Italian Grand Prix on a Honda RC212V. In last year’s rain-affected race, Dovizioso made use of his peerless ability in mixed conditions to head the field for seven laps, eventually finishing fourth, just 0.053s from the podium and only 2.129s behind the winner. Dovizioso lies third in the 2010 World Championship with two podium finishes to his name from the first three races, and he’ll be hoping the partisan crowd can spur him on to even greater things this weekend. His team-mate Pedrosa will be determined that all the pieces of the jigsaw fall into place this weekend and he can fulfill the race-winning potential he has shown since the second round of this year’s championship. The 24-year-old Spaniard and his ever-improving RC212V have increasingly displayed the speed required to run at the front and challenge the leaders – as his near-win in Jerez and his competitive first half of the last race at Le Mans displayed. Pedrosa won the 250cc race at Mugello in 2005 and has two MotoGP podiums to his name at the spectacular venue. Moreover, in practice for last year’s Italian Grand Prix, Pedrosa set a new outright MotoGP top speed record of 349.3km/h (216.9mph) on his RC212V. He’ll be hoping that kind of incredible pace can fire him to the top step of the podium this year. As well as boasting a long, fast straight Mugello is known as an elegant, flowing circuit with quick, undulating turns which challenge the skill and bravery of even the world’s best riders. Add to that the carnival atmosphere that builds in intensity and volume from Friday to Sunday and the result is a fantastic event in terms of pure racing and sheer spectacle. With six MotoGP races over the next eight weekends, the Repsol Honda Team is looking to start its busy summer with a strong showing at the Italian classic. The Grand Prix of Italy begins on Friday with an hour of free practice, following by a further practice period on Saturday morning and qualifying in the afternoon. The 23-lap MotoGP race – round four of the World Championship – takes place on Sunday at 14.00 (CET +2 hours). ANDREA DOVIZIOSO World Championship position 3rd 42 points “We’re arriving at Mugello in a good situation. Two weeks ago at Le Mans I was able to ride fast, we had a good race and I ended up with a great podium finish – plus we were quite close to the two Yamahas. I think that if I had been able to qualify further forward, we could have got an even better result. So that result has set us up well for Mugello which is a very special track for me. The circuit is really fascinating to ride – it’s so challenging and demanding to get right and this is what makes it so appealing. Plus the support of the Italian fans is incredible. I like everything here: the people, the circuit, Tuscany, Firenze, the food”¦ I really look forward to racing at Mugello. It’s also a special appointment also for my fans gathered at the Casanova Savelli turns, so I’ll do everything I can to put on a good show for them this weekend.” DANI PEDROSA World Championship position 4th 40 points “Mugello is one of the circuits you always look forward to because the atmosphere is incredible. It’s very similar to Spain, people are very passionate, the viewing areas are normally full from the first day of practice and it helps you to get quickly in the mood for the Grand Prix. We will have to work hard this weekend, for sure, but we are very motivated to improve on the final result we got in France. We are working well with the team, adapting the bike to get the best package possible for each track, and we need to get it absolutely right for the race. I hope we can do that in Italy. This season we go there in much better shape than last year and that’s important because Mugello is a physically demanding track to ride, especially in the fast direction changes. The strategy for the weekend is simply to be totally focused and get the maximum out of every session.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: MotoGP and Moto2 preview Italian Grand Prix, Mugello June 4/5/6 2010 HONDA’S ITALIAN MotoGP TRIO ALL SET FOR BIG WEEKEND This weekend MotoGP looks forward to one of its all-time greatest events the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello. The fourth round of the 2010 MotoGP and Moto2 World Championships is hugely popular with everyone: riders, teams and spectators. Mugello has got it all: a superb high-speed circuit nestling in a beautiful Tuscan valley, the hillsides thronged with some of the world’s noisiest, most enthusiastic race fans. And outside you’ll find some of the world’s best restaurants, and only 35 kilometres miles away is Florence, cradle of the Renaissance. The MotoGP circus always gets an extra special welcome in Italy because five of the best riders on the grid are Italian, three of whom ride Honda machinery: Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V), Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) and Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V). Dovizioso goes into his home Grand Prix in perfect shape, fresh from a brilliant podium result at the French GP, his second top-three finish from the first three GPs. In last year’s wet-and-dry race at Mugello, the former 125 World Champion finished less than a tenth of a second off the podium, following an entertaining duel with reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha). Dovizioso has only climbed the podium once at his home GP, when he finished third in the 2006 250 GP, aboard a Honda RS250RW. Dovizioso’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) had a 2009 Italian GP he would rather forget, a heavy race tumble leaving the Spaniard battered and bruised. However, Pedrosa has excelled at Mugello, winning the 250 GP at the track in 2005 and achieving top-three MotoGP results in 2007 and 2008. Top privateer Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V) aims to continue his impressive and super-consistent start to the 2010 MotoGP season with another strong ride. Sixth at the Qatar season opener and seventh at Le Mans two weeks ago, de Puniet has an extra reason to do well at Mugello team owner Lucio Cecchinello is an Italian, and himself a former Italian GP winner. Cecchinello won the 2003 125 race at Mugello, beating a certain Dani Pedrosa by seven tenths of a second! Dovizioso was fourth in that race, just another tenth of a second behind! Italian star Melandri is currently riding a strong curve of improvement, having scored his best result of the season so far at Le Mans. The former 250 World Champion finished sixth at Le Mans, using Showa suspension for the first time this year. Melandri has good form at Mugello he won the 2002 Italian 250 GP and has two other podium results in the minor classes but has yet to make the top three in the elite category. Team-mate Simoncelli has also enjoyed success at Mugello, in the 250 class. The hard-riding MotoGP rookie won the 2008 250 GP at the track, on his way to that year’s world title, and finished second last May after a tough battle with Alvaro Bautista, another 2010 MotoGP rookie. Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V) is another continuing his MotoGP apprenticeship at Mugello. The last-ever 250 World Champion knows that the complex nature of the Italian track will pose him his biggest challenge so far on a MotoGP bike. Mugello is the kind of venue that rewards experience, so Aoyama and his fellow MotoGP beginners have a challenging weekend ahead of them. The new Moto2 World Championship is sure to provide plenty more nail-biting action at Mugello the fastest track the new Honda CBR600-powered class has visited so far. The first three races of the inaugural championship have already given it a reputation for thrills and spills, with 41 riders fighting for every one hundredth of a second. At Le Mans two weeks ago Moto2 made history, with the closest grid in more than six decades of Grand Prix competition. At the end of qualifying just 0.969 seconds covered the top 27 riders! Toni Elias (Gresini Racing Moto2, Moriwaki) is currently the man on form, with two wins from the last two races giving him the points lead. Now one of an elite group of riders who have won Grand Prix victories in four classes, Elias (who has won GPs on 125s, 250s, MotoGP bikes and now on a MotoGP machine) would dearly love to make it a Moto2 hat-trick at Mugello for his Italian team boss Fausto Gresini. Qatar Moto2 winner Shoya Tomizawa (Technomag-CIP, Suter) was one of several fallers at Le Mans but still lies second on points. The Japanese struggled to produce his usual qualifying pace in France and ended up 15th on the grid, which got him caught up in the pack once the race started. Italian Simone Corsi (Jir Moto2, Motobi) scored his first Moto2 podium in France and will be out to repeat that performance on home tarmac. Italy’s second best-placed Moto2 man is Roberto Rolfo (Italtrans S.T.R, Suter), currently ninth on points. The 30-year-old has Mugello podium form he took second in the 2001 Italian 250 GP. Last year’s Mugello 250 winner Mattia Pasini (Jir Moto2, Motobi) is 14th on points in the Moto2 series, with two non-scores from the last two races. Mugello is the kind of fast, flowing track that really allows MotoGP bikes to unleash their awesome horsepower. The circuit is as popular with riders as it is with fans and is also reckoned to be one of the most challenging, with a thrilling blend of fast and slow turns, rapid direction changes, plentiful off-camber corners and an ultra-rapid main straight. Mugello’s complexities are further heightened by a bumpy surface, which, combined with numerous adverse-camber corners, makes front-tyre choice particularly crucial. Honda has enjoyed great premier-class success at Mugello, first with the NSR500 two-stroke, then with the RCV four-stroke. Honda’s Mugello NSR winners are Freddie Spencer (1985), Mick Doohan (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998), Loris Capirossi (2000) and Alex Barros (2001). Valentino Rossi won the 2002 and 2003 races on his RC211V. The Mugello event has become one of the most popular GPs since it joined the calendar full-time in 1991, first as the San Marino round and then as the Italian GP. The circuit hosted its first bike GP in 1976 but only became a regular venue after total refurbishment in the early 1990s. After Mugello the MotoGP World Championship has one weekend off before going into a frantic run of three races on consecutive weekends: the British GP on June 20, the Dutch TT on June 26 and the Catalan GP on July 4. HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso says: “We’re arriving at Mugello in a good situation. Two weeks ago at Le Mans I was able to ride fast, we had a good race and I ended up with a great podium finish plus we were quite close to the two Yamahas. I think that if I had been able to qualify further forward, we could have got an even better result. So that result has set us up well for Mugello which is a very special track for me. The circuit is really fascinating to ride – it’s so challenging and demanding to get right and this is what makes it so appealing. Plus the support of the Italian fans is incredible. I like everything here: the people, the circuit, Tuscany, Firenze, the food”¦ I really look forward to racing at Mugello. It’s also a special appointment also for my fans gathered at the Casanova Savelli turns, so I’ll do everything I can to put on a good show for them this weekend.” Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says: “Mugello is one of the circuits you always look forward to because the atmosphere is incredible. It’s very similar to Spain, people are very passionate, the viewing areas are normally full from the first day of practice and it helps you to get quickly in the mood for the Grand Prix. We will have to work hard this weekend, for sure, but we are very motivated to improve on the final result we got in France. We are working well with the team, adapting the bike to get the best package possible for each track, and we need to get it absolutely right for the race. I hope we can do that in Italy. This season we go there in much better shape than last year and that’s important because Mugello is a physically demanding track to ride, especially in the fast direction changes. The strategy for the weekend is simply to be totally focused and get the maximum out of every session.” LCR Honda rider Randy de Puniet says: “I like Mugello very much but I have never obtained a good result there in the premier class so far. Last year I finished the race in eighth position in strange conditions but I feel more confident this year on this bike. There’s the longest straight of the season and you need to have a really good bike set up to exit the last corner because during the race you can easily get passed by other riders. We will fix the engine mapping to be as fast as possible and we will keep on working in the same direction because our target is to maintain the sixth place in the World Championship.” Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) says: “I am happy to be going to Mugello with a more positive mentality than recent races. I had a good race at Le Mans and now I am sure we have the right base to start with at Mugello and can continue to work well. I love this circuit and your home Grand Prix is always a special occasion. Hopefully the weather stays stable, at least for practice so that we can work well and prepare for the race, whatever the conditions are on Sunday. I am feeling positive and looking forward to racing at a circuit I like, with its changes in pace and fast corners and all the fans banked around the circuit it is a unique and fantastic place.” Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) says: “Mugello is upon us and considering the fact that I could have come away with a much better result at Le Mans than I did I am confident about this one. We made a few changes to the bike in France after warm-up but in the race they didn’t seem to work maybe it was because of the higher temperatures. It was a shame because I’m sure I could have made up a few more positions but I’m thinking positive and looking forward to being even faster this Sunday. I have always liked Mugello a lot I won there in 2008 and last year in the rain I had a close battle with Pasini but unfortunately lost out at the line. Seeing all the people on the hillsides gives you an extra boost to do well. “ Interwetten Honda MotoGP rider Hiroshi Aoyama says: “Mugello is one of the most difficult tracks on the calendar. For me, this track is not very easy. It is a difficult and technically special track. You need to have a really good experience to be up at the front at Mugello. Anyway, I like the circuit. At Le Mans I improved on my performance from the race before, but I want to be better again and to keep improving. I know that we have the potential to be better, so we will try and we will see where we can be.” Moto2 RIDER QUOTES Technomag-CIP rider Shoya Tomizawa says: “I cannot wait to get to Mugello. I don’t want to have another weekend like we had at Le Mans where I didn’t qualify so well, which really hurt us in the race. So I will do my best on the track and concentrate on setting up the bike. This is important for me and the team.” Gresini Racing Moto2 rider Toni Elias says: “The Moto2 series is still very new, so it’s difficult to know what will happen this weekend. I have won the last two races, but no one knows what will happen at Mugello. The lap times are so close, so it’s very easy to be first at one moment, and then in tenth place the next. As usual, I will work hard with my team in practice and then give my full focus and concentration during the race. I am looking forward to it.” JIR Moto2 rider Simone Corsi says: “Mugello has always been an exciting race, either because it’s one of the most fascinating circuits of the championship or because it is my home GP, therefore the hills are filled by supporters and fans. Here Italians can give that little more. I’m happy and relaxed, because I come from a good podium in Le Mans which pays back the work done by the team and realises the continuous advancements we’ve made since the first race. I’m confident I’ll give a good performance, a victory is our real aim but the objective is to continue to improve, collecting as many points as possible for the championship. We’ll have to work hard on our performance in qualification, in order to start at the front and not let anybody get away.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: The Fiat Yamaha Team head to their home track of Mugello this weekend, which lies just a couple of hours drive south of their European base close to Milan. They arrive in Tuscany flying high at the top of the championship, with Jorge Lorenzo just ahead of Valentino Rossi on points. The riders have three wins and a further three podiums between this season. The 23-year-old Lorenzo is in dominant form, having won the last two races in Spain and France to take his MotoGP win tally to seven since 2008. The Spaniard enjoys the high-speed Mugello circuit, where he won in 2006 on the way to his first 250cc title. He crashed out on his Italian Premier-Class debut in 2008 but in 2009 he recovered from a sighting-lap crash to take a strong second and get a taste of Mugello mayhem from the podium, when the fans traditionally storm onto the track to flood the finish straight. Reigning World Champion Rossi has an unequalled record with his beloved Mugello having won there nine times in fourteen years, which included an extraordinary run of seven consecutive victories to 2008. Last year he had to be content with a slightly different view from the podium in third place but he will be out for win number ten this weekend as he bids to close the gap to his team-mate, which currently stands at nine points. The spectacular Mugello circuit is one of the fastest in the world, with the 1,141m main street tempting the 800cc bikes to speeds of over 320km/h, before braking into the awesome downhill right-hander. The track is also one of the widest on the calendar and boasts some high-speed chicanes and frequent changes of gradient. It generally brings about some superb racing, all played out in the unrivalled atmosphere created by the fanatical Italian fans who throng the hillsides to cheer on their heroes. Jorge Lorenzo – “The best circuit in the world” “Last year Mugello was one of my best races! I crashed in the warm-up lap, but otherwise it was almost perfect and I was so happy to get on the podium. The sessions and the race were amazing because the weather kept changing. For me, Mugello is the best circuit in the world, joint with Phillip Island. It’s a classic circuit with many ups and downs and an incredible atmosphere. I have had a great start to the season and once again our aim will be to be strong from the first day and get on the podium.” Valentino Rossi – “An incredible place to ride a motorcycle” “After another rest I hope my shoulder is fully recovered and that I will be back to full strength for Mugello, my home race. We had some problems in Le Mans so we will be working hard from the first session to make sure that we’re back to our best. Mugello is an incredible place to ride a motorcycle, there is nowhere else like it in the world with all the tifosi around the hills and when you go out for the first lap the sound is something amazing. I always look forward to racing there and I hope we will be in good shape this weekend.” Wilco Zeelenberg – “A close team” “Jorge is riding in a very mature and focused way, and now he goes to Mugello which he loves and which is the home race for many of our team. Our team is very close now and working very well together, Jorge trusts us to make the right decisions for him and we have seen the rewards of this partnership in the first three races. We’re looking forward to Mugello and we will be aiming for the podium once again.” Davide Brivio – “Our home race” “Mugello is our home race and it’s always fun to go there for all the team. It’s a special place with an incredible atmosphere and all the fans make a huge party. It’s one of Valentino’s best tracks, even though he didn’t win there last year for the first time in years! He’s had some more time to recover from his shoulder now and we will be working hard from the first session in our team to be as strong as possible.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: The scenic setting of the Mugello circuit welcomes the FIM MotoGP World Championship for round four this weekend, as Jorge Lorenzo aims to extend his nine-point lead over Fiat Yamaha team-mate and rival Valentino Rossi at the top of the standings at the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM. With victory at Le Mans last time out Lorenzo secured his first back-to-back wins in the premier class, and his 70 points so far is the highest points tally by a rider in the MotoGP class after the opening three rounds since Rossi amassed the same amount in the same number of races in 2005. Lorenzo finished on the podium last season (second) at the Italian circuit, and if he goes one better this year and wins ahead of Rossi it will be the first time since joining the premier class in 2000 that the reigning World Champion will have finished behind a team-mate in three successive races. Mugello however is a circuit that Rossi has enjoyed immense success at previously. The Italian finished third there last season on his way to the title, having won the previous seven years on the bounce. Rossi will also be going for a 50th premier class pole position start at the weekend. Another Italian hoping to impress his home fans will be Andrea Dovizioso, and the Repsol Honda rider has produced a strong start to the season that has already seen two podium finishes. Last year at Mugello he just missed out on a top-three placement having led at stages of both the wet and dry parts of the race. His team-mate Dani Pedrosa sits just two points behind in the standings and has enjoyed success at Mugello before. Last year he failed to finish the race, but in his three premier class rides there before that he never finished outside the top four, two of which were podium results. Nicky Hayden and Ducati Marlboro will be looking for a good result in the team’s home race, with the American seeking an improvement on his recent form at Mugello. A best placement of third came back in 2006, and Hayden’s form this season indicates that a first podium of 2010 is imminent. His team-mate Casey Stoner’s season has gotten off to a difficult start, but the Australian won here last year and broke Rossi’s dominance so will be confident that he can score his first notable points of the season at Mugello. Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) is the highest placed private team rider in the standings and enjoyed his best MotoGP finish at Mugello last year with eighth place, and the Frenchman will continue his battle with Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech3). Rookies Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Héctor Barberá (Páginas Amarillas Aspar), in their first premier class outings at the track, will look to consolidate their impressive starts and top ten positions in the standings, with fellow newcomer Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP Team) and Pramac Racing’s Mika Kallio hot on their trail. Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech3), Loris Capirossi and Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) will all be looking to bounce back after Le Mans, whilst Aleix Espargaró (Pramac Racing) will want to build on his promising result from the last round. Moto2 Toni Elías will be going for a third straight win in the Moto2 class as he attempts to defend and even extend his 18-point Championship lead. Elías’ victory at Le Mans has handed him a Championship lead for the first time since 2001, when he led the 125cc standings after 12 rounds. Mugello is one of three circuits at which the Spaniard has not finished on the podium in any of the classes he has raced in however, and he will be targeting an improvement in that statistic as he looks to protect his lead. Shoya Tomizawa will be a threat as he looks to cut the deficit to Elías, at a track at which the Japanese rider has raced just once a non-finish in the 250cc class last season. The Technomag-CIP rider enjoyed a rapid start to the campaign with a win in Qatar and second place at Jerez, but a crash at Le Mans means he will want a return to top-three form as the early-season battle at the top unfolds. Simone Corsi’s first podium of the season at Le Mans lifted the Italian to third spot in the standings, and the JiR Moto2 man has experienced victory at Mugello before. He will be hopeful of repeating his 125cc win from 2008 in his home GP and edge closer to the top spot currently occupied by Elías. Julián Simón (Mapfre Aspar), Sergio Gadea (Tenerife 40 Pons) and Thomas Lüthi (Interwetten Moriwaki Moto2) complete the top six as it stands heading into the weekend, and with six different chassis manufacturers inside the top ten positions the competition is fierce. Added to the 40-strong field will be wild card rider Xavier Simeon (Holiday Gym Racing), who will once more be riding a Moriwaki chassis following his entry at Le Mans. Looking to make his mark after an eventful start to the season will be Alex de Angelis (RSM Team Scot) who will be going for a fourth career podium at the track, whilst Mashel Al Naimi (Blusens-STX) will be replaced by Anthony Delhalle for this race after the Qatari rider underwent an operation for compartmental syndrome in his arm last Friday. 125cc The fantastic contest that is playing out in the 125cc World Championship will also continue and at present it is Nico Terol who leads the standings with a narrow two-point advantage over Pol Espargaró. Terol finished second in last year’s race at Mugello having qualified down in 12th, whilst Tuenti Racing rider Espargaró has finished third and fourth in the past two seasons and comes into this race off the back of two straight wins at Jerez and Le Mans. Esteve Rabat (Blusens-STX), Efrén Vázquez (Tuenti Racing) and Marc Márquez (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport) will all be candidates for at least the podium and all three will have aspirations of challenging for first wins not only of the season, but of their careers. Bradley Smith felt much better on his Aprilia of the Bancaja Aspar team at Le Mans, and returns to a track where he won last year. He will hope for a similar result to lift him from his current place of sixth in the standings. Enforcing the regular 125cc field will be a quintet of Italian wildcard riders. Junior GP Racing Team FMI will enter the trio of Luigi Morciano, Alessandro Tonucci and Armando Pontone, with Tommaso Gabrielli (Racing Team Gabrielli) and Faenza Racing’s Mattia Tarozzi all taking part. More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM HEAD TO MUGELLO FOR FIRST ‘HOME’ RACE OF 2010 The Ducati Marlboro Team is preparing for the first of two home races this weekend, with the target of making sure both its riders are capable of being competitive on the GP10. So far Casey Stoner has been unable to back up his undoubted pace with the results that truly reflect his talent and the whole team are working to ensure that he can do just that in the Italian Grand Prix. Nicky Hayden is satisfied with the major steps forward he has taken already this season but the American is keen to continue making improvements as he targets a challenge for victories as the year progresses. Supporting Ducati at Mugello this weekend, as every year, will be the thousands of Ducatisti who pack out the grandstand in the Correntaio corner. CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team “Obviously Mugello hasn’t come at a positive moment for us but this is our situation and we have to try and look forward, taking things race by race and not worrying too much about the championship. That is what I am most interested in right now and we want to get the bottom of this problem we’re having with the front end. We have a few things to try at Mugello and we will be working as hard as always to achieve our goals. Generally the bike is working well and we have the pace to fight with the guys at the front so it is just a case of continuing to work hard to solve this issue.” NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati Marlboro Team “I can’t wait to go to Mugello and banish the memory of last year, when I was quite slow in front of the Italian fans and so many people from Ducati. Actually things went better in the race than they had done in practice but then I suffered a problem with my rear brake and the result was anything but good. We’re going into a run of races that could be quite decent for us and we’re confident. Mugello is a circuit that can be really nice to ride or really tough, depending on whether you can get your bike working well and have a good set-up. If you manage that you can have some serious fun. I’m expecting to see a lot of Ducati fans so hopefully I can have fun and they can too.” FILIPPO PREZIOSI, Ducati Corse General Director “Casey is definitely going through a difficult period but his talent is under no question and we will keep working calmly, as we always do, to try and improve the situation whether it is from a technical perspective like bringing some new forks, which we’ll be doing this weekend, or working on finding the right set-up for the race. As far as Nicky I cannot compliment him highly enough on the way he approached winter testing and the first few races. We are obviously working with him too to make the GP10 better and at Mugello we’ll have a new “link” to try and making the bike more stable in corner exit.” 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 FACTS 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 2010: 23 laps MotoGP Schedule 2010: 14:00 Local Time Number of laps: 23 Race distance: 120.635km PODIUM 2009: 1st Casey Stoner, 2nd Jorge Lorenzo, 3rd Valentino Rossi POLE 2009: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha 2009) 1’48.987 – 173.250 km/h DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM’S BEST RESULTS AT MUGELLO 2009: 1st (Stoner) 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: 24 (Born 16th October 1985 in Southport, Queensland, Australia) Residency: Switzerland Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP10 GP Appearances: 129 (68xMotoGP, 31×250, 30×125) GP Victories: 27 (20xMotoGP, 5×250, 2×125) First GP victory: Valencia, 2003 (125) First GP: Great Britain, 2001 (125) Pole positions: 22 (18xMotoGP, 2×250, 2×125) First pole position: Italy, 2003 (125) World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2007) MotoGP track record at Mugello: 2009: Qualified: 2nd. Race:1st 2008: Qualified: 4th. Race: 2nd 2007: Qualified: 1st. Race: 4th 2006: Qualified: 9th. Race: DNF NICKY HAYDEN Age: 28 (born 30th July 1981 in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA) Residency: Owensboro, Kentucky, USA Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP10 GP Appearances: 119 (119xMotoGP) 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: 2009: Qualified: 16th. Race:12th 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 More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki is on its way to Mugello in Italy with Loris Capirossi aiming to kick-start his season on home soil. Capirossi has failed to finish the last two Grands Prix due to unexplainable crashes and is determined not to let that statistic hinder him as he aims for his 100th career podium. Capirossi has a good record at the 5,245m Mugello circuit and narrowly missed a podium place in last year’s race. He has started both Italian Grands Prix in his Rizla Suzuki career from the front row of the grid and is certainly hoping to keep that record intact. Álvaro Bautista has had time to recover from his recent broken collarbone and a huge high-side crash at Le Mans that forced his withdrawal from the French Grand Prix. He has had plenty of physiotherapy on his numerous small injuries and is convinced he will be fit by the time he takes to the track for the first practice session on Friday morning. Bautista has a fantastic record at Mugello over the past four seasons in the 250cc class, with a front row start in every race – including two pole positions – and filling every podium place in that time. Mugello is located in a beautiful area of Tuscany just north of Florence. It is one of if not the most scenic circuits anywhere in the world and this added to a magnificent track makes the Italian Grand Prix one of the must-see races in MotoGP. Thousands of fans will pack the hill-sides of the valley that the track runs up and down to add an amazing atmosphere to what is one of the most impressive spectacles on any sporting calendar. Rizla Suzuki gets the weekend underway of Friday 4th June with an hour of practice, followed by a further 60-minute session on the next day. Saturday afternoon will see Capirossi and Bautista going all out in qualifying to get the best grid positions for Sunday 23-lap race. The longest race on this season’s calendar 120.635km gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 6th June. Loris Capirossi: “I am still very disappointed and angry about what happened at Le Mans and Jerez, but that is in the past now and we can’t change that, but we can change what will happen in the future and we’ll certainly be trying to do that. Mugello is a good place to start a strong comeback and I’ll be trying as hard as I can to get the season off the ground. It is a track I love and I know I can go well there. I have a lot of fans and friends who will all be at the track and I will be giving it everything to give them a good result, but most of all we need a good result for the guys in the crew, they have done a great job this year and the bike is much better than 2009, we now need to start getting the results to show that!” Álvaro Bautista: “I am feeling a little bit better and I am getting stronger every day. I still have some bruising around my ribs, but that is starting to ease now. I am training to get myself up to fitness in time for Mugello, I think I am about 95% now, but it is that extra 5% that will be the hard bit, so I know I’ve still got a bit of work to do. Mugello is a great track and I have had some good results there and we need to start getting some points, I’ve only finished one MotoGP race and feel like I haven’t really got going yet, so let’s look to Mugello as the start of better things to come.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Bridgestone MotoGP Preview – Round 4: Italy, Mugello Tuesday 1 June 2010 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Medium, Hard. Rear: Medium, Hard Round four of the championship sees the MotoGP paddock travel to Italy and to the fast and flowing Mugello circuit. One of the fastest circuits on the calendar, it is a tough challenge for riders, machines and Bridgestone’s tyres. There are many traits of Mugello that make it so demanding on tyres: The circuit is grippy and abrasive which means that relatively harder tyre compounds are required; it has many long and high speed corners which require good stability and edge grip from the rear tyres; and the heavy braking areas from speeds of over 320km/h, particularly those downhill, require good stability and strength from the front tyre. The biggest stress on the tyres though is actually placed on the centre section of the rear tyre, largely because of the speed of the circuit and its abrasive tarmac. Casey Stoner’s lap record, set on Bridgestone tyres in 2008, was at an average speed of 171.6km/h, the second highest of the season behind only Phillip Island. Last year, Dani Pedrosa set a new outright MotoGP top speed record at Mugello of 349.3km/h. Along with Catalunya, Motegi and Sepang it is the hardest circuit for the centre section of the rear tyres. The temperature in the region is usually high with a track temperature of over 40 degrees Celsius not uncommon, although last year the Grand prix weekend was blighted by rain. A downpour before the start meant that the race was declared wet, but the rain had ceased before the lights went green and the track quickly dried, sending the riders into the pitlane to change to dry bikes shod with Bridgestone’s slick tyres. After a change to slicks on lap ten proved optimal, Ducati Team’s Casey Stoner won from the Fiat Yamaha duo of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, with Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso less than one tenth of a second behind the reigning World Champion. Hiroshi Yamada Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “Last year the Grands Prix at Le Mans and Mugello were both held in mixed conditions, but I hope that the weather we saw in France this year continues in Italy as it is always a fantastic race for the fans. The Italian passion is everywhere and it is a very exciting race to be involved in. After the relatively slow start to the year, the season is really getting underway now and with six races in eight weeks, momentum will be very important for the riders. For us it means that we will transport, fit and strip over 4000 tyres by the end of next month, so whilst they are tested on the track, our logistics will be put to the test between the races.” Tohru Ubukata Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department “Mugello is one of the fastest circuits on the calendar and is tough on tyres because of the combination of this speed, the track temperature which is often high, and the technically demanding nature. There are significant elevation changes which cause greater loads on the tyres, especially under braking. The Arrabbiata, Scarperia and Bucine corners are crucial to good lap times here, so the last half of the lap is very important. “Edge grip is also very important at Mugello as the circuit is very flowing so the bikes spend a lot of time on the shoulders of the tyres. As well as grip, the shoulders are crucial in providing good stability to give the riders confidence and good feeling throughout the lap.” More, from a press release issued by JiR Moto2 Team: Adrenalin will be set at maximum for the JiR Moto2 Team as they head for their home GP at Mugello next Sunday. Both riders, Simone Corsi and Mattia Pasini, have happy memories linked to the Tuscan track, but both are now in completely different situations with one looking to continue his good run of form and the other determined to make a fresh start after a difficult beginning to the season. Corsi has already won at Mugello in 2002 and taken third place in 2007. The rider from Rome has shown continuous improvements in the first races of the year and the debut Moto2 podium he gained in the last race at Le Mans gives him the confidence to push for a good race at home. Simone Corsi: “Mugello has always been an exciting race, either because it’s one of the most fascinating circuits of the championship or because it is my home GP, therefore the hills are filled by supporters and fans. Here Italians can give that little more. I’m happy and relaxed, because I come from a good podium in Le Mans which pays back the work done by the team and realizes the continuous advancements we’ve made since the first race. I’m confident I’ll give a good performance, a victory is our real aim but the objective is to continue to improve, collecting as many points as possible for the championship. We’ll have to work hard on our performance in qualification, in order to start at the front and not let anybody get away.” Pasini, as well, is confident about Mugello, as he won here in 2006 on a 125cc machine and then last year with the 250. The rider from Rimini, however, is still having trouble as he gets to grips with the new Moto2 machine, although both rider and team are giving 100% to ensure that he gets back to fighting with the leaders. Mattia Pasini: “To get to the home GP after two hard races is certainly something that gives me the right motivation to push hard for a good performance. Also last year I came here after a negative period of performance and I managed to end up in first place, therefore I hope I’ll be able to make a good race also this year. I’m working to find the best way to interpret the bike and already in Le Mans, thanks to the team’s efforts, I made some good steps forward, mainly in the race. Physically I feel good, I’m looking after my shoulder well, but it’s most of all a matter of precaution. I’m excited and confident I’ll be able to make some further steps forward at Mugello.” The Italian Grand Prix takes place at the Mugello Circuit on Sunday June 6th.