Riders talk ahead of Mugello MotoGP
Located 30km north-east of Florence in the beautiful Tuscany countryside, Mugello is a modern circuit with excellent facilities. Bought by Ferrari back in 1988, the 5.245km track has been renovated to a high standard and has a growing reputation as one of the world’s most up-to-date, scenic and safest race circuits. A blend of slow and fast turns with sweeping curves, long straights and off-camber corners make Mugello one of the most challenging circuits for the riders and engineers. Having hosted its first MotoGP event back in 1976 the venue became a permanent fixture in 1991 after extensive refurbishment. Set within a beautiful tree lined Tuscan valley, Mugello also offers ample viewing areas for a particularly boisterous and partisan Italian crowd.
Current Championship leader Valentino Rossi, who has tasted victory seven times at Mugello MotoGP previously, is aiming for his first win at the circuit since 2008: “Arriving at Mugello as the leader in the championship and being in a great shape is perfect. We are fast from the start of the season and this is important. I really like the Mugello circuit, the Italian Grand Prix is always a nice weekend, but also Jorge loves this track. Jorge and I will try to put our Yamaha‘s on top again, but this time I hope it will be in a reverse order! In Le Mans I struggled a bit, but I still managed to take second. At Mugello we must not make mistakes with the setup of the bike, starting from the free practices. We will work hard from the first day to make this a nice weekend. There will be so many people in Mugello. We will have even more fans visiting the track already on Saturday. It will be a great race!”
His Movistar Yamaha teammate, Jorge Lorenzo, arrived in Italy after back-to-back wins in Jerez and Le Mans. The Spaniard is hoping to carry on this form at a track he has been victorious at four times before: “Le Mans was a confirmation that I’m feeling stronger and that I’m in a great shape. Claiming a second victory in a row was very important to me and the team in order to know for certain that Jerez wasn’t a one-time event. In Le Mans we got the pace and the rhythm to achieve another win. The YZR-M1 is a nice bike to ride and permits me to ride in the manner I like. In Le Mans we were able to do a perfect job during the whole weekend, as in Jerez, and now we look forward to racing again in Mugello. The track is maybe one of my favorites throughout the MotoGP calendar so I’m eager to race there. In the past I got so many wins in Mugello and it’s a suitable circuit for both me and the YZR-M1. It’s fluid, with many uphill and downhill sectors and amazing, long high-speed corners such as Arrabbiata 1 and 2. I will try to fight again for the podium here and keep this nice momentum going!”
Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso was relegated to third in the Championship standings after Lorenzo’s win at Le Mans, despite claiming four podiums in the first five races of the season. The Italian admitted that riding a Ducati at Mugello is something special: “It is a big weekend for Ducati, it is important for all the Italian riders but especially for Ducati and we arrive after a nice race in Le Mans. I am quite happy about the speed we have although we have to improve the consistency for the whole race, but also we made a test before Le Mans, and I believe we have the speed we just need to work on some small details to try to fight with these guys. I am looking forward to this weekend, as are all the Ducati riders.”
It is also the home round for his teammate Andrea Iannone, who will not be at 100% for the weekend after discovering he had actually fractured his arm during the testing crash at Mugello before Le Mans. Iannone is determined to fight through the pain barrier once more, in front of his home fans: “Le Mans was a difficult race for me with the shoulder, as I was not 100% and did not have a good feeling with the shoulder. When I came back home, I had so much pain on the Monday. I was still not 100% and the feeling was difficult, and I wanted a new X-ray. The doctor spotted a new fracture so I am not so happy for this, but okay, I stay calm and think positive for this weekend and I work a lot at home with the physio to improve the situation.”
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez has not enjoyed the best of starts to the season so far and the winner in Mugello last year is aware that he must get his season back on track at the Tuscany circuit: “We are very motivated after the weekend in Le Mans and arrive in Italy in good shape. We must work hard from Friday to find a good setup as Mugello is a complicated circuit, however, I like it and have good memories from my first victory in 2010. We know Valentino will be very strong at his home race, Jorge and Dani have a good history there and Ducati were testing there just a few weeks ago, so we will have to be focused all weekend.”
Dani Pedrosa has recorded eight podium finishes in Mugello including two victories – 2010 in MotoGP, 2005 in 250cc – and will be hoping his condition has improved further since the French GP almost two weeks ago.
Dani Pedrosa – “Even though we didn’t get a great race result, the outcome from the weekend in Le Mans was positive! The arm was better than I expected and now we head to Italy – after a further two weeks of recovery – looking to make another step. Mugello is a very fast track and you must work hard from the first session to find a good setup for this circuit. The fans always make this a special race so I hope I can do a good race for my fans and my team.”
Bradley Smith will aim to continue his positive form so far in 2015 at the Italian circuit, fresh from coming from a 6th place finish at the Tech3 team’s home race in Le Mans. The British rider has closed in on the leading satellite bike position in the championship standings to within a point and will seek to score another top result aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 at the Mugello circuit. Meanwhile, Pol Espargaro will intend to bounce back from his recent compartment surgery with a strong finish in Tuscany. The 2013 Moto2 World Champion completed last year’s race with a determined ride to 5th position and will intend to battle as close to the front as possible on Sunday.
Bradley Smith – “It’s that time of the year when we visit the awesome Mugello circuit again. Riding this track is a real pleasure and the race event is one that everyone enjoys, especially as the crowd is always so passionate. The track is undulating and there is a huge straight which means some of the fastest top speeds of the year are set there. With regards to the Yamaha, the flowing nature of the circuit suits us and as long as I ride smoothly, I feel that we can clinch a good result. Last race, I was right in the hunt with Iannone and Marquez in the final section of the race, so I hope to be in a similar position this time around on Sunday afternoon. As always, we will try to hit the ground running and we will look to get everything set up as soon as possible so that we can have a strong qualifying which is vital in order to close the weekend with a positive result in the race.”
Pol Espargaro – “I am excited about riding the Yamaha in the Tuscan hills this weekend! It will be a long race, especially after the surgery, but some corners such as the Casanova or the Savelli, are great fun to ride on a MotoGP bike. My operation was successful last week and I’ve had a few days to recover so that I can be as ready as possible for this race, which is a physically demanding one. The last GP was tricky due to my injury, but I still managed to finish the race in 7th and picked up some valuable championship points. Also this weekend I will push as hard as possible on race day but we will see how my arm feels before I make any serious predictions, yet for sure, I aim to be as high as possible. Last year I finished the race in 5th position and I’ve scored three podiums in the lower leagues at the track. To do the same this year would be great, so the plan is to qualify well and then finish the race in a strong placement. The atmosphere created by the crowd is always amazing and the perfect addition to our racing so I can’t wait to see them at the track supporting us as enthusiastically as they always do.”
For the first time in press conference this season, Octo Pramac Racing’s Danilo Petrucci was also present, and the Italian raised the biggest laugh of the day as he joked about his presence: “Sincerely I don’t know why I am here, as I have no podiums, maybe this is the closest I will get to the podium! [looking and pointing at his fellow speakers, usual podium finishers]. For me a great result on Sunday will to be in the top ten, I have done that two times this season, so I am really happy because in 2005 I was watching the race on the TV on the sofa and I had never ridden a bike on a circuit as I came from motocross. So in ten years to go from watching on TV to be here is a good target, now I just have another ten years until I can go back to the sofa.”
The CWM LCR Honda Team enjoy one of their home grands prix at the picturesque Mugello and the team’s Australian rookie Jack Miller, who led several laps of the Moto3 race here one year ago is hoping to get back into the swing of things after a crash during the last race in France.
Jack Miller – “I think Mugello is a great track which I know is going to be so different on a MotoGP bike compared to the Moto3 machine, so I’m definitely looking forward to it. It’s going to be another hard weekend I’m sure with the long straight there, but the tracks that have been open and flowing have been pretty good for us. I look forward to getting out there and riding the Honda RC213V-RS yet again. Apart from the couple of crashes in races, we are right where we want to be; fighting with Nicky Hayden, Danilo Petrucci and even Maverick Viñales. We’re making steps forward and a lot of things are changing and improving, the work we did and the consistency was good during the Le Mans weekend, so I’m positive this can continue again in Mugello.”
His senior teammate, Cal Crutchlow on a Factory RC213V, is definitely a fan of the Tuscan layout, having scored a podium at the event back in 2013. The British rider currently lies sixth in the MotoGP World Championship as the top satellite performer, and is confident of mounting a comeback at what is one of his favourite circuits, after the disappointment in France.
Cal Crutchlow – “We need to regroup after the struggles we had with the temperature changes over the Le Mans weekend, but I think Mugello could be the place to do that. I’ve had some great races around the track in the past and been on the podium there before. It’s going to be a difficult challenge, because the pace is so hot at the moment, but I always look forward to seeing the Italian fans and overall it’s a race that I love to be involved in. Last year didn’t go to plan because I crashed, and actually took LCR’s rider out, so hopefully it will be better for all parties this year!”
Team Suzuki’s Aleix Espargaro has been given the green-light to race in Italy after undergoing a positive ultrasound examination today in Barcelona to evaluate the recovery process of his injured right hand. Further evaluations will be done day-by-day in terms of pain and riding capabilities. The Spaniard underwent surgery to reconstruct his right thumb ligament that was broken in the crash he had in Le Mans during FP3.
Aleix Espargaro – “I’m happy because doctors said the recovery process is positive and I definitely want to try to race. The crash in Le Mans was one of the worst in my career; I suffered a lot of pain and also my right thumb ligament got broken. Dr. Mir and his colleagues did a great job with the surgery, everything went well and my recovery has been good. I don’t feel 100%, but I definitely want to get back riding and join my team for the race in Italy. This race will be tough, Mugello’s straight is so long and we will probably suffer a little on top-speed, but at the same time the track in its whole is very fast and on this matter our chassis can make a real positive difference. I like fast tracks; this will help me get over this injury and make for a positive weekend.”
Maverick Viñales – “My feeling is that Mugello will be a difficult track because it has such a long straight, and this could be a bad thing for our Suzuki, but at the same time there are some very fast corners where we can exploit the very good chassis that we have. Making a balance of pros and cons I think that we can make a good performance, maybe better that Le Mans. The important point for us will be to exploit the free practice and qualifying at their best. Being able to start from a better position will allow me to make my own pace and have riders that push me from behind instead of having to fight and pass them like I did in recent races. I still need to work to improve my tyre management and time my runs better during practices. I believe improvements in these areas will lead me to a better qualifying position.”
Scott Redding heads to Mugello determined to find a solution to the set up issues that have hampered his progress in all but one race this season. In what has proved to be a difficult start to his first season aboard the factory Honda RC213V, Redding has only one top ten finish to his name, while crashes in Austin and Le Mans mean he currently lies only 13th in the championship standings, well short of both his and the team’s expectations. It’s a situation that the 22-year-old is keen to reverse this weekend in Mugello, a track at which he dominated proceedings two years ago, winning the Moto2 race comfortably from pole position. The Mugello track itself could prove to be a major factor in a Redding revival this weekend, as grip levels are high and, as he showed during practice and qualifying in Austin earlier in the season, when grip is available the 22-year-old Briton knows how to take full advantage of it.
Scott Redding – “The only goal this weekend in Mugello is to find a solution to the problems we had in both Jerez and Le Mans. It seems that when grip is hard to find then we suffer a lot more with the front than the other Honda riders and that’s something we need to get to the bottom of. However, it may not be such an issue this weekend, as Mugello is a track where there is normally a lot of grip and that could help us. Even so, we still need to find a good front feeling and more front grip. We’ve tried a lot of things on the bike without any benefit, but we have a few more options to test this weekend. That’s one of our biggest problems at the moment; our only chance to test changes is during race weekends when track time is limited. I like the Mugello circuit, but it’s demanding of the bike and tyres and also of the rider, both mentally and physically. I suspect we’re in for another tough weekend in Italy, but preferably one that ends with a decent result on Sunday”
The Power Electronics Aspar Team travels to Tuscany on the back of its strongest weekend so far this season at Le Mans last time out. Nicky Hayden took victory in the Open class whilst Eugene Laverty picked up his first points in MotoGP, and both riders are highly motivated to build on those results at Mugello. The American is doubly determined to perform this weekend after missing this round last year with a hand injury, and after finding some set-up improvements in France two weeks ago his goal is to make further progress and stay in the chase for Open class wins. Whilst it might still be early days for his team-mate Eugene Laverty in MotoGP, there is no doubt that the Irishman is setting equally high goals in the medium term after also making good progress with his bike at Le Mans.
Nicky Hayden: “I always look forward to spending time in Italy and in my opinion this is one of the biggest rounds of the season. Mugello is incredible, in terms of the circuit layout and the atmosphere. It has one main straight and a lot of flowing corners, some faster than others but a lot in second gear. That makes it important to find a good set-up that gets you through the fast direction changes and the different kinds of corners that Mugello has. I missed racing in Italy last year because of the hand injury so I am doubly motivated and looking forward to getting started this Friday. There is always a magical atmosphere at this race but I think with Valentino leading the championship and the Ducatis in great form it will be a special weekend. My feeling with the bike finally started to come good at Le Mans so hopefully we can keep it up at Mugello. We need to be fully focused on making a strong start on Friday.”
Eugene Laverty: “Mugello is a real rider’s circuit and it’s impossible not to enjoy riding there. I tested a Superbike briefly at Mugello in 2012 and so I have a little experience of riding the circuit on a 1000cc machine. Le Mans was a very difficult weekend and so I’m keen to make amends in Mugello. My team-mate made a big step forward last time out having received a new swingarm and I hope to do the same once I receive the update. I scored my debut MotoGP points last time out and my aim is to continue this forward momentum and try to fight for an Open class victory soon.”
Mugello will host the first home race of the year for the Athinà Forward Racing team and its riders. After a good twelfth place in Le Mans and second place in the Open class, Loris Baz is looking forward to get back on his Yamaha Forward to score more championship points. His teammate Stefan Bradl is also motivated to go back on circuit. The German, after the premature withdrawal in Le Mans race, is aiming at the Top 15 and to finish first of the Open bikes.
Loris Baz – “After my first home race at Le Mans it is time for me and the team to go to Mugello for the first home race of Athinà Forward Racing. We worked well during the French weekend and I am convinced that we can be competitive here. Our second place in the Open class was great and it will be an extra motivation to make another step forward on this track which features such a long straight.”
Stefan Bradl – “After all the good work done during the test in Jerez I was prepared to do well in the race at Le Mans, but I was forced to retire, too bad. We made a good step forward in France and we are approaching Mugello believing that we can close the gap with the fastest Open.”
Aprilia Racing Team Gresini is back on the track to take on one of the classic rounds of the season, the Italian Grand Prix on the Mugello circuit. Precisely for the home Grand Prix, the Italian team will use the seamless gearbox in the race for the first time on both of the Aprilia RS-GP bikes ridden by Alvaro Bautista and Marco Melandri. The new transmission, seamless in downshifting as well, was successfully tested by Bautista in the sessions held 4 May on the Jerez circuit. Positive results encouraged the Noale Racing Division to streamline introducing this solution which, in any case, will not be the only technical change that Bautista and Melandri will be able to take advantage of during the Mugello weekend.
Romano Albesiano – (Aprilia Racing Manager) – “Mugello, with everything that comes with a home round, represents another step in this season of growth for Aprilia. It is a particularly important occasion because right here on the Tuscan track our seamless gear shift system will make its début, available for both our riders. The positive feedback Bautista provided after the tests at Jerez immediately following the Spanish Grand Prix convinced us to speed up development on this solution in order to have it ready to race as soon as possible. As important as the new transmission is, in any case it will not be the only new feature. We have prepared various changes in terms of aerodynamics and chassis as well with respect to the bike that started off the season. All of this is part of our path of improvement which we hope to successfully move forward at Mugello.”
Alvaro Bautista – “At Mugello we’ll be taking a lot of technical changes onto the track, beginning with the seamless gearbox that I tested at Jerez with good results, so we are very motivated as we approach this round. We’ll also have some other upgrades available in various areas of the bike, so I’m confident that we’ll be able to take a big step forward. We expect this weekend to be more demanding than usual because we will have a lot of things to test and not much time to do it, but we are ready to work hard. If we manage to find a good setup on a difficult track like Mugello I think this will be helpful to us in the upcoming Grand Prix races as well, so I’m anxious to get onto the track to begin checking the quality of the technical advancements. Our main goal is still bike development, although I won’t hide the fact that achieving a good result in Aprilia’s home Grand Prix would be nice.”
Marco Melandri – “Italians get very excited about the Mugello round, so we always try to achieve that little extra. For us it will be another race in our apprenticeship, although I hope that the new seamless gearbox will provide the advantages we are expecting and consequently allow us to take a step forward. Hopefully it will be able to represent a new starting point for us to continue improving, along with changes to the chassis that may help me to achieve more of a feeling with the bike.”
The Gran Premio d’Italia TIM on-track MotoGP action kicks off at 1755 AEST with FP1 while FP2 is scheduled to take place at 2205 this evening.
