Fifth round of the 2002 World Cup, the Italian Grand Prix promises to be a highly competitive, both for the interests of local drivers as the current position of Fonsi Nieto, who in Mugello will try to maintain or increase his points lead at the head of the classification general.
In MotoGP, Valentino home runs and try to achieve once and for all the long-awaited victory at home. Since given the jump to MotoGP, Rossi has not been very lucky in this circuit. Two years ago ended in a retrasadísima twelfth place, its worst result in this category, and last season he fell while fighting for the podium. To mate Tohru Ukawa, not a Grand Prix Italia will be easy. He knows that if you aspire to bridge the gap to Valentino Rossi in the standings, will start by trying to win his biggest rival at home. This promises to be an intense weekend for Repsol Honda MotoGP team.
In the middle of the categories, Fonsi Nieto will have another opportunity to further increase his lead in the overall standings. For now, the brave Repsol rider had two opportunities in Spain and France, and has taken advantage of the two. In Italy everything is more complicated and the local drivers, supported by their fans, give a lot of work to other rivals, Melandri, Locatelli Battaini and will probably be the two drivers to beat in this Grand Prix. And while Fonsi arrive with the objective of keeping overall leader for Toni Elias race this will be a continuity, a race that will try to keep the same line of progression shown in France. Its excellent performance in France, third fastest lap, and the result, sixth, show that if Elijah is able to find a good set-up, will soon be ready to give more of a surprise.
Daniel Pedrosa continues to work quietly, the podium where their inferiority mechanical permits and adding points without compromising when the situation does not invite it. With these approaches Pedrosa is fourth overall with four points of the third and twenty-five of the provisional leader, Frenchman Arnaud Vincent. The other pupil of Alberto Puig, the young Joan Olive, was not accompanied by fortune in France. After leaving and arrive to mark the twelfth fastest lap, Olive was away from any possibility of obtaining a good result to lose grip the front wheel of his bike and finish on the floor.
