His team mates Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso, in MotoGP, as well as Marc Márquez in Moto2, will try to keep in Italy the good level he showed in the last races
The third of the for rounds of the Championship in this intense month of June will take place this weekend at the Mugello track. The Repsol riders arrive to Italian soil with the aim to repeat the podiums achieved at the Dutch Grand Prix. With them will be Dani Pedrosa, who will be in the MotoGP round after recovering from the injure that kept him away from the circuits in the last three races.
The Repsol Honda Team set a very high level last year at the Tuscan track. With a great performance from the first laps of the race, Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso signed the first and third position, respectively. The Spaniard won it all —‘pole position’, fastest lap and victory—, and together with his team mate received the ovation of the tifosi.
Casey Stoner, current leader of the World Championship, will ride the Honda RC212V for the first time in the beautiful Tuscan track, well known for being very technical due to its combination of slow corners and fast bends. The Australian will try to keep the great level shown at the beginning of the Championship that allowed him to take the lead of the classification with a 28-point advantage. With 6 podiums in the 7 races already held —four victories, a second and a third place—, the Repsol rider has become a referent in the premiere category.
Winner last Sunday in the intermediate class, Marc Márquez arrives at Mugello in very good form, that allowed him to achieve two victories and a second position in the last four races, rising up to the second place of the Championship. The Repsol rider will also have the additional experience of the test he did two weeks ago at the Italian track, where he had two days of training in which he rode under the 2010 pole position time and was able to keep a good pace with his Moto2. For Emilio Alzamora’s pupil will be a very special round, as this is the setting where he achieved last year his first victory in the World Championship in a memorable season where he won the 125cc World title.
Dani Pedrosa
“After missing three races, I’m happy to be back in Mugello. During this period I’ve been very focused on my recovery and after the second operation I have improved a lot.I’m really looking forward to riding the bike, getting into the groove again and to be as competitive as I was before the injury. It’s been difficult being out of competition, but that was the situation and I couldn’t do more.I have been in contact with my team during this time and I know they also look forward to getting back to normal. Together we will work to regain the highest level and fight to win races again. Mugello is a difficult circuit, very technical and demanding, and I know it will not be easy for us, but last year we scored our first win of the season there and we would like to get a good result”.
Andrea Dovizioso
“I’m very curious to go to Mugello and ride there with the new asphalt. Those who tested there said that it’s unbelievably smooth. Mugello is one of the most technical, demanding and beautiful tracks in the MotoGP calendar, so I’m sure that without the bumps it will become one of the best circuits in the world. I’m happy to race in the Italian GP at this particular moment of the season: we are third in the Championship and we arrive after two successive podium finishes. We are competitive and determined to get another good result at my home GP. We have been consistent in dry and wet conditions and the team is working really well so I’m confident. Last year i was on the podium and the feeling up there is amazing, not comparable with another podium finish so I really want to repeat it. I hope there will be many spectators and that we can put on a good show! Mugello is always a special event, I enjoy every minute of it, starting with the journey to reach the Tuscan track via il Muraglione pass, a historical route for bikers!”.
Casey Stoner
“I’m really looking forward to Mugello especially after a difficult weekend in Assen where I was extremely happy to have finished second in a very difficult race. Last year we didn’t get the best result but I’ve always enjoyed this circuit and I think this year we can expect to be quite competitive. From what I’ve heard, the new surface is a lot smoother and a lot faster which will make Mugello an even better circuit from what it already was! I’ve been excited about coming here to try it out! I’m hoping to have a good race and score important points for the Championship, but we need to keep our heads down and continue working hard”.
Marc Márquez
“We get to Mugello fully motivated after the victory we achieved in Assen, which was a morale boost for me and my team after the retirement in Silverstone. Two weeks ago we had a test here that will be very helpful this weekend. It will be the first race really under the heat in Moto2, which is a class much more physically demanding than 125cc, but we are ready. It is a very technical circuit, but also a beautiful track and a lot of fun. It is a very special round —I achieved my first victory here last year—, but we are not going to change the plan we have followed until now, race after race”.
