Italian GP - Preview
DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM ON FINE FORM FOR MUGELLO
The Ducati Marlboro Team goes into its home Grand Prix in
fine form, with the remarkable Casey Stoner leading the World
Championship with three victories and a third place from the
first five races and Loris Capirossi confident of a resurgence
after a difficult French GP at rain-lashed Le Mans.
This is the first time that the Bologna-based squad contests
the Italian GP as World Championship leader, a landmark moment
that attests to the talent and dedication of this very Italian
operation. As Ducati Motor Holding CEO Federico Minoli says:
"Despite being a very small company there is an almost
magical combination of genius, technology and all-Italian
passion within Ducati that allows us to compete at the highest
level".
Stoner and Capirossi are greatly looking forward to riding
the Desmosedici GP7 at Mugello, an epic circuit where they
have both scored success. Capirossi has put his Ducati on
the podium three times from their last four visits and is
the current lap record holder, while Stoner scored his first-ever
GP pole position for the 2003 Italian 125 GP. The entire team
can count on massive support from the Mugello crowd, including
3000 lucky Ducatisti, sponsors and factory workers who will
fill a special Ducati grandstand at the Correntaio right-hander.
FILIPP0 PREZIOSI, Ducati Corse Director
"Mugello seems to suit our bike, and it is also one
of Loris' favourite tracks, where he has always been very
competitive. So, having listened to his feedback and analysed
his data, we have prepared a new package to help him fight
for the kind of results he's accustomed to achieving. These
changes aim to modify the GP7's power delivery to offer rideability
that's better suited to Lori's riding style. The changes include
electronics - revised engine mapping and ride-by-wire set-up
- and mechanics - revised cam timing and fluid-dynamics. The
same package will also be available for Casey if he wants
to try it."
CASEY STONER, World Championship leader on 102 points
"Mugello is one of my favourite tracks. We've had some
pretty good results there, including my first-ever pole position
and I've made the podium in 125s. I think the bike is going
to be really strong, the track's got a nice main straight
which helps and some nice fast and flowing corners which the
Ducati should like, so we should be able to do all right.
It would be a nice one to win but it's going to be really
tough work beating Loris and the rest of the Italian riders.
But I feel we're fast enough, the Ducati and the Bridgestones
are going really well and if we can find the right settings
we'll be there. At Mugello you need a bike that changes direction
good because there's a lot of high-speed direction changes
and the faster you go, the harder it is to change direction.
You need a pinpoint accurate bike because you've got to hit
the right points at the right time, and if you don't do that
you lose a lot of time, that's what makes this track so hard."
LORIS CAPIROSSI, 7th overall on 38 points
"Mugello is my home race and Ducati's home race, so
it's a really big weekend for all of us. In fact it's a big
event for all the Italian riders, last year Valentino (Rossi)
and I had a great battle for the win. The Mugello crowd is
very enthusiastic, there's always an amazing atmosphere. I
love the track, it's got some fantastic corners and some really
interesting up and down sections, so it's a lot of fun to
ride and I usually have good races there. The circuit character
should suit our bike well, even if my feeling with the machine
isn't 100 per cent at the moment. Ducati are working closely
with me to refine the bike to suit my style because I am eager
to get back on the pace and race up front again. Above all
I'm convinced that we do have the potential to come back strong,
we just need to stay focused and do our best at this race
and at the following races."
THE TRACK
Mugello is one of MotoGP's greatest events - a challenging,
high-speed circuit situated in a picturesque Tuscan valley
packed with tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans. The track
features one of the world's longest straights which gives
the Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP7 a chance to really
stretch its legs. The fast and flowing circuit is also one
of the most demanding, with a thrilling blend of high-speed
turns, rapid direction changes and plentiful off-camber corners.
Mugello's complexities are further heightened by a bumpy surface,
which, combined with numerous adverse-camber corners, makes
front-tyre choice particularly crucial. Mugello hosted its
first bike GP in 1976 but only became a regular venue after
total refurbishment in the early 1990s.
Lap record: Loris Capirossi (Ducati Marlboro
Team) 1m 50.195s, 171.351km/h-106.473mph (2006)
Pole position 2006: Sete Gibernau (Ducati Marlboro Team) 1m
48.969s
DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM RIDER DATA LOGS
LORIS CAPIROSSI
Age: 34 (born 4 April 1973)
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP7
GP starts: 253 (83xMotoGP, 59x500, 84x250, 27x125)
GP victories: 28 (6xMotoGP, 2x500, 12x250, 8x125)
First GP victory: Britain, 1990 (125)
First GP: Japan, 1990 (125)
Pole positions: 41 (8xMotoGP, 5x500, 23x250, 5x125)
First pole: Australia, 1991 (125)
World Championships: 3 (125: 1990, 1991, 250: 1998)
Mugello 2006 results: Grid: 2nd. Race: 2nd
CASEY STONER
Age: 21 (born 16 October 16 1985)
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP7
GP starts: 82 (21xMotoGP, 31x250, 30x125)
GP victories: 10 (3xMotoGP, 5x250, 2x125)
First GP victory: Valencia, 2003 (125)
First GP: Britain, 2001 (125)
Pole positions: 5 (1xMotoGP, 2x250, 2x125)
First pole: Italy, 2003 (125)
Mugello 2006 results: Grid: 9th. Race: DNF
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