ROUND 5 - ITALIAN GP - PREVIEW
SETE’S CHALLENGE AT MUGELLO
Protagonist of an extraordinary race which led to
a podium finish during the last GP of France on the historic
track of the 24 hours of Le Mans, Sete Gibernau has returned
to take up the position which best suits him: up front every
Sunday, fighting for the victory.
Able to use his RC211V to the maximum of its potential, Sete
Gibernau finds himself recuperating positions in the championship
and fighting again on June 5th on the Mugello track. A track
where generally ‘home riders’ are favoured.
Gibernau doesn’t let this bother him though. The Spanish
rider has in fact an extraordinary feeling with the Italian
fans and on the track of Mugello he can consider himself almost
at home: Sete in fact racers for an Italian team, he is loved
in Italy, so much that he is considered to be the fifth Italian
rider in the MotoGP championship, by the Italian press.
“I am taking on the Italian GP with my usual motivation.
I am sure of my potential and the potential of my team. It
will be a difficult race as the Italian riders, riding for
their home fans, will have an extra motivation factor. Mugello
isn’t really a track I particularly love, but this is
irrelevant as every time I get onto the race track, I am there
to race. I have many Italian fans and it would be a wonderful
gift for my Italian mechanics and for my team if I win here.
Last season the Mugello race was one of the best of the 2004
season: we were quickest on both Friday and Saturday qualifying
sessions. I hope to boast the same good work this year as
well. The Italian riders are extremely competitive on their
home track, but they are also under a lot more pressure. On
our side, we have to take advantage of their tension, it will
be a very challenging weekend, but at the end of the day,
it really isn’t very different than any other race.
To be able to dispute a good race we will need a good qualifyin!
g position, so that means we have to do a very good job during
qualifying. The Italian riders will in fact try to obtain
a good race pace from the very beginning; for this reason
it is important to start from the first row or, at most, from
the second row, in order to fight for the title.”
READY FOR HIS HOME GP
With two podiums and two fourth places Marco Melandri
is defending his second place in the championship with 37
points dividing him and the leader, Valentino Rossi, and 5
points diving him with his team mate, twice vice world champion,
Sete Gibernau.
The twenty two year old rider, ex 250 World Champion, has
demonstrated his best aspects : quick, consistent, in continuous
growth Marco Melandri continues to acquire confidence with
his RC211V and thanks to the support of HRC, Michelin and
under the expert guide of his head tech, Fabrizio Cecchini,
Marco has once again started to enjoy riding his bike, and,
most importantly! , riding it quickly.
MARCO MELANDRI’S COMMENTS ABOUT THE MUGELLO
TRACK
“The Mugello track can be defined as a real MotoGP circuit
because it is quick, there is space to take advantage of the
full gears and it gives a lot of riding satisfaction. The
track is really good. The sessions I prefer are the Casanova
–Savelli and the two Arrabbiata corners. These two corners
distinguish the track.
Mugello is a fun track to ride on, there are different areas
where it is possible to overtake: in particular while braking
for the first corner, the San Donato, and the first variation
as well.
The secret to a good lap? To be quick here at Mugello you
need to have a good rhythm, be fluid while taking on the corners
but without being too aggressive. The part that makes the
biggest difference is the downhill “s” and the
Arrabbiata corners. It is fundamental to ride through these
sectors well in order to make a quick lap time.
The biggest! problem of the track? The only negative thing
about this track is the condition of the tarmac. In fact there
is quite a bit of unevenness to it.
The atmosphere: it’s probably because I’m Italian
and this is my home race, but it is an incredible feeling
to ride looking at all those people all over the hills. When
you ride a bike you can feel the warmth of the fans that come
to fill the hills that surround the track, it is incredible.
My best memory? My victory in 2002 when I was racing in 250cc
class.
My worst memory? The 2004 GP: I was racing with the leaders,
I was in third place for a while, and after a while the front
part of my arms just blocked and I could no longer ride.”
A curiosity: 4 times in his career has Marco Melandri stepped
onto the podium of the Mugello: the first time in 1998 in
the 125 class at the age of 16. Marco steps up onto the second
step of the podium in 1998 and repeats himself again the following
year, again with a second place finish in the 125 class. In
2000 he finishes 4th, but returns to the podium in 2001 (3rd
place 250 cc class) and in 2002 he wins the Italian GP in
the 250 class. In the MotoGP class his best result was in
2004 when Marco Melandri finishes the race after having kept
up for the most part with the leaders. A problem with his
arms was the cause of his relenting and losing the pace with
the front runners.
THE TRACK
On the hills of Mugello, not very far from Florence, is one
of the most beautiful tracks of the championship: spectacular,
very technical, and a track where the rider can make a difference
during every moment of the race. But it is also a difficult
track, characterized by slopes, very quick chicanes, speed
changes, sloping corners and a very long straight where riders
obtain some of the fastest speeds of the entire championship.
Due to all the characteristics, time is a valuable asset when
learning the secrets to this track.
“This is a challenging track, very technical. From a
riders’ point of view it is amongst the toughest of
the championship. The track is characterized by some of the
most difficult and quickest sessions of the championship.
The best point to overtake is definitely the San Donato corner,
the first right corner at the end of the starting straight,
but the session I prefer is the Arrabbiata 1 and 2. This is
the Mugello ‘trade mark’, it is a quick session,
unique of the entire championship. The best memory I have
of this track? My pole in the 2004 GP with a time of 1’49”920.
The Mugello is the home GP for the Italian ridres and the
support of the ‘tifosi’ is very felt. It is lucky
that I have a lot of Italian fans, my team is Italian and
I have always received a warm welcome from the Italian public”
comments Sete Gibernau.
TECHNICAL DATA
Name of the circuit: Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello
Opened: 1974
Modified: 1999
Lenght: 5.245 m
Width: 14 m
Pole position: right
Right corners: 9
Left corners: 6
Longest straight: 1141 meters
Motogp race: 23 laps = 120,635 kms
RECORD:
Track record: 2004 Gibernau (Honda) 1’51”133
pole position: 2004 Gibernau (Honda) 1’49”920
2004 race: 1° Rossi (Yamaha) 2°Gibernau (Honda) 3°
Biaggi (Honda)
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