MISANO BECKONS GRESINI HONDA HOME AGAIN
SAN MARINO GP PREVIEW
After a tough Grand Prix in the Czech Republic two weeks
ago, which saw the return of Toni Elias after a lay-off of
just 51 days with a broken left femur and a new injury problem
for Marco Melandri, who missed the race after suffering an
exposed discal hernia in his neck during practice, the Spaniard
and the Italian are ready to tackle what promises to be another
special weekend for the team led by Fausto Gresini.
Gresini Racing's headquarters are located in San Clemente,
just a few kilometres from the Misano circuit - making this
weekend's GP di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini a second
home race of the season for the Italian outfit.
TONI ELIAS, boosted by the confidence of
his successful return to action at Brno and his well-deserved
eleventh place, is looking forward to the Italian race: "Soon
after my crash at Assen I set my comeback target for Brno.
I worked hard, eight hours a day, and made it back at around
60% fitness. I took the weekend as a kind of test and it was
tough but with another two weeks of rehab behind me I feel
more confident now. I've still got a lot of work to do, of
course, but I feel calm. At Brno we received some updates
for the chassis, exhaust and engine. Unfortunately, because
of my physical condition, I wasn't able to make the most of
them. I'm happy to be racing at Misano, my team's home circuit.
During the week before Brno I had the opportunity to complete
a couple of laps there on a street bike to test out my physical
condition before tackling the GP in the Czech Republic. It
is an interesting circuit but also difficult. On Friday we'll
have an extra hour of practice because the circuit is new
to the calendar. I'm just disappointed I won't be at full
fitness because I'd like to pay my team back with a top result.
All the guys in the garage, my chief engineer Fabrizio Cecchini
included, live close to the track and they're looking forward
to this race."
MARCO MELANDRI: "The medical checks
after Brno confirmed a discal hernia between the fifth and
sixth vertebrae but luckily the need for surgery was ruled
out. I need more rest and physiotherapy right up until the
eve of the Grand Prix. The situation is better compared to
Brno but I know I am running out of time. I just hope to be
in good shape for the race because this is a special Grand
Prix for my team. As a circuit Misano has changed a lot from
the one we knew: there are some new sections and they are
running it in the opposite direction so it's like a completely
new track. The best place to overtake? Under braking at Quercia!
It won't be easy to pass though because there are at least
four first gear corners. For me it will be a physically challenging
race after the problems I had at Brno. I'll have to see how
it is when I get on the bike on Friday but I'm hoping to be
fit. To have a second race in Italy as well as the traditional
race at Mugello is a privilege for the Italian riders. Racing
in front of our fans is an incredible feeling!"
ANOTHER HOME RACE: The MotoGP World Championship
returns to Misano after a 14-year hiatus this weekend for
the second race of season on Italian soil. For Fausto Gresini's
staff, Misano is as close to a home Grand Prix as they could
possibly get, with the Gresini Racing headquarters located
just three kilometres away in San Clemente.
The Honda Gresini Team's nerve centre is the epitome of functionality:
an area measuring 1,100m², doted with the very latest
in motorcycle preparation technology and logistic organisation.
Fabrizio Cecchini, who has worked with Fausto Gresini since
1997, when the team was born, is responsible for the technical
side of things and oversees the work done to ensure all the
preparations are made for a season competing at the highest
level. The heart of the racing division lies in two rooms
dedicated to bike maintenance and tuning, which are joined
on to an engine room. This is also home to the first engine
ever used by Team Gresini: Alex Barros' twin cylinder Honda
500 from 1997. There is also a cleaning room with a bath,
where each part of the bike is washed and comes back as new.
Team Gresini also has its own facilities to create the interior
structure of the pit box. Each year, at the end of the season,
plans are made for a new box structure that must improve that
of the previous year in terms of both functionality and elegance.
There is even a graphic design office, where the bike's stickers
are drawn up. All the material, spare parts and long-haul
transporter boxes are stored in a huge warehouse. On the first
floor there is a storeroom for the team's uniform and merchandise.
Outside there is a motocross track, where the riders can train
on one of the team's two supermoto bikes.
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