MotoGP Italian Grand Prix Preview
Jorge Lorenzo is seeking his third win in a row as Mugello hosts round four of the 2010 MotoGP world championship.
The rivalry between the two Fiat Yamaha drivers will continue, as Lorenzo is taking the challenge to his teammate Valentino Rossi after missing out on last year’s world championship.
Lorenzo leads the drivers’ standings with 70 points, nine points ahead of Rossi, with that pair trailed by Andrea Dovizioso on 42 points.
Lorenzo has made an electrifying start to the season, winning back-to-back races in Spain and France. He finished second at Mugello last year, and is looking good to go one better this year. “Last year Mugello was one of my best races. I crashed in the warm-up lap, but otherwise it was almost perfect and I was so happy to get on the podium. The sessions and the race were amazing. For me, Mugello is the best circuit in the world, joint with Phillip Island [Australia]. It's a classic circuit with many ups and downs and an incredible atmosphere,” said Lorenzo.
Reigning world champion Rossi - who has been suffering with a shoulder injury for the last two races - has an incredible record at his home grand prix. He won for seven consecutive seasons between 2002 and 2008 and finished third last year. The Italian has only one race win to his name so far this season- the opening race of the season in Qatar- and it is his teammate Lorenzo who has all the momentum.
“After another rest I hope my shoulder is fully recovered and that I will be back to full strength for Mugello, my home race. We had some problems in Le Mans (France) so we will be working hard from the first session to make sure that we're back to our best. Mugello is an incredible place to ride a motorcycle, there is nowhere else like it in the world with all the fans around the hills and when you go out for the first lap the sound is something amazing. I always look forward to racing there and I hope we will be in good shape this weekend,” said Rossi.
One man who needs to get his championship back on track - especially on Ducati’s home territory - is Casey Stoner. The Australian won at Mugello last year, but has endured a difficult campaign so far in 2010. He has failed to finish two of the three races this season, mainly due to brake issues, crashing out in Qatar and Le Mans. Stoner already finds himself 59 points adrift of leader Lorenzo.
“Obviously Mugello hasn’t come at a positive moment for us but this is our situation and we have to try and look forward, taking things race by race and not worrying too much about the championship. That is what I am most interested in right now and we want to get the bottom of this problem we’re having with the front end. We have a few things to try at Mugello and we will be working as hard as always to achieve our goals. Generally the bike is working well and we have the pace to fight with the guys at the front so it is just a case of continuing to work hard to solve this issue,” said Stoner.
Meanwhile in the first practice session, Rossi signalled his intentions by topping the timesheets, 0.369 seconds faster than championship leader Lorenzo.
Lorenzo is the form driver, and is once again the man to beat this weekend.
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