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Mugello Welcomes a Confident Yamaha Team

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team head straight to Mugello this week in optimistic mood after a text book maiden MotoGP victory by rider Ben Spies and an impressive ride by Jorge Lorenzo at last weekend’s 81st Assen TT. The back to back races offer an opportunity for the riders to pick up quickly where they left off in The Netherlands where they celebrated the first of the year’s 50th Anniversary of Grand Prix racing events. The Tuscan circuit is just two hours drive from the team’s headquarters near Milan so forms an honorary home race for the team.

Lorenzo has a strong record at Mugello, winning in the 250cc class and claiming two premier class second place finishes in 2009 and 2010 with the Yamaha Factory Team. Spies performed well on his first visit to the Italian track last year, taking seventh after an intense battle which saw him ride as high as fourth at times.

Mugello can lay claim to being one of the fastest circuits in the world. The main straight is over a kilometre long and witnesses speeds of over 320km/hr by the GP riders before dropping into the downhill right hand corner at the end. Combine this with varied camber and gradient changes, high speed chicanes and an extra wide track and the thousands of passionate fans who flock to the surrounding hillsides are guaranteed some intense racing action.

Ben Spies

“These few days off seem to have taken forever, when you finish a race like Assen you just want to get straight back in and try to do it again. My first GP victory still hasn’t sunk in properly; it was pretty special for me to be able to do it at such a legendary circuit and at this unique time in Yamaha’s history. The red and white livery definitely bought me luck! I’m looking forward to Mugello, the track has apparently got a new surface with lots of grip so it should be pretty good for the bike and pretty exciting for the fans.”

Jorge Lorenzo

“We are going to Mugello, no time to rest and think about what happened last Saturday. The team did a great job and I believe the bike now can be better, making a step ahead. We have to be positive after all! Mugello is a track I like so much, maybe one of the most beautiful around the world, my favourite with Phillip Island. This track is full of chicanes and this year there is new asphalt! I’ve never won in MotoGP, but we will try to be there and give a show to all our fans. Also I hope the weather changes after the previous races, summer has arrived.”

Wilco Zeelenberg

“After a very strange round in Assen with the 50th Anniversary event, unpredictable weather and eventful race we go to a little bit more of a stable weekend with some guaranteed sunshine. It should be a very hot race, a great track and a lot of spectators so I’m looking forward to it. Mugello is a very smooth track which Jorge likes and it suits our bike. We’ve been able to win there with Yamaha and they’ve changed the surface so it’s very flat with lots of grip. Let’s see if we can have two on the podium, that’s our goal.”

Massimo Meregalli

“We are coming to Mugello with a lot of confidence. In Assen we had a really strong performance so there’s no better way to be positive thinking about this round. The performance of both riders showed their potential to fight at the front last weekend. We think the weather should be a lot better than the last couple of rounds so we’re looking forward to continuing the good performance, especially as both riders are fans of the Mugello circuit.”

Jorge Lorenzo
Age: 24
Lives: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 36 (16 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 153 (58 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 43 (16 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 3 (MotoGP 2010, 250cc, 2006/7)

Ben Spies
Age: 26
Lives: Longview Texas / Lake Como Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 1
First GP victory: Assen, Netherlands, 2010
First GP: Donington, UK, 2008 (MotoGP)
GP starts: 28
Pole positions: 1
World Championships: 1 (WSB 2009)

Grand Prix Results: Mugello 2010
1. D.Pedrosa Honda 42’28.066
2. J.Lorenzo Yamaha +4.014
3. A.Dovizioso Honda +6.196
7. Ben Spies Yamaha Tech 3 +28.806

Mugello Record Lap
C.Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1’50.003

Mugello Best Lap
V.Rossi (Yamaha) 2008, 1’48.130

Edwards and Crutchlow ready for magnificent Mugello

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team’s busy schedule continues this weekend when Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow visit the magnificent Mugello circuit for the TIM Grand Prix of Italy, round eight of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship.

The 3.259 miles track is one of the most spectacular and challenging on the calendar and winds around the picturesque Tuscany countryside to provide the ultimate test of man and machine. The track has been resurfaced for 2011 and other riders who have recently tested at Mugello have declared themselves delighted with grip levels and the new tarmac has also removed some of the notoriously bumpy sections.

The TIM Grand Prix of Italy is the fourth race of si x in a hectic eight week period and comes hot on the heels of last weekend’s Dutch TT at the historic Assen circuit in which Edwards and Crutchlow looked like scoring the first double top six of the season for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. Unfortunately both encountered front tyre grip issues but still scored points.

With a further six days to have rested since Assen, Edwards and Crutchlow are confident they will be closer to 100 per cent fitness this weekend. The right collarbone Edwards broke in Catalunya on June 3 has quickly regained maximum strength, but muscle damage to his ribcage caused in the same accident is still the source of considerable discomfort for the popular American. With Mugello featuring numerous hard braking points and fast changes of direction, Edwards is expecting to ride through the pain barrier again.

Crutchlow has used the short break after Assen to step up his training regime after he broke his left collarbone in a qualifying crash at the recent British Grand Prix. The 25-year-old performed heroics last weekend to qualify sixth in Assen before he led nine-times world champion in the race in fourth position before he slipped back with front tyre grip problems.

Crutchlow has already demonstrated his skills at learning new tracks with impressive ease in 2011, so he’s looking to compete for his maiden top six on Sunday.

Colin Edwards

“My ribs are still sore from Assen and I’m expecting them to cause me a few problems this weekend because Mugello has a lot of fast changes of direction. That’s the point where I suffer the most because I don’t have 100 per cent strength in my upper body. I am looking forward to getting to Italy and seeing all the Italian fans. I’ve loved racing in Ital y right from my World Superbike career and the atmosphere at Mugello is always special. The first job will be checking the new surface. I’ve heard good reports about it but the extra grip means we’ll probably have to tweak the set-up of the bike a little bit. But the Yamaha has been working well recently and I’m sure we’ve got a competitive package. Hopefully we can have better conditions too. Silverstone and Assen have been pretty wet, so I’m looking forward to a whole weekend where we can put on a show for the fans on a dry track.”

Cal Crutchlow

“I was disappointed last weekend in Assen because I’m sure I could have got my best MotoGP result, but I’m determined to make up for it with a strong performance in Mugello. After all the effort I put in to ride, it was a pity not to finish where I should have done last weekend but I can’t change what happened an d now my focus is solely on doing the best job I can in Mugello. It is another new track for me again and it is going to be very difficult. But I’ve done a decent job at the other tracks I’d never seen before this year, so I’m confident I can be competitive. It looks like very technical with lots of different challenges but I’m up for it.”

2011 MotoGP Italy

Mugello 28/06/2011

Circuit Length:
5245

Lap Record:
1’50.117
(Max Biaggi, 1/1/2005)

Fastest Lap Ever:
1’42.837
(Valentino Rossi, 6/4/2006)

Last Years Winner:
Daniel Pedrosa

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