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The Ducati Marlboro Team is preparing itself
for one of the most popular events of the season for the teams, riders and fans
this weekend, as the Grand Prix of Italy takes place at the Mugello circuit,
located less than 90 kilometres from the factory's headquarters in Borgo
Panigale.
As has become tradition the factory's red army of fans will
again gather in the Ducati grandstand at the Correntaio corner for both
qualifying and the race, with 3,000 of them giving their passionate support to
both Casey Stoner and Marco Melandri.
Casey and Marco are both up for the
challenge and are huge fans of the fast and technical circuit themselves, having
both claimed podium finishes there in the smaller Grand Prix classes. Melandri
took 250cc victory in 2002, having finished second in the 125cc race in '98 and
'99, whilst Stoner took his maiden career pole in the 125cc class in 2003. He
also finished second in the 250cc race in 2004 and just missed out on a MotoGP
podium last season to fellow Ducati rider Alex Barros.
GABRIELE DEL TORCHIO, CEO Ducati Motor
Holding
"Our home race at Mugello is upon us. It is always a very
important occasion that traditionally brings together the Ducatisti and, as
always, it will be a great party. We're expecting to have a Ducati grandstand
that is even redder and more passionate than ever! We will be supporting our
riders and we will show that the spirit that drives Ducati Corse is the same as
ever - one of fighting without ever giving up, even in times of adversity. In my
opinion this spirit was perfectly demonstrated by our riders at Le Mans - by
Casey pushing his bike back to the pits in an attempt to rejoin the race and
Marco, who refused to throw the towel in after a problem at the start and ended
up bringing a point home. The championship still has a long way to go and we're
just as aware of the strength of our rivals as we are of our own ability to
fight for victory."
CASEY STONER, Ducati Marlboro Team
"Whenever anybody asks me which is my favourite track, other than my
home track of Phillip Island, Mugello immediately springs to mind. It is a true
racetrack - fast, technical and demanding because it requires a precise line
otherwise you can lose a lot of time. Last year we missed the podium by a little
bit but the race was still important because we learnt some things about the
bike that helped us be competitive at the races that followed. This year we
arrive on the back of a tough race, where we had a problem that prevented us
from scoring a podium, but on the whole it was a positive weekend because we had
a fast and consistent pace going during practice. Hopefully we can manage to be
just as fast at Mugello but have a good race too - for the fans, who always
create such a special atmosphere in Italy, but mainly for everybody at Ducati
and the guys in the team, who are working so hard and deserve a top result."
MARCO
MELANDRI, Ducati Marlboro Team
"I don't think there are many tracks in
the world that are as beautiful as Mugello and I'm sure the majority of riders
would agree with me. It's not just about the atmosphere and the fans, even
though it is exciting to feel their presence and to see the grandstands packed
out - as I'm sure the Ducati one will be. The track is enjoyable but demanding
at the same time, with a long straight that isn't perfectly straight! That makes
it difficult, then you have a mixture of slow and fast corners, with fast
changes of direction - you know when you are on a good lap. You have to be quick
through the chicane and make sure you have good feeling with the front in order
to be fast and aggressive. It is a circuit the Ducati technicians know well and
where I hope we can have the chance to have a good race. I'd really like to do
well in front of my home fans"
THE
TRACK
At 5,245km, Mugello is one of the longest circuits on the
current MotoGP calendar. It is distinguishable from other fast tracks because of
its frequent changes in elevation and the speed of its two chicanes. Measuring
some 1141m, the main straight is also one of the longest in the world and at the
end of it the riders go from full throttle to full brakes as they drop from
around 320km/h to around 100km/h in order to tackle the tight first turn. The
rest of the track is an exciting mix of fast corners, quick direction changes
and long bends that make tyre choice absolutely crucial. Mugello held its first
GP in 1976 but only became a regular on the calendar after modernisation work in
1990.
RECORDS
Circuit
Record: Max Biaggi (Honda - 2005) 1'50. 117- 171.472 km/h
Best Pole: Sete
Gibernau (Ducati - 2006) 1'48.969- 173.279 km/h
Circuit Length: 5,245
km.
MotoGP 2008 Race: 23 laps (120.635km)
MotoGP 2008 Schedule: 14:00
CET
DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM - RIDER
INFO
CASEY STONER
Age: 22 (16th October
1985)
Residence: Montecarlo
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici
GP8
GP Appearances: 100 (39xMotoGP, 31x250, 30x125)
GP Victories: 18
(11xMotoGP, 5x250, 2x125)
First GP Victory: Valencia, 2003 (125)
First GP:
England, 2001 (125)
Pole positions: 10 (6xMotoGP, 2x250, 2x125)
First pole
position: Italy, 2003 (125)
World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2007)
MotoGP track record at Mugello:
2007: Grid:
1st; Race: 4th
2006: Grid: 9th; Race: DNF
MARCO
MELANDRI
Age: 25 (7th August 1982 in Ravenna, Italy)
Residence:
Derby, UK
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP8
GP Appearances: 160
(84xMotoGP, 47x250, 29 x 125)
GP Victories: 22 (5xMotoGP, 10x250,
7x125)
First GP Victory: Holland, 1998 (125)
First GP: Czech Republic,
1997 (125)
Pole positions: 9 (6x250, 3x125)
First pole position: Germany,
1998 (125)
World Titles: 1 (250, 2002)
MotoGP track record at Mugello:
2007: Grid:
6th; Race: 9th
2006: Grid: 6th; Race: 6th
2005: Grid: 7th; Race: 4th
2004: Grid: 5th; Race: 9th
2003: Grid: 12th; Race: 11th
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