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It was a busy holiday weekend last weekend and so I missed any followup or commentary on the last MotoGP race ... apologies if anyone was looking for that! If you were: don't lurk, write something

Anyhow, we are quickly approaching the end of May and yet another weekend chock full of racing events all over the world. In 2 days time from today (05/26), the MotoGP grid will begin Free Practice sessions for the 2015 Gran Premio d'Italia TIM, round 6 of the 2015 season.

Details to follow as they come out. But let's hear some predictions! Top 3? Top 10? Yamaha or Honda?

Gran Premio d'Italia TIM @ Autodromo del Mugello, Italy



About the circuit
Located 30km north-east of Florence in the beautiful countryside of Tuscany, Mugello is a modern circuit with excellent facilities. Bought by Ferrari back in 1988, the 5.245km track has been renovated to a high standard and has a growing reputation as one of the world’s most up-to-date, scenic and safest race circuits.

A blend of slow and fast turns with sweeping curves, long straights and off-camber corners make Mugello one of the most challenging circuits for the riders and engineers. Having hosted its first MotoGP event back in 1976 the venue became a permanent fixture in 1991 after extensive refurbishment. Set within a beautiful tree lined Tuscan valley, Mugello also offers ample viewing areas for a particularly boisterous and partisan Italian crowd.

Laps: 23
Total distance: 120.6 km - 75.0 miles
LENGTH: 5.2 km / 3.26 miles
LEFT CORNERS: 6
RIGHT CORNERS: 9
WIDTH: 14 m. / 45.93 ft.
LONGEST STRAIGHT 1141 m. / 3743.44 ft.
2014 PREMIER CLASS WINNER Marc Marquez in 41'38.254 @ 173.8 km/h
MOST WINS:
Valentino Rossi - 7
JL99 - 3
MOST POLES:
The Doctor - 5
Dani Pedrosa - 3
Casey Stoner - 2
FASTEST LAP: Dani Pedrosa (2013) in 1'47.157 @ 176.2
CIRCUIT RECORD: Marc Marquez (2013) in 1'47.639 @ 175.4
TOP SPEED: Andrea Iannone (2014) @ 349.6 / 217.23 mph!






2015 Point so far:


Po Rider Pts
1 Valentino Rossi 102
2 Jorge Lorenzo 87
3 Andrea Dovizioso 83
4 Marc Marquez 69
5 Andrea Iannone 61
6 Cal Crutchlow 47

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Ducati Team’s Andrea Iannone will have to race through the pain once more in Mugello after discovering that he has a fractured arm.



Andrea Iannone:
“For sure on Sunday I will race at Mugello but it’s going to be difficult for me to be 100% fit. A couple of days ago I stopped taking pain-killers and yesterday I did an MRI scan. Unfortunately they found a hairline fracture at the tip of my funny bone, and to be sincere that was a bit of a nasty surprise. The swelling still causes me a lot of pain and I am continuing to do laser therapy in an attempt to get it to go down as soon as possible. In any case, I’ll have to grit my teeth like I did at Le Mans, because it’s far too important for me and for Ducati to have a good race in front of the Mugello fans.”

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2015/0...ny-bone/176347

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Bridgestone MotoGP™ Preview - Round 6: Italy, Mugello
Tuesday, 26 May 2015 Mugello, Italy


Bridgestone slick compounds: Front: Soft, Medium & Hard; Rear: Soft, Medium (Asymmetric) & Hard (Symmetric)
Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main) & Soft (Alternative)

Italy’s Mugello Circuit hosts round six of the MotoGP™ championship and the venue is a favourite for riders and fans alike due to its stunning Tuscan setting and its fast, technical layout.

Mugello combines fast and slow corners with one of the longest straights on the MotoGP calendar. This straight is preceded by the sweeping Bucine corner which hurls the riders down the hill towards turn one at speeds of around 350km/h. The approach to turn one at San Donato features a severe braking zone that demands extremely high levels of stability and control from the front tyre.

In addition to the heavy acceleration and braking zones, the flowing sections like Casanova-Savelli, Biondetti, and Arrabbiata 1 and 2, require very high levels of grip from the edge of the tyre. With nine right-handed corners compared to just six left-handers, two of the rear slick options for Mugello - the soft and medium compound - feature harder rubber on the right shoulders compared to the left.

For the Factory Honda and Yamaha riders, the rear slick tyre options are the medium and hard compound rear slicks, while the other riders have the soft and medium compound rear slicks available. Bridgestone’s front slick tyre options for the Italian Grand Prix are the soft, medium and hard compounds to ensure the riders have options to deal with a wide range of temperature and track conditions. As Mugello is quite demanding on tyres, the main wet tyre this weekend is the hard compound option, while the soft compound is the alternative wet tyre option.

Hiroshi Yamada - Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
“Everyone in the MotoGP paddock loves coming to Mugello and it also holds a special place in the heart of fans as it is one the most spectacular circuits we visit. We have seen record crowds at a few rounds already this season and with Valentino leading the championship and Ducati battling for the podium at every round, I hope to see a huge Italian crowd lining the hills surrounding Mugello this weekend. Last year we saw a thrilling battle between Marc and Jorge, the two riders crossing the finish line within a tenth of a second of each other, and with so many riders on form this year let’s hope we see another fantastic fight at the Italian Grand Prix.”

Shinji Aoki - Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
“Mugello is one of the fastest circuits on the calendar and is tough on tyres because of the high speed corners, elevation changes, harsh braking, and the track temperatures which often reach above 50 degrees Celsius. The Mugello tarmac is also high in grip and abrasive which further increases the technical challenge for us. Although hot weather is often experienced at this event, the circuit is located in mountainous terrain and so our tyre allocation must also be able to deal with low temperatures, particularly in the morning sessions. The heavy braking demands a strong and stable front tyre, whilst the high-speed corners require good stability and edge grip from the rear tyre. Top speeds here are among the highest reached during the season and this puts significant strain on the centre section of the rear tyres.”

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Bradley Smith Championship : 7th points : 46
Bradley Smith - 2015"It's that time of the year when we visit the awesome Mugello circuit again. Riding this track is a real pleasure and the race event is one that everyone enjoys, especially as the crowd is always so passionate. The track is undulating and there is a huge straight which means some of the fastest top speeds of the year are set there. With regards to the Yamaha, the flowing nature of the circuit suits us and as long as I ride smoothly, I feel that we can clinch a good result. Last race, I was right in the hunt with Iannone and Marquez in the final section of the race, so I hope to be in a similar position this time around on Sunday afternoon. As always, we will try to hit the ground running and we will look to get everything set up as soon as possible so that we can have a strong qualifying which is vital in order to close the weekend with a positive result in the race."

Pol Espargaro Championship : 8th Points : 35
Pol Espargaro - 2015"I am excited about riding the Yamaha in the Tuscan hills this weekend! It will be a long race, especially after the surgery, but some corners such as the Casanova or the Savelli, are great fun to ride on a MotoGP bike. My operation was successful last week and I've had a few days to recover so that I can be as ready as possible for this race, which is a physically demanding one. The last GP was tricky due to my injury, but I still managed to finish the race in 7th and picked up some valuable championship points. Also this weekend I will push as hard as possible on race day but we will see how my arm feels before I make any serious predictions, yet for sure, I aim to be as high as possible. Last year I finished the race in 5th position and I've scored three podiums in the lower leagues at the track. To do the same this year would be great, so the plan is to qualify well and then finish the race in a strong placement. The atmosphere created by the crowd is always amazing and the perfect addition to our racing so I can't wait to see them at the track supporting us as enthusiastically as they always do."

Marc Marquez CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 4TH - 69 POINTS
"We are very motivated after the weekend in Le Mans and arrive in Italy in good shape. We must work hard from Friday to find a good setup as Mugello is a complicated circuit, however, I like it and have good memories from my first victory in 2010. We know Valentino will be very strong at his home race, Jorge and Dani have a good history there and Ducati were testing there just a few weeks ago, so we will have to be focused all weekend."


Dani Pedrosa
"Even though we didn’t get a great race result, the outcome from the weekend in Le Mans was positive! The arm was better than I expected and now we head to Italy — after a further two weeks of recovery — looking to make another step. Mugello is a very fast track and you must work hard from the first session to find a good setup for this circuit. The fans always make this a special race so I hope I can do a good race for my fans and my team."


ENEA BASTIANINI
"Mugello is a circuit as beautiful as difficult: last year, at my first experience with a fast bike, it took me a bit of time to find the right lines. In fact, the track is very wide and allows you to keep several lines. This year I will be able to count on greater experience: the aim is to start the weekend in a good way, keeping a good rhythm, then we’ll try to get the maximum in the race. In Le Mans I found the right feeling with the bike, so I think we can fight once again for a podium finish: racing at home is always nice and exciting, we'll try to entertain the fans!".

ANDREA LOCATELLI
"We arrive at Mugello with a great motivation: it's a track I know very well and I think this race will represent the perfect occasion to regain the competitiveness shown in the first two Grands Prix of the season. I think that we have the potential to fight at the top, we only need to return to take the right direction in terms of chassis set-up. Last year I returned at Mugello after missing two races due to a wrist injury, but a gearbox problem didn’t allow me to make a good race. I hope to have more luck this year".

FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
“The Italian Grand Prix represents an important round, not only because we'll be racing in front of our home fans, but also because we'll be taking a lot of technical changes to the track in various areas of the bike. The Aprilia mechanics have put in a lot of effort preparing these advancements and this is a fine demonstration of the great desire that drives the entire team and the racing division. We are expecting a weekend of hard work, but we are confident that these efforts will soon be rewarded with some nice results.”

ALVARO BAUTISTA
“At Mugello we'll be taking a lot of technical changes onto the track, beginning with the seamless gearbox that I tested at Jerez with good results, so we are very motivated as we approach this round. We'll also have some other upgrades available in various areas of the bike, so I'm confident that we'll be able to take a big step forward. We expect this weekend to be more demanding than usual because we will have a lot of things to test and not much time to do it, but we are ready to work hard. If we manage to find a good setup on a difficult track like Mugello I think this will be helpful to us in the upcoming Grand Prix races as well, so I'm anxious to get onto the track to begin checking the quality of the technical advancements. Our main goal is still bike development, although I won't hide the fact that achieving a good result in Aprilia's home Grand Prix would be nice.”

MATTIA PASINI
"Both in Aragon and in Misano we carried out positive tests: I’ve been fast and I found a very good feeling with the bike, but the most important thing that makes me optimistic is the really good atmosphere I immediately felt inside the garage. I’m convinced that this factor is very important in racing. I look forward to the Mugello race driven by great enthusiasm, although clearly in this moment it’s difficult to make a prediction: I would just like to have the opportunity to fully express my potential; if we do it, I think we can have a good race, although the challenge we face is definitely not easy. Our rivals took part to all the first part of the season and they are all very strong; anyway, we will try our best to do well".

FAUSTO GRESINI
"I’ve always loved Pasini’s racing attitude and I'm glad to be able to give him the opportunity to take part to this event as a Wild Card: adventures like these are even more stimulating when they involve such a talented rider like Mattia, who has always demonstrated a great desire to succeed. I’m convinced that he can do a good race: we wait for him with great confidence, and I think that also the fans will be happy to see him back on track".

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Watch out, here comes Ducati!

FP2

Free Practice 2:
1. Andrea Dovizioso
2. Marc Marquez
3. Jorge Lorenzo
4. Andrea Iannone
5. Bradley Smith
6. Cal Crutchlow
7. Aleix Espargaro
8. Scott Redding
9. Valentino Rossi
10. Pol Espargaro
11. Michele Pirro
12. Danilo Petrucci
13. Dani Pedrosa
14. Yonny Hernandez
15. Maverick Viñales
16. Stefan Bradl
17. Karel Abraham
18. Hector Barbera
19. Jack Miller
20. Mike Di Meglio
21. Alvaro Bautista
22. Loris Baz
23. Eugene Laverty
24. Nicky Hayden
25. Alex De Angelis
26. Marco Melandri

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Sucks for MM93