MotoGP
Dani Pedrosa aims to get into rhythm of success in Italy
29 maggio 2008
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With this weekend’s pulsating encounter in Italy followed a week later by Barcelona, there’s a weekend break before the Dutch TT and then the British round the weekend after that. Any rider who is not on peak form at the right time will suffer – and Dani is in no mood to watch his strong title surge lose momentum. Former World Champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) currently heads the points standings with 97, just ahead of Spanish challengers Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) and Dani tied for second overall with 94 points apiece. Reigning World Champion Casey Stoner (Ducati) lies fourth on 56 points. For Dani Mugello is a huge opportunity to reap points while building confidence for the rash of races that follow on from this milestone race. Mugello is one of the ‘big’ races on the calendar. Mugello is as demanding a track as any of the ‘classic’ circuits on the calendar. Located 30km north east of Florence Mugello is a high-speed carousel of a track, with rolling, cambered turns and a 200mph 1141m main straight. And at 5.245km it’s among the longer tracks too. Racing here tends to be close with spectacular slipstreaming action along the main chute and epic close-quarter fights in the turns, nine of which are right-handers, six left. Rhythm is the key to a fast lap here and a race rhythm over the 23-laps of the MotoGP contest will be crucial. It is also a ‘power’ circuit and the 800cc machines with the best drive out of the turns and the highest top speeds will be at an advantage here. A win at Mugello signals a bike and rider on top of their game and in the hunt for the big prize. The track was recently modified with an extra 20,000 capacity provided with new naturally sculpted grandstands at the Scarperia and Correntado turns and the atmosphere for both qualifying and race-day is unforgettable. It is these factors that make it such a massive Grand Prix. Dani won here on a 250 in 2005 on his way to the title and was second here last year. Although his enviable record of finishing on the podium in the last five races was broken with his fourth place at Le Mans two weekends ago, Pedrosa is confident he is still ‘in the groove’ for the challenges to come. His team-mate Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V), the 2006 MotoGP World Champion, finished third here in his title-winning season and knows if he can unlock the potential of his RC212V here this weekend then he could be set for a series of results that would catapult him towards the front of the rankings from his current seventh overall in the standings. For Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Scot Honda RC212V), who lies eighth overall at the moment, this is a ‘home’ race and ‘Dovi’ will be sure to take all the positives he can from this groundswell of support from a partisan crowd. Similarly Alex de Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) will feel the extra urge from a largely Italian 100,000 plus race-day crowd. |
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