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Alvaro Bautista takes championship lead to Italy

In MotoGP

26 maggio 2009

Alvaro Bautista takes championship lead to Italy

The MotoGP World Championship arrives in the heart of Tuscany this weekend as Italy plays host to the fifth round of the season. Emotions are running high in the 250cc class and with Álvaro Bautista having snatched victory from home favourite Hiroshi Aoyama at Motegi, only for the Japanese to turn the tables at Jerez, both will be looking to cause similar indignation to Marco Simoncelli, the third of the main title contenders, in his home race. The Mugello circuit, a favourite amongst the riders as much for its fast corners and dramatic elevation changes as for the atmosphere provided by the fans, will play host to a race which will no doubt go some way to further clarifying each of their title credentials.

Bautista came through the toughest of challenges at Le Mans, guiding his Aprilia to the finish line in treacherous conditions and picking up thirteen crucial points that mean the Mapfre rider travels to Mugello as the World Championship leader. The Spaniard has mixed feelings about the circuit, having won here in 2007 but crashed out of the lead last year, and knows he will need to be back to his very best form if he wants to take his second victory of the current campaign. His team-mate Mike Di Meglio was not as fortunate as he fell victim to the rain at Le Mans and the Frenchman is now desperate to get back on track at Mugello and continue his adaptation to the 250cc class at one of his favourite circuits.

Álvaro Bautista: "Arriving at Mugello on the top of the championship gives us a sense of calm because we know we can run up front and we can work without feeling under pressure. We have a good base set-up, this is a fast and fun track - the kind I like - so I'm hopeful of a good result. In 2007 I won my first 250 race here and I started from pole so that is further evidence that we can run at the front this weekend. The Italians will be trying to win this one at all cost, especially Simoncelli, who is in good form after his win at Le Mans. My plan is the same as any other race - to work as hard as possible during practice to be in the best possible shape for the race. If the bike is 100 per cent for Sunday we'll be going out to give our best and if possible take the win, and if not we'll take as many points as we can."

Mike Di Meglio: "I love Mugello - it is practically my second home. I always enjoyed riding the 125 there and last year I led the race for a few laps before finishing fourth. It was a shame because I thought we could have been on the podium but we made a mistake with the race strategy. Hopefully I can enjoy myself as much in this new category as I did in 125. The idea is to keep working as well as we have done up to now. Unfortunately at Le Mans I crashed and the weekend didn't end well but I was still very pleased with the job we did. Let's see if we can work in the same way this weekend but finish it off with a good race. The thing l love the most about Mugello is the constant elevation changes. It is also very fas