If there is a Grand Prix where it would be important for Lorenzo to obtain a good result, it is the Italian one. The Mugello Autodrome is in fact located only around fifty kilometers from Ducati headquarters, and many staff members are present, while the Ducati Tribune is overflowing with enthusiasm.
Lorenzo will be able to greet the fans from practice with his head held high, arriving with an impressive record of five victories obtained during the last six Italian Grands Prix. He has indeed won five times, but also has never finished beyond second place since 2009 (inclusive). So with a rider who has always been on one of the two highest steps for the previous eight years, the pressure is more on Ducati because we know that the rider is performing well.
Italian motorcycling has been in the past, notably with the magnificent victory obtained by Casey Stoner in 2009, one second ahead of Lorenzo and two ahead of Rossi. The Ducati Tribune almost collapsed under the delirious red fans! In 2016, the Desmosedici was reasonably competitive in Tuscany, with Andrea Iannone third, 4 seconds behind Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez (separated by 0.01 at the finish line!), as well as Andrea Dovizioso fifth, six seconds behind.
Aware of the pressure weighing on his shoulders and the hopes of the fans, Luigi Dall'Igna, the Competition Director, organized a day of driving last Wednesday at Mugello, with Michele Pirro coming to support Lorenzo and Dovi. There was talk of optimizing the bikes, and why not seeing if the engine could take a few more revolutions on the long straight.
For Jorge Lorenzo, currently eighth in the World Championship with 38 points, “ After sixth place at Le Mans and especially the positive test we carried out last week in Montmelò, I came to Mugello with optimism and a great desire to race.
“We found good solutions with the front tire and the aim is to be as competitive as in Jerez. Now I have accumulated more mileage and, therefore, more experience on the bike, and I feel ready for the Italian GP.
“Mugello is one of my favorite circuits and it is also one of the tracks where I have won the most in the past. This year we also have the fact that it is Ducati's home track, which makes me even more motivated. I can't wait to see all the fans in the Ducati grandstand. »
Mugello will also see the participation of Michele Pirro, entered as a wild card with a third Desmosedici from the Ducati test team. The San Giovanni Rotondo rider won the first four races of the Italian Superbike Championship, two at Imola then two at Misano. He will ride for the first time this season in MotoGP.
Mugello is always a source of emotion for Pirro, because he remembers that it is there that he competed in his first Grand Prix, in 125 in 2003. He qualified thirtieth between Tom Lüthi and Emilio Alzamora , to then rank twenty-ninth in the race, between Alvaro Bautista and Leon Camier. Mike di Meglio had the misfortune to crash that day on the first lap (sometimes a little “hot” at Mugello, especially in the small engine).
But back to our test driver promoted this weekend to racing driver. For Michele Pirro, “ Here I am back on track for a GP for the first time since Aragon last year. I'm very happy because it's always a fascinating experience to race at Mugello in front of our fans. As always, I will try to do my best with the guys from the test team to take our bike as far as possible. We have a good base and I am ready to try to get a good result in the race. »
Photos © Ducati
