We had a test at Mugello at the beginning of May, so we’ll see if we’re able to start well beginning in FP1
The reigning World Champion has won three times on his previous visits to the Mugello circuit: The first of his Grand Prix career in 2010 – in 125cc-, a Moto2 win in 2011, and the most recent in 2014, in MotoGP.
Dani Pedrosa has taken eight podiums at the Italian track, including two victories: One in the premier class in 2010 and another in 250cc, in 2005.
The Repsol Honda team come into the Italian Grand Prix leading the individual standings – with Marc Márquez 36 points ahead of his nearest rival – and the team standings – 9 points ahead of their closest competitors.
Mugello is characterised by being one of the most beautiful, fast and demanding circuits on the calendar. In a video, Marc Márquez and Dani Pedrosa tell us about its main characteristics.
Marc Márquez
“It’s good to go to Mugello with an advantage in the Championship, but we’re still in the early phase of the season and everything is very tight, so we must keep our feet well on the ground. We had a test at Mugello before the French GP and were able to be fast and very consistent. That’s good of course, but you always have to wait and see what situation you’re in when you start working for the race. There are always question marks regarding tyres, setup, temperatures, and so on. For instance, conditions will probably be warmer this weekend compared to when we tested, so we’ll just keep concentrating to try and manage well the usual ups and downs of preparing for a race.”
Dani Pedrosa
“After a full week of rest following the Catalunya test, I’m really looking forward to going to race at Mugello. It’s a nice track that I like. It’s very fast, with many chicanes, and you must work hard to find a good setup because it’s particularly important to have a good feeling with the bike in all the corner entries. We had a test at Mugello at the beginning of May, so we’ll see if we’re able to start well beginning in FP1. I have a great relationship with Italy and Italian fans!”