The Ducati Team has arrived at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello for the TIM Italian Grand Prix, round 6 of the 2016 MotoGP World Championship and always one of the most prestigious rounds on the calendar, which will be held this weekend at the magnificent circuit in the heart of Tuscany.
It will be a special event for the Ducati Team riders, seeing as it is the legendary Italian factory’s home race, and as always they will feel the support of numerous Ducati fans, including the 2500 packed into the Ducati Grandstand at the Correntaio curve.
Twelve months ago Andrea Iannone notched up the first pole position in his MotoGP career, and he went on to finish the race in an excellent second place behind winner Lorenzo, while team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, after starting alongside on the front row, was forced to retire on lap 14.
Michele Pirro will also be present at Mugello as a wild-card entry on a third Desmosedici GP for the Ducati Test Team. The Italian, who comes off the back of a double win in the opening rounds of the Italian Superbike Championship at Vallelunga, will have his fourth outing this season at Mugello, after replacing Danilo Petrucci in Pramac Racing in three of the five previous rounds.
The Italian GP weekend gets underway on Friday morning with the first free practice session at 9.55 am, while the 23-lap race is scheduled for Sunday at 2 pm.
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 10th (25 points)
“Finally we are going to Mugello and I feel sure we can also be competitive at our home circuit. Last year’s GP was one of the best moments of my career: I set pole and finished runner-up in the race, and I really hope I can score a good result this year. With the performance and the potential we have shown so far, I am convinced that if we continue to work well, we’re going to get some good results soon.”
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 11th (23 points)
“We have to be happy with the work that we’ve done until now because we have shown that we are quick in both practice and qualifying at almost every circuit, but sometimes we are unable to keep the same pace in the race. Our aim now therefore is to be quick but also to spend less energy and be less aggressive in order to preserve the tyres. At Mugello we will all have that little bit of extra motivation to do well, seeing as it is Ducati’s home race.”
Michele Pirro (Ducati Team #51) – 16th (12 points)
“I am happy to race at Mugello with the Desmosedici GP and with my team, seeing as we’ve always done some good races together. My bike will have the same configuration as those of the factory team and so we will try and be quick and competitive, as we showed last year. Last Sunday everything went really well in the Italian Superbike Championship and it’s always a great satisfaction to win two races, but MotoGP is something totally different and I am also determined to do well here.”
The Mugello circuit
Located 30km north-east of Florence in the beautiful Tuscany countryside, 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 reputation for being 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 offers ample viewing areas for a particularly partisan Italian crowd.
Fastest Lap: Iannone (Ducati), 1’46.489 (177.3 km/h) – 2015
Circuit Record: Marquez (Honda), 1’47.639 (175.4 km/h) – 2013
Best Pole: Iannone (Ducati), 1’46.489 (177.3 km/h) – 2015
Top Speed: Iannone (Ducati), 350.8 km/h – 2015
Track Length: 5.2 km
Race Distance: 23 laps (120.6 km)
Corners: 15 (6 left, 9 right)
Race Start: 14.00 CET
2015 Results
Podium: 1. Lorenzo (Yamaha), 2. Iannone (Ducati), 3. Rossi (Yamaha)
Pole Position: Iannone (Ducati), 1’46”489 (177,3 km/h)
Fastest Lap: Marquez (Honda), 1’47”654 (175,3 km/h)
Andrea Dovizioso
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Race Number: 04
Age: 30 (born on March 23rd 1986 in Forlimpopoli, Italy)
Residence: Forlì (Italy)
Races: 245 (147 x MotoGP, 49 x 250cc, 49 x 125cc)
First GP: 2001 Italian GP (125cc)
Wins: 10 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
First Win: 2004 South African GP (125cc)
Pole Positions: 16 (3 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 9 x 125cc)
First Pole: 2003 French GP (125cc)
Titles: 1 (1 x 125cc)
Andrea Iannone
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Race Number: 29
Age: 26 (born on August 9th 1989 in Vasto, Italy)
Residence: Vasto (Italy)
Races: 183 (56 x MotoGP, 51 x Moto2, 76 x 125cc)
First GP: 2005 Spanish GP (125cc)
Wins: 12 (8 x Moto2, 4 x 125cc)
First Win: 2008 GP of China (125cc)
Pole Positions: 9 (1 x MotoGP, 5 x Moto2, 3 x 125cc)
First Pole: 2008 GP of Malaysia (125cc)
Michele Pirro
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Race Number: 51
Age: 29 (born on July 5th 1986 in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy)
Residence: Cesena (Italy)
Races: 87 (40 x MotoGP, 18 x Moto2, 29 x 125cc)
First GP: 2003 Italian GP (125cc)
Wins: 1 (1 x Moto2)
First Win: 2011 Valencia GP (Moto2)
Pole Positions: 1 (1 x Moto2)
First Pole: 2011 Valencia GP (Moto2)
