TIM Grand Prix of Italy
2012 TIM Italian Grand Prix
ROUND NINE 2012 MotoGP™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – SUNDAY JULY 15
SMITH RETURNS TO SCENE OF TRIUMPH
Twenty-one year old Oxfordshire rider Bradley Smith returns to the scene of previous triumphs when he competes in the Moto2™ race at the magnificent Mugello circuit in the TIM Grand Prix of Italy on Sunday. Smith won the 125 cc race in 2009 at the 3.259 miles circuit and last year finished third in the Moto2 race. He’s currently seventh in the Moto2 World Championship and his Tech 3 Mistral machine is improving every race.
Gloucestershire teenager Scott Redding was chasing his third successive podium in Germany on Sunday but crashed out at the second bend he did, however, retain his fifth place in the Championship. Londoner Gino Rea started from the second row in Germany but finished just out of the points in 18th place.
Cal Crutchlow finished eighth in Germany after running of track chasing a podium finish. He makes just his second Mugello appearance trailing his Monster Tech 3 Yamaha team-mate Andrea Dovizioso by seven points in their battle for fourth in the championship. Cumbrian James Ellison is fifth in the CRT category riding the Paul Bird Motorsport ART machine.
Wiltshire teenager Danny Kent was thawted by mechanical problems in Germany and is keen to get back to podium chasing in Italy, while Danny Webb chases a change of fortune for the Mahindra team at the fast undulating track.
Bradley Smith:
“I am really happy with the first part of the race because I was battling for the podium and that is where I should be. But the second half of the race wasn’t so easy and it is clear we still have some work to do to improve the Mistral 610 machine. I had the same problem in the race that I had all weekend in the dry and that was a lack of rear grip. We tried a lot of things to improve it but I didn’t have the drive out of the corner like the rest. It is a pity that I didn’t quite finish in sixth because that would have been a decent outcome, but seventh still gives us something to build on. The Mistral 610 is getting better and that is clear because both myself and Xavier were able to finish inside the top 10, so that shows the brilliant work the team have been doing. Now we go to Mugello, which is one of my favourite tracks, and I’m hoping to have another great battle like last year when I was third.”
STONER TO FIGHT BACK AT MAGNIFICENT MUGELLO
World Champion Casey Stoner arrives at the magnificent Mugello circuit in determined mood for the TIM Grand Prix of Italy after his disasterous weekend in Germany. The Australian slipped to third place in the World Championship after crashing two bends from the finish in the race won by his Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa.
Jorge Lorenzo finished second in Germany to regain his championship lead. The three leading riders are separated by 20 points and all three have excellant records at the superb 3.259 mile Mugello circuit nestling in the Tuscan hillsides above the beautiful City of Florence.
Lorenzo won for Yamaha last year and also secured the 250 cc victory six years ago. Pedrosa, fresh from his first victory of the season in the Sachsenring, also has MotoGP™ and 250 cc wins while Stoner brought Ducati victory in 2009. It promises to be another classic encounter between the three leaders but there may be others fighting for the podium.
Andrea Dovizioso has secured three podium finishes, including Germany for the Monster Energy Tech 3 team and regained fourth place in the championship from team-mate Cal Crutchlow who ran off track but still finished in eighth place in Germany.
Mugello’s favourite son returns home with mixed memories. Valentino Rossi won seven years in succession between 2002 – 2008 to send the partisan fans wild. Two years ago he crashed and broke his leg in practice but he returns after finishing sixth in the Sachsenring to hold onto sixth place in the championship. Just four behind him.despite having to start from the back of the Sachsenring grid is Alvaro Bautista who is a 250 cc winner at Mugello. Rossi’s Ducati team-mate Nicky Hayden is two points adrift and coming under pressure from German Stefan Bradl riding the LCR Honda.
American Ben Spies is fighting for his factory Yamaha contract. He’s tenth in the championship after Dovizioso relegated him to fourth in Germany. Randy De Puniet took over the lead in the CRT category after finishing 11th in Germany. He leads team-mate Aleix Espargaro by a single point but also look out for previous double Mugello winners Matteo Paisini and Italian Michele Pirro on the San Carlo Gresini Honda. Italian Ducati test rider Franco Battaini is expected to continue replacing the injured Karel Abraham.
Spanish teenager Marc Marquez is running away with the Moto2™ World Championship. He has built up a 42 point lead in the championship after his fourth win of the season in Germany. In similar style to the last two rounds in Assen and the Sachsenring he’s chasing a hatrick of victoris after 125 and Moto2 wins at the Italian venue. There is a tremendous battle for second with Pol Espargaro , Tom Luthi and Andrea Iannone seperated by just five points. It’s a big home race for Iannone after crashing in Germany.
German Sandro Cortese will stop celebrating his histroric home Moto3™ win to concentrate on protecting his 18 point lead in the championship. Previous championship leader Maverick Vinales had a disasterous time in Germany finishing out of the points. It’s a special race for 16 year old Italian Romano Fenati who returns home for the first time to race after his maiden grand prix win in Jerez.
MUGELLO FACTS AND FIGURES
One of the favourite MotoGP venues for both fans and riders. The 3.259 miles circuit follows the contours of the Tuscan hills high above the City of Florence. It’s both fast and undulating and is also the Ferrari Formula One test track. Mugello staged it’s first grand prix in 1976.
Circuit Length: 5.245kms
Width: 14 m
Pole Position: Right
Longest Straight: 709m
Left Corners: Six
Right Corners: Nine
Pole Position Record:
Casey Stoner/Honda
1.48.034 (2011)
Lap Record:
Jorge Lorenzo/Yamaha
1’48.402 (2011)
TELEVISION TIMES
BBC/BRITISH EUROSPORT 2
Friday 13 July
1210 – 1500 British Eurosport 2 – Live Practice Moto3, MotoGP, Moto2
Saturday 14 July
1150 – 1505 BBC Red Button & British Eurosport 2 –
Live Qualifying Moto3, MotoGP, Moto2
Sunday 15 July
0950 – 1205 BBC Red Button – Live Moto3 and Moto2 races
0945 –1225 British Eurosport 2 – Live Moto3 and Moto2 races
1230 — 1400 BBC2 Live MotoGP race
1400 British Eurosport2 – MotoGP Action
CONTACTS
Nick will be available at the circuit from Thursday lunchtime until Sunday night. Please note Nick will not be available to answer the phone during qualifying or the races.
Ellison moves into fifth position in the CRT category points standing