Seven-times world champion
Valentino Rossi faces a few home truths when he returns home for the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello on Sunday.
Italy’s favourite son is having a tough time after five rounds of the 2007
MotoGP World Championship: Just one grand prix victory on the Fiat Yamaha means that the 28 year-old Italian trails Australian
Casey Stoner by 21 points as they face each other round the magnificent 3.259 mile Mugello circuit.
Rossi has an amazing record at his home track. He has won five successive premier class races at Mugello coupled with 125 and 250cc victories. Making it six in a row will not be easy even for ‘the Doctor’ who will receive massive support from the sell-out crowd packing the Tuscan hillsides.
But Stoner will also receive great support because he rides for the '
Ferrari of Motorcycling', Ducati, for whom he's won three of the opening five grands prix to build up that impressive lead. The Australian’s best Mugello result was a second place in the 125cc race three years ago, but he arrives full of confidence after such a superb start to the 18 round season.
It’s a big day for all Italian riders and both
Marco Melandri and
Loris Capirossi have tasted the victory at Mugello. Melandri, riding the Gresini Honda, is fighting back to form after finishing third in the Championship last year. He was second in the pouring French rain at the last round and moved into fourth place in the championship just one point behind the Repsol Honda of Spaniard
Dani Pedrosa who has also won at Mugello. It’s Pedrosa’s team-mate, world champion
Nicky Hayden who is looking for a change of fortune. The American languishes in 11th place after a spectacular fall in France.
Australian
Chris Vermeulen rode brilliantly in the French rain to secure his first MotoGP victory, giving the re-vitalised Rizla Suzuki team their first win for almost six years. They will be a major threat with his team-mate
John Hopkins also in great form and sixth in the championship, just ten points behind Vermeulen.
