That's because, since its 2003
MotoGP debut, Ducati has never won a grand prix in Italy - and lost to
Valentino Rossi and Yamaha earlier this year at Mugello. However, the addition of a new San Marino Grand Prix, at Misano, gives the team a second 2007 chance to break its home duck.
"As an Italian Factory it is always a special event for us to race in Italy and it is a dream for us to be going to Misano leading the world championship," stated Ducati MotoGP project director Livio Suppo. "Although we are having a fantastic season we have yet to win a MotoGP race on home tarmac, so Casey and Loris will be doing their best on Sunday. Casey is doing a fantastic job at the moment, he really is an incredible rider, so talented and so focused, it is a real pleasure to work with him."
Stoner meanwhile claims that he is feeling less and less pressure, despite being on the brink of a debut MotoGP title.
"I still want to try and win races, if we do good work in practice and we have a good rhythm, we will try and win, if not we will just do the best job we can," he declared. "Every race now I feel less pressure because this season has been unbelievable for us, we've proven we're fast enough, we've already won a few races and we've got a bigger points advantage. I'm already very happy with the season, so I don't feel any more pressure. We're getting the results because we all work really hard: Ducati and the team work hard,
Bridgestone works hard, I give them good information and I've been training really hard off the track.
"Misano will be a strange race because nobody really knows what it will be like to race a MotoGP bike round there," commented Casey. "Loris and I did two display laps at the World Ducati Weekend because the fans wanted to see the Desmosedici race bike. The track isn't too bad but I feel it needs to be improved because it's very bumpy, so it's going to be pretty loose on these bikes. We'll just have to wait and see how it goes; it could be good for us."
