Voice mugello2010 season issue 04 by SASTG

BLUE: PANTONE REFLEX BLUE RED: PANTONE 7427C GREEN: 356C

2010 season issue 04

GP ITALY Mugello

After last year’s defeat, Valentino wants to win in Mugello.

The King wants his crown back Number one contender is Jorge Lorenzo, last two GP’s winner. WATCHING Valentino Rossi ride on Mugello’s ups and downs is like attending a college class of inestimable value. No one else can ride a race bike on this track like he does. Each corner is an act of class, but the jaw-dropping spots are the areas that include the two Casanova Savelli corners and the two at Arrabbiata. On these spots, the former downhill and the second uphill, the reigning World Champion has built up his legend, on a circuit where he has won 7 successive Grand Prix, from 2002 to 2008. One could think that Yamaha was waiting for Valentino Rossi to win in Mugello, because before the start of the Rossi-Yamaha epic, Iwata manufacturer had won in the Tuscan circuit only once, with Luca Cadalora, on the 500 class GP in 1993. After that triumph Yamaha went back to the highest step of the podium only in 2004, with Rossi, and then again in the four following years. 2009 has marked a break in Valentino’s invincibility in Mugello, because of setup issues and other particular circumstances.

IT’S MAYBE useless to remark how many records belong to the man that may well be considered the “landlord” of this circuit, that lays on the sweet hills of Tuscany. So the novelty is that Valentino doesn’t come undefeated in the 2010 edition of the Italian GP (last year the race was won by Stoner on a Ducati), and most of all, he’s not in perfect physical conditions.

Despite all this, Vale and Jorge have taken turns winning the GP’s raced so far in the season, and this has allowed Yamaha to equal a record they had set in 1980, when they won the first three races in the premier class championship. Yamaha is now leading the Constructors standings with a 23 point lead, as well as the Team’s with a whooping lead of 49 points.

Yamaha have been the most successful manufacturer in the fourstroke MotoGP era with five successive victories from 2004 through to 2008.

Physical condition

VALE’S SHOULDER IS STILL HURTING Yamaha riders are currently leading the standings, despite having both suffered from injuries at the start of the season. But, while Jorge is now perfectly fit, Valentino is still dealing with his right shoulder. The injury proved more serious than expected, and worse than what the rider himself has revealed. «My right shoulder is taking longer than I expected to recover», he said at the end of the French GP. «It’s still giving me trouble, even on straights, because it hurts», he added, before ending the topic abruptly to start talking about other issues. Valentino is suffering from a rotator cuff pull, and also from a small fracture of the humeral head. Moreover, a ligament is injured, together with an ongoing presence of effusions, it has been found that the cartilage is significantly thinner. We hope that therapies and the work done during these weeks have made him fit again and ready for his home race.

Coming straight to this issue’s point PEOPLE

RACING

HERITAGE

TRACK

The guy who transports the M1s

Little Internet and many friends

Fumio Ito, Japanese rider

Telemetry and data from the circuit

Giannotta’s way

Vale’s hobbies

The Rossi of his time

“Benvenuti” to Mugello

2010 MOTOGP ROUNDS 11/04 Doha

Qatar

Valentino Rossi 25

02/05 Spain Jerez

Jorge Lorenzo 45

23/05 France

LeMans Jorge Lorenzo 70

06/06

06/20 UK

Silverstone Italy Mugello

06/26 07/04 07/18 07/25 Holland Catalunya Germany USA Assen Catalunya Sachsen

Laguna

08/15 08/29 Czech Rep Indy

Brno Indianapolis

09/05 09/19 S. Marino Aragon Misano

WORLD STANDING IN RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: THE LEADER

Aragon

10/03 Japan

Motegi

10/10 10/17 10/31 11/07 Malaysia Australia Portugal Valencia Sepang Phillip Island

Estoril

Valencia

PEOPLE Yamaha team driver and team assistant

GIANNOTTA’S WAY “PAOLONE” (BIG PAOLO), 40 YEARS OLD NEXT JULY, HAS BEEN DRIVING THE YAMAHA TEAM’S TRUCKS SINCE 2008. HE LIVES IN BIASONNO, NEAR MILAN, WITH HIS WIFE MARINA AND THEIR DAUGHTER MIRYEA. HIS HOBBIES ARE RACES AND BICYCLES, AND HE HAS SUCCEEDED IN TURNING A PASSION INTO A PAID JOB then I moved to the MotoGP Team. We can say I’ve been promoted! 3. Setting up the truck: where and when does this happen? Are you responsible for it? Our trucks are set up in Geno di Lesmo, where our headquarters are, and I am directly responsible for these operations. Actually, drivers and Team Coordinator, both at home and on the track, are part of a workgroup with shared responsibilities and duties. Modifications to the “standard” procedures are always on the agenda though, as you are always trying to get better…

1. You are driver and Team Assistant. What do you deal with? What’s your role in and out of the track? I drive the team truck, that hosts the garage and the Team Manager office. Valentino and Jorge’s bikes are also transported in this truck. As Team Assistant I work with the Team Coordinator on the race organization when we are in the office, and I coordinate logistic operations when on the track. 2. How did you become the team’s driver? Passion or necessity/chance? Passion for sure! I started as a driver with Yamaha Superbike Team at the end of 2007, and

4. How does a typical transport work? Each truck has only one driver, so we travel through Europe by ourselves. We always travel in convoy though, and we’re constantly connected with the other drivers via radio. So I never really feel lonely despite being by myself in the cabin! We make regular stops, in compliance with the Traffic laws. These are always planned in advance and we usually stop in the same places every time. My truck usually leaves on Monday, unless we’re headed to particularly far away destinations such as Estoril or Jerez. In this case we’d leave on Sunday. This way we’re always able to enter the circuit by Tuesday, before the other guys in the team, so that they can find everything ready for use on their arrival.

5. So you carry both riders’ M1s. A great responsibility indeed… Yes, I carry all of the Team’s four bikes, two for each rider. It’s certainly a great responsibility and, even after a few years, I still feel the weight of it. On the other hand, it’s nice to know that everybody is always so eagerly waiting for you…! 6. Do you happen to meet fans, while on the road? Well it’s impossible to go unnoticed, with this 35-tons heavy giant, painted in blue, with the team logo and the riders’ numbers. Hoots on the horn, greetings, pictures, it’s like a constant party, from start to end. I remember one episode in particular. Assen, 2009, coming home the day after Valentino’s 100th win in MotoGP. For more than three kilometers, after exiting the paddock, the supporters escorted us on the road, tooting their horns, until we reached the motorway, where we greeted each other from the windows. 7. What do you like the most, in your job? Well first of all, working in a sport environment is quite an advantage, compared to other jobs. Besides, wearing a Fiat Yamaha Team shirt gives you a feeling of fulfillment and pride. Last but not least, I love driving… So, if you put all this together you can understand why I’m always happy!

MY PODIUM Paolo Giannotta’s favourites CARS

FOOD

COUNTRIES

MUSIC

1) BMW X6 (but maybe I’ll never can afford it!) 2) VW Tiguan (I can afford this one, and I actually did buy it!) 3) Fiat 500 (for my wife)

1) Spaghetti carbonara 2) “Salamella” sandwich 3) French fries

1) Italy 2) Spain 3) Costa Rica

1) Pink Flyod 2) AC/DC 3) Metallica

NEW YEAR… REVAMPED FLEET Yamaha Team is showing up at Mugello with four brand new trucks (in the picture, the moment of the delivery from official sponsor Iveco at Monza’s Autodromo Nazionale, close to the Team’s headquarters). These new Iveco Stralis 500, which are set up depending on the use, are a welcome addition to the pair the Team had already been using since last year.

RACING

Little Internet and many friends:

VALE’S HOBBIES

THIS MODERN TIMES HERO DOESN’T RELATE TO TECHNOLOGY TOO WELL, AND HE ENJOYS SPORTS AND FRIENDS’ COMPANY MUCH MORE THAN SPENDING LONG HOURS IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER SCREEN.

«MUSIC MAKES ME FEEL GOOD» It’s a quote from a song by Jovanotti, an Italian singer-songwriter, who, depending on his commitments, is usually able to attend at least one GP every season (see photo) «“I’m a fan of Valentino’s, even if my name is Lorenzo» he jokes. Together with Vasco Rossi, he is one of Valentino’s favourite singers. LEFT Valentino can’t play football during Grand Prix, but he has fun with table football, inside Yamaha hospitality.

“BAR SPORT”. It’s the most common name for the most typical meeting place for sport fans in Italy. The bar. This is also the title of one of Valentino Rossi favourite books. He likes reading fun stuff, than can help relaxing. «I usually read when I’m travelling, during those long journeys on planes, and to kill time between flights. I never read anything before going to sleep though» he reveals. But he also likes a bit of suspense and is an enthusiastic thrillers reader. Talking about pastimes, Rossi confesses that «I’m making an effort to become more

technology-oriented and I’m approaching the computer world with all its features. First off all, last year I finally unveiled my personal website. It took me 14 years but I finally made it!» he adds with a smile. It’s a bit surprising that Vale, who works in a hyper-technical environment like MotoGP, isn’t so friendly with technology. «I’m trying, but maybe computers aren’t really meant for me. For instance, I have some difficulty with Facebook, and I can’t really make full use of other applications and opportunities. I can say that I’m not really cut for it… I like practicing sport,

LIVE CONCERTS GIVE EMOTIONS THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON CD’S. VALENTINO KNOWS THE ART OF ENTERTAINMENT. AFTER ALL, HE IS A BIG STAR TOO, SOMEHOW.

riding bikes and playing football: in other words, I like being with my friends. Besides, I have a real passion for snowboard: sliding fast on the snow reminds me of riding a bike». Last, but not least, there’s music, which has al ways been very important for Rossi: «that can make me relax, but also wind me up. I recently discovered a TV channel I didn’t know, that show live concerts, of all music genres, and of course, of the bands of the past. I like it a lot and it made me appreciate artists that I didn’t really like by just listening to their cd’s. Lately I have re-discovered AC/DC and Rage Against the Machine.I wish I had been to a Pink Floyd or Queen concert, but I’m afraid it’s too late for that, now…»

FOCUS - Mugello Special as well as racing on bikes). «F1 is great, because of its speed and performances. Because Laying on the lush Tuscan hills, of the way you go into corners, Mugello is one of the circuits the spots where you brake, that has most contributed where and when you step on to the growth of Valentino the gas», Rossi explains. «You Rossi. Valentino has scored 9 go much faster with F1, for wins here, 7 of which on the example, in Mugello you can do bounce, winning in all classes Arrabbiata 2 at 170 kmh with (with the exception of 500cc ). a bike, but you exit it at 270 Besides, this is one of the kmh with an F1 car! And I can three circuits (together with assure you that 170 kmh on a Valencia and Barcelona) where bike feels quite fast already… Valentino has tested an F1 car, There are turns that you do in

VALE SAYS M1 VS F1 AT MUGELLO

third gear with a bike, and in full fifth on an F1. Also, you can brake 100 to 200 m later with an F1. All in all though, I enjoy bikes more. There are more parameters to control, beginning from the bending angle, that doesn’t exist on cars. On cars, you have these movements: forth, back, left, right. On bikes, you have inclination too».

SAFETY & SHOW SPECIAL HELMETS Every year, Velentino celebrates the Grand Prix in Mugello with a special helmet. In the picture, the one used in 2009.

HERITAGE

The Rossi of his time A MUSICIAN’S SON, FUMIO ITO LOVED TO PERFORM. BESIDES GIVING YAMAHA THEIR FIRST WIN IN A GP, AND TAKING PART IN THEIR FIRST RACE OVERSEAS, ITO LOVED SINGING AND WAS FASCINATED BY THE U.S.A. WHERE HE MOVED FOR GOOD AFTER HE RETIRED FROM RACING.

Fumio Ito was the first rider to win a Grand Prix with a Yamaha: it was the year 1963 and the circuit was Francorchamps, Belgium. But the Japanese rider did much more than that: he made Iwata’s firm debut in a foreign land. In 1958 Ito-san raced in the Catalina GP: the first race for Yamaha out of its home country. Apart from a short-lived stint at BMW, Fumio Ito has been Yamaha’s top rider for years: a sort of proto-Rossi. But similarities with Valentino do not end on the track: Fumio, too, was a lively character, he loved showbiz and having a good time. Fumio Ito was born on October 10th, 1939 in Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan. His father was Noboru Ito, a rather well-known music composer. In 1955, when Fumio Ito was only 16 years old, he debuted in the very first Asama race in October. With a “Lilac” (Marusyo Motor Co.), he entered the light weight 250 cc class and that resulted in an outright win! At the end of that year, in December, he joined Yamaha Motor Company as a test rider. In 1956 he participated at the “4th Mount Fuji Hill Climbing” race in July. His machine was a Yamaha YC-1 175 cc racer, but he had to retire with electrical problems.

Together with Fumio Ito also Masuko, Sunako and Shimoyoshi raced here so it is safe to assume that Yamaha indeed built 5 racers (1 spare), which were later converted to Catalina racers.

In 1958 he participated in the now famous “Catalina GP” in California, USA and scored Yamaha’s first success outside Japan with a 6th place overall on a YD250. Fumio Ito went into history as the first Yamaha “factory” rider who went abroad and

A VERY PROMISING RIDER, FUMIO ITO WAS OFFERED A CONTRACT WITH YAMAHA TO RACE IN THE 1961 SEASON. YAMAHA DID NOT PARTECIPATE THE FOLLOWING YEAR. BUT THEY DID COME BACK ON TRACK IN 1963 AND ITO ENDED WITH AN OVERALL 3RD.

In 1957 the second “Asama Volcanic Race” was held in October and Fumio Ito participated again on a Works Yamaha YD 250 cc racer in the light weight class. He took the lead after 2 laps and kept that position for a further 6 laps but had to retire with engine trouble unfortunately.

scored the very first noteworthy placing for a Yamaha machine. Back home in Japan he ran a BMW R69 at the “All Japan Motorcycle Clubman Race” on the Asama Course in August, which resulted also in a 6th place. The fol-

lowing year (1959) he rode a BMW R50 at the “3rd Asama Volcanic Race” and won the 500 cc Senior Class. In 1960 Fumio Ito participated with a BMW at the world GP 500 cc. As a very promising rider, Fumio Ito was offered a work contract with Yamaha Motor Company for the GPs at the end of that year (1960). In the overall world ranking for 1961 he had 9th place. In 1962 Yamaha did not participate in the G.P.’s. But in November of that year Fumio Ito could try the newly developed RD56 250 cc twin cylinder racer during the “First Suzuka All Japan Road Race”. The long-awaited success came in the “Daytona G.P.” in February 1963 (see photo), where Fumio Ito won the 250 cc light weight class with the RD56. His overall result for the season 1963 was therefore an excellent 3rd place. Furthermore his teammate Yoshikazu Sunako was 7th overall, ahead of “newcome” Phil Read who was 10th. In that year he also debuted as a singer for the “Polydor” record company. He made an E.P. record with on the A side the song “The girl in pigtails with a red ribbon” and on the “B” side “A foghorn is calling me”. It was really a pity for Fumio Ito to retire the following year during the U.S. G.P. with the RD56 in February 1964. He married in July 1967. In the same year he visited the USA in August and quite certainly never returned to Japan. He participated in car racing in California and worked there as a taxidriver. For some time he stayed in Hawaii, where he was involved in some sort of “Tourist” business. Coming back he went to Florida, where he worked for a real estate. During the last few years (1990), he was the owner of a Japanese Restaurant in Orlando. In 1991 Fumio Ito, Yamaha’s first G.P. winner, died in Florida, USA.

FOCUS Kenzo Tada: rider, national hero, and businessman THE LEADING rider of the very first period of racing in Japan (the 1930’s, when Yamaha still did not existed) was Kenzo Tada. A former bicycle racer, he started his carreer on bike at the age of 34, (1921), winnig the first race he entered. He was the Velocette agent for Tokyo and ordered three of the earliest KTT models. Tada was invited in 1930 to race at the Isle of Man TT by Velocette, to show of the popularity and global dominance of their new model. He decided to take part in the TT

on the Isle of Man, which was an expedition: 8 hours by boat to Korea, then 10 days by train to Warsaw and so on. It took 2 weeks to reach the temple of motorcycling. 28th after practices (on 42 entries), he managed to finish 15th. He was the first Asian to compete in the Isle of Man TT. It was a real exploit, and he gained a bronze medal. Once back in Japan he was feted as a national hero and, as a great marketing man as he was, he attributed his performance to his Lodge 341 spark plug, whose insula-

ting material was made with a black mica, a material still unknown in Japan. He therefore invested his entire fortune in a mica deposit, buying up nothing less then a mountain in North Korea! But the Korean war ended up his mining activities and ruined him. So, in 1948 he went back to competitions and he would also be at the origins of the foundation of the Motorcycle Federation of Japan (MFJ).

TRACK

BENVENUTI (WELCOME) TO MUGELLO >>Telemetry & data of the circuit

BRAKING POINT 1 >> The MotoGP race last year at initial speed 345 kmh Mugello was run under flag-to-flag final speed 120 kmh San Donato stopping distance 340 m rules, starting wet but drying in the braking time 6,4 sec 102.9 kmh max deceleration 1,6 g early stages, resulting in riders changing bikes 2nd gear in 158.4 kmh BRAKING POINT 5 from the initial speed 240 kmh 3rd gear in Luco final speed 125 kmh fourth lap 4th gear in stopping distance 188 m braking time 4,2 sec onwards. 5th gear in Correntaio max deceleration 1,3 g 122.7 kmh Poggio 324.1 kmh 109.0 kmh Secco Biondetti 1

2nd gear in

3rd gear in

226.9 kmh

Biondetti 2 230.2 kmh167.0 kmh 6th gear in

2nd gear in

3rd gear in

Palagio

Scarperia

4th gear in 5th gear in

114.0 kmh BRAKING POINT 4 255.5 kmh initial speed 220 kmh 3rd gear in 241.6 kmh final speed 115 kmh 2nd gear in 2nd gear in 4th gear in stopping distance 166 m 216.5 kmh braking time 3,8 sec 3rd gear in max deceleration 1,2 g 145.4 kmh 117.0 kmh

Arrabbiata 2

158.7 kmh

BRAKING POINT 6 initial speed 265 kmh final speed 130 kmh stopping distance 287 m braking time 5,8 sec max deceleration 1,3 g

Bucine 209.7 kmh

123.3 kmh

3rd gear in 221.5 kmh

Casanova

Savelli

210.7 kmh 164.1 kmh

Materassi Borgo San Lorenzo

BRAKING POINT 2 initial speed 245 kmh final speed 140 kmh stopping distance 178 m braking time 3,9 sec max deceleration 1,5 g

BRAKING POINT 3 initial speed 235kmh final speed 155 kmh stopping distance 176 m braking time 3,5 sec max deceleration 1,3 g

Arrabbiata1

BREMBO COMMENT Braking at the end of the main straight is very hard, due to high speed. The other braking points are not particularly demanding and this allows the brake systems to cool.

Length: 5,245 m • Width: 14 m Inaugurated in: 1974 Corners: 15 (6 left, 9 right) Max straight: 1,141 m Pole position: right MotoGP laps: 23 Race lenght: 120.635 km 2009 MOTOGP PODIUM Casey Stoner (ducati) • 45’41’’894 Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +1.001 Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +2.076 Weather and track conditions 18°- humidity 66% wet - 20° 2009 pole position Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) • 1’48’’987

MUGELLO 2009

Valentino is defeated for the first time in 7 years and finishes 3rd. Jorge is 2nd Jorge Lorenzo - 2nd «The boys have fixed all damages in a flash. It felt like being in a movie at a certain point!». RECOVERING FROM THE FALL DURING THE WARM-UP LAP Valentino Rossi - 3rd «It took too long to warm up the front tyre, that was too hard: I put my race at risk there». THE INTERMITTENT RAIN DOESN’T HELP. AT ALL

>>Mr Torhu Ubukata speaks «Mugello is one of the fastest circuits on the calendar and is tough on tyres because of the combination of this speed, the track temperature which is often high, and the technically demanding nature. There are significant elevation changes which cause greater loads on the tyres, especially under braking. The Arrabbiata, Scarperia and Bucine corners are crucial to good lap times here, so the last half of the lap is very important.

Mugello Circuit

Edge grip is also very important at Mugello as the circuit is very flowing so the bikes spend a lot of time on the shoulders of the tyres. As well as grip, the shoulders are crucial in providing good stability to give the riders confidence and good feeling throughout the lap». Tohru Ubukata – Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department

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inprogress2010

riders’ championship

70 20 25 25 1. Jorge Lorenzo 61 25 16 20 2. Valentino Rossi 3. Andrea Dovizioso 42 16 10 16 40 9 20 11 4. Dani Pedrosa 5. Nicky Hayden 39 13 13 13 9 6. Randy De Puniet 26 10 7 7. Marco Melandri 21 3 8 10 16 8 4 4 8. Colin Edwards 9. Marco Simoncelli 16 5 5 6 15 4 3 8 10.Hector Barbera 11. Hiroshi Aoyama (13); 12. Mika Kallio (12); 13. Casey Stoner (11); 14. Ben Spies (11); 15. Aleix Espargaro (8); 16. Loris Capirossi (7); 17. Alvaro Bautista (6)

FACTS&FIGURES

BENVENUTI (WELCOME) TO MUGELLO >>Trivia and facts

Rossi’s facts at Mugello

Jorge Lorenzo has st won only once on the Mugello circuit, so far. It was 2006 and the Mallorcan rider was racing in 250, a category that doesn’t exist anymore, having been replaced by Moto2 this year.

1 only 1 time

The French GP began with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo occupying first and second spot on the starting grid and it was the seventh time the duo lined up in the positions as team-mates. On the six previous occasions the pair had made it a QP double with three poles each. Jorge Lorenzo’s com-

manding win in the BackGP at Le Mans to-back French only extended his victories not lead at the top of the

MotoGP World Championship to nine points, but also delivered him back-to-back victories in the premier class for the first time in his career.

Yamaha superstar!

Yamaha have had their best start to the season for many years, with their riders having won each of the opening three MotoGP races this year. Jorge Lorenzo’s win at the French GP was the 54th victory for Yamaha since the introduction of the four-stroke MotoGP class at the start of the 2002 season. Yamaha riders have won the opening three races of the year in the premier-class for the first time since 1980, when Kenny Roberts took the opening three races of the year on the Yamaha factory bikes. Yamaha have had at least one rider finish on the podium at the last thirty-eight races, starting at the first race of 2008 at Qatar.

Valentino Rossi is the most successful rider across all the classes at Mugello, with a total of 9 victories; one each in 125 and 250 classes to add to his seven successive MotoGP wins.

1996/125cc - Qualified 8th/Finished 4th: Rossi’s first Grand Prix appearance at Mugello was just his 5th GP start, and after leading a Grand Prix for the first time he finished 4th, just 1.6 seconds behind race victor Peter Ottl. 1997/125cc - Qualified 3rd/Finished 1st: His first victory at Mugello – on the way to winning his first world title. 1998/250cc - Qualified 4th/Finished 2nd: Rossi was leading after seven laps when the race was stopped due to rain. He finished 3rd in the re-start to clinch 2nd place on combined time behind veteran Marcellino Lucchi taking his only GP victory. 1999/250cc - Qualified 6th/Finished 1st: Became the first rider to win in both the 125cc and 250cc classes at Mugello. 2000/500cc - Qualified 3rd/Finished 12th: Crashed on the 21st lap when fighting with Max Biaggi and Loris Capirossi for the honour of becoming first Italian to win a 500cc race at Mugello. Rossi eventually finished 12th after re-mounting. 2001/500cc - Qualified pole/Did not finish: Started from pole for the first time at Mugello but did not finish after crashing out on the penultimate lap of a two part wet race. 2002/MotoGP - Qualified pole/Finished 1st: Becomes the first rider to win in all three classes at the Mugello circuit. 2003/MotoGP - Qualified pole/Finished 1st: Rossi won from great rivals Capirossi and Biaggi in the first all-Italian podium in the premier-class at Mugello. 2004/MotoGP/Yamaha - Qualified 3rd/Finished 1st: After the first race had been stopped after 17 laps when rain fell, Rossi won the re-started race which lasted just six laps – the shortest premier-class race of all-time. 2005/MotoGP/Yamaha - Qualified pole/Finished 1st: Rossi wins from fellow Italians Biaggi, Capirossi and Marco Melandri. The first time in the premier-class since 1968 where Italian riders had taken the top four places. 2006/MotoGP/Yamaha - Qualified 3rd/Finished 1st: In what is considered to be one of the best races of the MotoGP era, Rossi wins from Capirossi and Nicky Hayden with less than three quarters of a second covering the three podium finishers. 2007/MotoGP/Yamaha - Qualified 3rd/Finished 1st: Rossi wins for the sixth successive year to equal the record of Mick Doohan who won the 500cc race at Mugello from 1993 to 1998. 2008/ MotoGP/Yamaha - Qualified pole/Finished 1st: Wins for the seventh successive year at Mugello – the first time in GP history that a rider has won his home GP in seven successive years. This was Rossi’s 91st Grand Prix victory making him the second most successful rider ever with only Giacomo Agostini having scored more GP wins. 2009/ MotoGP/Yamaha - Qualified 4th/Finished 3rd. Author of fast lap with 1’51’186.

didyouknowthatdidyouknowthatdidyouknowthatdidyouknowthatdidyouknow PAST

PRIZE Italians do it better

Mugello regularity

The racing tradition of Mugello goes way back in time. Circuito Stradale del Mugello was a car race held between 1914 and 1970 on the area’s roads. The first race started off on Sunday, June 21st, 1914. The roads chosen for it were a little more than mule tracks, full of holes and cobblestones. Regularity was far more important than speed: you had to complete four 67,5 km laps in a given time of 1h30”, at an average speed of about 45 km/h: being both faster and slower caused a penalization.

A moment of the 1920 race. Both that year and in 1921 it was won by Giuseppe Campari in an Alfa Romeo, that was considered one of best racing cars around at the time.

SAFETY Circuit like stadium

The Circuit of Mugello has a G.O.S. (Security Operational Team - Group). The structure, though not mandatory like in football stadiums, was created by the Florence Police Headquarters in full agreement with the Tuscan track management, in order to create a unique security central for everyone attending the GP.

The tough race in 1922.

Italy is the most victorious country in the history of sport motorcycling. At the end of the 2009 season, it stands at the top of this special table with 724 wins (second place belongs to the UK with just 364), as well as 75 World titles (UK is again second, with 43).

MIX PHOTO OF THE WEEK

SHOOTING RANGE

Verbatim «Vale’s gene for speed comes from his mother. From me, he took the one for smiling». GRAZIANO ROSSI Vale’s dad was a motorcycle racer, and won 3 races in 250cc class.

«Valentino always wants to go faster and he never stops studying, testing, making progress». JEREMY BURGEES, the Aussie highly trusted Rossi Crew Chief since 2000.

This is what Jorge and Vale see when they are sitting in their pit-box: a large number of photographers and cameramen looking for them, awating for a smile or a move. During the practices (free or qualifying sessions) pit-boxes are open in the pit-lane and those who have free access to it (it requires a special pass and an orange jacket, see picture), can see what’s happening “behind the scenes” of Yamaha and also all the other teams involved in MotoGP.

«I have a good memory for races and pretty girls. Basically, there is little else worth remembering…». VALENTINO ROSSI,remembering the most beautiful among his 100 and more GP wins.

«A podium in MotoGP is more important than a World title in Superbike». BEN SPIES The Texan rider had just debuted in the Big League.

MISCELLANEOUS WINS

«I have realised that there’s more to learn from defeats than victories ».

FAST FAMILY Valentino Rossi has inherited the passion for races from his father Graziano. Besides cars, he too has raced with bikes and has won three races in 1979 (250 cc class, in Yugoslavia, Holland and Sweden). The pair make the most successful family in motorcycling racing history. Overall, they have scored 107 wins. Guess who contributed more…!

JORGE LORENZO: The young Mallorcan rider is maturing.

EVENTS & PEOPLE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! Matteo Flamigni (left, Rossi’s data technician) has just turned 40 (on June 2nd) while Javier Ullate (right, Jorge’s mechanic) will be 43 years old this Sunday.

HIGH TECH LORENZO Jorge Lorenzo loves keeping in touch with his fans, and uses Internet and social networks a lot for this. In the above picture (shot just before the Jerez GP’s start) the Spaniard urges the fans unable to follow him on the track, to do so on Twitter.