The last time MotoGP drove in Mugello in 2019, Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci prevailed after an exciting showdown with Honda’s Marc Marquez and team-mate Andrea Dovizioso.
But right behind the podium trio and only 0.535 seconds before victory was Alex Rins’ Suzuki, who had fought his way from 13th on the grid.
It’s that feat on a track where the season’s fastest straight plays perfectly into the hands of the record-breaking Ducati that gives both Rins and teammate Joan Mir confidence for their return to Mugello this weekend.
“Mugello is a circuit where the Ducatis and Yamahas are often fast and our top speed may not be quite as high as theirs, but in 2019 Alex had a great race here, which means our Suzuki can be competitive too”, told me who finished twelfth as a rookie in 2019.
“I’m really looking forward to it, it’s a special track – it’s fast and so nice to drive. We’ll focus on sorting the set-up and tires as early as possible on the weekend so that we can then change ours.” I want to try and get a great result. “
The reigning world champion Mir starts the sixth round of the season in sixth place with just one podium and already 31 points behind Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha).
On the subject of matching items
But team-mate Rins is in a much more difficult situation. Mistakes in the last three races have put the Spaniard in twelfth place in the world championship.
“I can’t wait for the next race because Mugello is a track that I really enjoy. We may have a little disadvantage on the long straight, but the rest of the track I know we can be fast, “said Rins.
“I’m optimistic, I’ve been working at home in Andorra since Le Mans and I feel very prepared. I love driving here. I had a good result in 2019 and I want to bring another good result to all of mine.” Team that really deserves it. “