Andrea Dovizioso is looking forward to competing in the Italian Grand Prix this weekend; a two-hour car journey from his hometown of Forlimpopoli is the Mugello circuit on which the 23-year-old will be looking to progress from a joint fifth position in the championship standings.
"I really look forward to the Grand Prix of Italy," the Repsol Honda rider said. "Mugello is a unique place in terms of atmosphere and, although it's part of the World Championship, for me it's an event that stands alone. It's like a kind of ritual with so many memories from previous years: Tuscany, the colours and smell, the people, the food and the passion of the fans."
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| Andrea will be keeping an eye out for green, white and red-striped flags over the course of the weekend |
Having finished eighth for Team Scot Racing in 2008, he is looking for more this time around. "Mugello itself is a track that requires a lot of respect," he continued. "It's important to get into the right rhythm from the very beginning of the lap, but that's not easy; although I'm Italian I don't actually ride much at this track because we don't test here, so we come back after a full year away. We know the key places where we have to get the setup right but it always takes a while to master the track again.
"There are a lot of fast changes of direction and that means riding here requires a lot of physical energy - it's bumpy, too, which complicates things further. As an Italian rider, the support of the fans gives me an extra drive and the hour before the race is really special; it's important to use that boost to lift your performance and that's what I'll be aiming to do on Sunday."