Elias comes home highly motivatedThe MotoGP World Championship continues unabated on the back of the Grand Prix of Italy as the teams and riders prepare themselves for another challenge at the Grand Prix of Catalunya this weekend.
It's a race against time for the
paddock staff to make it to Montmelň for the seventh round of the season. The circuit, on the outskirts of Barcelona, has become a firm fixture on the MotoGP calendar and its layout remains unchanged for motorcycle racing, despite the alterations made for Formula 1.
Following on from his incredible fightback at Mugello, Honda Gresini rider Toni Elias is ready to tackle another demanding weekend, this time at his home circuit. Toni's hometown of Manresa is only 30 minutes from Montmelň - an extra boost for the Spaniard, who is determined to get a top result in front of his home supporters.
Marco Melandri is looking forward to getting back on track in Catalunya and putting the events of Mugello firmly behind him. The second of six races in just seven weeks leaves little time for reflection or distraction.
TONI ELIAS:
"A good result at a circuit as technical as Mugello has given me a lot of confidence and helped me fully get over the disappointment of my bad results in France and China. Now it is the turn of the Spaniards to race at home. Riding in front of so many fans in Barcelona gives you an incredible feeling and that extra motivation can help me get a top result this weekend. I feel confident and highly motivated.
I know it will be tough because Montmelň is a demanding circuit, with a very long straight that will make things even harder."
MARCO MELANDRI:
"Barcelona is a circuit I've always liked a lot. I scored my first MotoGP podium there but I also have the bad memory of the big crash last year. It's a nice circuit but the slow corners followed by hard acceleration and a start-finish straight of over a kilometre in length do not play in our favour. Luckily we'll be going to a few more favourable tracks after Barcelona. In any case I feel motivated and I'm looking forward to putting the Mugello race behind me."
Gresini Racing
