The MotoGP paddock arrives in Tuscany this week for the third consecutive race weekend in a row, the Grand Prix of Italy at the Mugello circuit.

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo prepares for the weekend after an incident packed previous two races which saw him first lose his 25 point Championship advantage over Casey Stoner, then regain a 14 point lead over new second placed rider Dani Pedrosa. The Mugello circuit is a favourite for Lorenzo, having taken victory in the 250cc class, two second-place premier-class finishes in 2009 and 2010 and his first Grand Prix premier class win last year.

Team mate Ben Spies heads to Mugello having valiantly battled against tyre issues in the last two races, intent on finding a set up solution to eliminate the issue in Italy. His first visit to the Tuscany circuit provided an entertaining battle, running as high as fourth at times before finishing in seventh in 2010. Last year saw another strong fight with the Texan eventually finishing just off the podium in fourth place.

Jorge Lorenzo

"After two very difficult race weekends we arrive at Mugello, where we delivered a great victory last year. I love the track; it’s very fast and should be a good one for our bike. I’m very happy to be leading the Championship but we still have many races to go so our target is to again aim for the podium and victory if it is possible."

Ben Spies

"Sachsenring was a very difficult race for us, with the different weather conditions it proved to be hard to find the right set up. Having found something that worked on Sunday we were then unfortunately compromised by a lack of side grip so were unable to ride to our full potential. Mugello is a much faster track which should suit our bike well so I can’t wait to get started on Friday."

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