Aspar Team and Espargaro aiming to continue CRT dominion at Mugello

Two of the most iconic corners, Arrabbiata 1 & 2, await the MotoGP riders this weekend as the Mugello circuit prepares to play host to the ninth round of the 2012 season. The picturesque Tuscan track is not as friendly as it looks and is one of the most challenging venues in the world for the riders and their engineers to try and master. At 5.245km in length and with a main straight of 1.141km – the longest in the championship – it requires a perfect set-up and no shortage of skill to uncover its many secrets. Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner continue an intense battle at the top of the standings after a dramatic final lap at Sachsenring saw the trio swap positions. Lorenzo now leads by sixteen points from Pedrosa, with Stoner a further four back.

Whilst leadership of the MotoGP World Championship may be a three-way battle it is turning into a two horse race for the honour of top CRT. The two men sharing victory amongst the new breed of bikes on a weekly basis at the moment are the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar Team pairing of Randy De Puniet and Aleix Espargaró. After a strong start from the Spaniard the experienced Frenchman has caught and passed him in recent weeks, although his advantage is but a single championship point. Both riders and their respective crews are doing a perfect job to make the ART machine as competitive as it possibly can be and their goal is to continue this dominance this weekend.

Aleix Espargaró: “Having so many races so close together is draining but now we go to Italy and we are ready for it. It promises to be a tough race out there because of the heat but I like the circuit and we have an extra day there on Monday for testing so it will be an important weekend. After that we get to rest a little before heading to the USA. The circuit is technical and demanding, one of the longest in the championship and in my opinion one of the most challenging. We’ll be working hard from Friday morning to find a good set-up, which is fundamental to a quick lap time at Mugello.”

Source: Team Aspar Press Release