MotoGP 2005 - Round 5

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi helped send the 88,000 Italian GP crowd into raptures of delight at Mugello today, grabbing third place with a breathtaking last lap to score the team's first podium finish of the year. And team-mate Carlos Checa wasn't far behind in fifth, confirming that the Italian-based squad is well and truly back on form.

The race was a real thriller, Capirossi battling back and forth with Marco Melandri, just a few seconds down on winner Valentino Rossi and runner-up Max Biaggi, the four Italians monopolising the action.

"I think this race shows that the Ducati Marlboro Team is back!" smiled Federico Minoli, Ducati Motor president. "It was a fantastic race, with Loris close to the front all the way to the flag. As fans of racing, we were jumping all over the place as he fought with Melandri during the final laps. I think we really deserved this result, but we still need a little more to get in front, we just need to open the door a bit more. Congratulations to Loris and Carlos, who also rode a good race, and I'd like to say that I'm very happy that Livio can now shave off his beard!" (Ducati MotoGP project manager Livio Suppo had recently vowed not to shave until the team made it back onto the podium.)"

Loris Capirossi was back to his brilliant best at Mugello today, unleashing a stupendous end-of-race charge to snatch third place from Melandri and finish just 3.874 seconds behind race winner Rossi. The Ducati Marlboro Team man led into turn one (as he had predicted after qualifying), then slipped to fourth as he battled to stay on terms with the other Italians. But his best was yet to come. Having chosen a hard compound rear tyre, he had enough grip to attack Melandri, the pair swapping places maybe half a dozen times during the last two laps.

"Ducati arrived in a good position today and we can expect better and better from now on," beamed Capirossi after his first podium finish since last October's Australian GP. "The race seemed more like a 125 race, I was even looking at the giant TV screens to see what was going on, but everyone rode very correctly. The team worked well all weekend to get the best settings and we also worked really well with Bridgestone, the bike was perfect. After warm-up we chose a slightly harder tyre, which is why I wasn't so fast early on, but I got better. Also, I have changed my riding style to look after the tyres. Normally I am on or off with the throttle, but now I am trying to be smoother. I'm so happy for the team, especially after our unlucky start to the year. Thanks also to my fans, there were a lot of people cheering for me which gives me a lot of emotion."

Carlos Checa finished the race fifth, easily his best result of the year so far, but possibly even more crucial was his race time, just 7.898 seconds slower than the race winner's. The Ducati Marlboro Team rider was most impressive mid-race when he was the fastest man on track as he hunted down Nicky Hayden.

"Overall I'm quite satisfied because Loris and I were third and fifth, and not so far behind the winner," said Checa. "This is by far our best weekend of the year, and after two DNFs from the last two races I feel like I've learned a lot about the bike. I wasn't 100 per cent comfortable early on, I didn't have the grip to put the bike on its side and it was also moving around on acceleration. But as the fuel load went down I could keep a better rolling speed into the corners and ride more smoothly. Tomorrow we stay to test here, we have a few settings ideas to try out and we're also going to try and improve my performance on qualifying tyres."

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