Mugello MotoGP: Ben Spies ‘blown away’ with sixth

Ben Spies made a brilliant return to form this afternoon when he ended opening practice in Mugello with the sixth best time. 

The American’s first full season in MotoGP had stalled somewhat heading into the Mugello clash after he’d failed to finish in both Jerez and Le Mans recently.

But the reigning World Superbike champion was in dazzling form in hot and sunny conditions in the Tuscany mountains today, a best lap of 1.51.004 securing him a top six.    

The spectacular Mugello circuit is one of the most technically challenging and physically demanding on the MotoGP calendar. But Spies exhibited his talent for learning tracks at a remarkably fast rate to clock to finish just over 0.2s behind Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team-mate Colin Edwards.

Spies, who is still struggling with ligament damage in his left ankle caused by a fast high-side practice crash in Le Mans last month, said: “This track is definitely a more difficult place to learn but it is a super fun track. There are a couple of corners that are really difficult to learn and it can take a while to get into a rhythm.

“But coming here on the back of a couple of bad results and being immediately this fast on such a technically challenging track is really good for me. It doesn’t feel like I should have been sixth and I guess that is a good sign.

“I thought I was doing fine so to see I was sixth, I was blown away with that because I thought I’d be about tenth or just outside the top ten.  I’m still having a bit of trouble with the ankle I hurt in the practice crash in Le Mans.

“There’s quite a bit of ligament damage but the only time I really feel it is when I’m trying to tuck in tight on the straight. It’s not a major injury but it will take a few weeks to fully recover. On the bike it hurts but it’s not slowing me down.

“I’ll analyse the data tonight because as always when I’m starting fresh on a new track, there is more time to come from my riding and the bike. But to be sixth at such a difficult track is a good lift for my confidence.”

Edwards too made a welcome return to form after he logged the fourth best time.
The double World Superbike champion posted a best lap of 1.50.772.  And only a late attack by Italian veteran Loris Capirossi prevented Yamaha from claiming a 1-2-3 at the end of the first free practice session after Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo and first and second on the timesheets.

Edwards has struggled to replicate his impressive form of 2009 that ended with him claiming a brilliant top five overall finish in the championship.

Major set-up changes with his YZR-M1 paid off immediately at the Texas Tornado said: “ “I’m really happy with today because the first three races have not been easy at all. Nothing had worked at all so far this season, so basically I completely changed the set-up of the bike today.

“I just told my team to change the set-up so it was completely the same as Mugello last year when I had the best result at this track. We changed riding position and got my weight moved forward because I’ve been having a problem keeping weight on the front this season.

“Now it just feels so natural and the bike does exactly what I want it to do. When I want the bike to do something it actually does it instead of me waiting and wondering why it didn’t work. Now it just turns and it feels like I’m spending much less time on the side of the tyre. 

“I turn in now really quickly and don’t run wide or have to work hard to get the bike round the corner. I want to say a big thanks to Tech 3 and Yamaha because it feels like my bike again and I’m riding with much more confidence.”