Casey Stoner make amends after Sachsenring crash
Reigning champion Casey Stoner handed the title initiative to Jorge Lorenzo when he slid off his Repsol Honda at the penultimate corner on the final lap at Sachsenring as he prepared to launch an attack on team-mate and eventual winner Dani Pedrosa.
Stoner has dropped to third place in the championship behind Pedrosa and is now 20 points behind leader Lorenzo.
This weekend marks the half-way point of the series and is the third consecutive MotoGP race in a row after Assen and the German MotoGP.
Casey Stoner, who set the fastest ever lap at Mugello on his way to pole position last year, is determined to put his title challenge back on the right track at the legendary Italian circuit.
“I've always liked Mugello, we've enjoyed some pretty good results there,” Stoner said.
“Last year didn't go to plan but we know what we did wrong so hopefully this year we can be a little more competitive.
“I really enjoy the fast corners there, there are a lot of areas where we get a lot of wheel spin and a lot of fast changes of direction,” added Stoner.
“It's not a small dinky little track that you can't use these bikes on, it's actually somewhere where you can open the throttle up and actually get to full throttle.
“After a disappointing race in Sachsenring, I want to get back on the bike and take some points back in the championship.”
