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2004 MotoGP 

ROSSI (YAMAHA) WINNER: "... To win in front of all these people is incredible. It’s hard to explain the emotion I felt when I heard the crowds cheering for me on the last few laps. I need to say thank you to all of them. It was like winning twice today. The first one was in the dry, where it seemed like I made thirty or forty overtaking manoeuvres. Every lap there was a fantastic battle with Sete, Max and Tamada. It would have been difficult to win in the dry with Gibernau, but the new race in the rain was held in incredible conditions. To run with a slick on a wet track was very strange at the beginning but fortunately it stopped raining and it was possible to push to the win.”

BIAGGI (HONDA) 3RD: ".. You could say that I’m happy to be on the podium in my home race, especially after having started in sixth place on the grid and after a not so easy weekend as regards the set-up of the bike. I could probably also say though that I’m unhappy about the fact that we were never in a position to battle for victory with Sete and Valentino. In the parts of the track where I have always been strong, the two “arrabbiate” corners and the fast esses, I was impeded by a sharp vibration which meant I couldn’t keep the best line and this made me lose tenth after tenth, whilst on the straight, the engine was really powerful. The second race was incredible; we set off with slicks and in the first bend it was like a lake, whilst in other parts of the track there was less standing water. This is an important podium, the situation in the overall standings is wide open, and I have basically the same distance in points to the top position as Rossi had before Mugello. In Barcelona however I need to do well, and I want to get my revenge.”

BAYLISS (DUCATI) 4TH: "... I thought I had a chance in that second race, but you really have to hand it to Valentino, he puts it on the line ... I don't get scared but I don't want to be in that situation again. The conditions were dangerous, we all got lucky but I think everyone would agree that that wasn't the right thing to do. I was going okay in the first race, I was consistent because I was getting used to riding the bike."

• FINAL RESULT; 2ND RACE after rain stopped restart
• 1 Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, 6 laps
  2 Sete Gibernau, Honda +0.36s
  3 Max Biaggi, Honda
  4 Bayliss, Ducati
  5 Xaus, Ducati
  6 Barros, Honda
  7 Abe
  8 Capirossi
  9 Melandri
  10 Byrne
• Gibernau starting from pole had a bad start and lost 7 places
• Rossi led while Capirossi moved from 8th on the grid to 3rd
• Checa crashed out
• Tamada and Rossi exchange leads
• Gibernau after a bad start, works his up to 3rd by lap 7
• Top group: Tamada leads, Gibernau 2nd, Biaggi 3rd, Rossi 4th
• Rossi takes the lead again lap 10
• Heavy crash by Nakano - taken to hospital but no serious injuries
• Tamada retires lap 13; Gibernau takes the lead
• 6 laps to go: race red flagged due to rain; race to restart in 20 minutes
• 6 lap race to the finish
• RETIREMENT:
• Kenny Roberts, Checa (crash), Hayden, Nakano (crash)

GIBERNAU (HONDA) PROV POLE: "... We have started with an incredible time but we can't afford to relax ... Not everything is in its place for the race although the time I have set is marvelous and it may give the impression that everything is perfect. I have to improve my rhythm and that is what I want to concentrate on tomorrow. I can't deny that this is a fantastic start to the Grand Prix and that our plan is working - I wanted to play my cards well and set a good time today so that I can concentrate on my rhythm tomorrow. I am in a good run of form and a positive frame of mind"

ROSSI (YAMAHA) 2ND: "... My time was pretty fast, better than last year, but still not enough because Sete went faster. I have put myself in quite a good place, so I am quite happy. We’ve already improved the bike a lot this morning and again this afternoon. Sete is on top form; so to be more competitive I still need to improve my general set-up. My pace feels quite good but I’m sure we can improve. We’re having some problems with the rear and the last corner is where we need to make the biggest improvement to suit the racetrack. There is more pressure here in Mugello than anywhere else, so to get a top result this weekend would be the ultimate satisfaction."

• 1 Sete Gibernau, Honda 1m 51.6s
  2 Valentino Rossi, Yamaha +0.3
  3 Carlos Checa, Yamaha +0.7
  4 Roberts, Honda
  5 Biaggi, Honda
  6 Hayden, Honda
  7 Barros 8 Abe 9 Capirossi 10 Edwards 11 Nakano 12 Tamada 13 Melandri
  14 Bayliss 15 Hodgson

• Mugello, Italy
• 5.245 km circuit near Florence; circuit owned by Ferrari
• fast, flowing circuit
• 23 lap race
• 2003 winner: Rossi, Honda; 2003 pole: Rossi, Honda
• 2002 winner: Rossi, Honda
• 2001 winner: Alex Barros, Honda
• 2000 winner: Loris Capirossi, Honda

• GIBERNAU (HONDA) championship leader: ".... it will be a difficult race as the Italian riders will be in front of their public ... Therefore they will almost have an extra gear as they'll be even more motivated that usual. Plus Mugello isn't exactly a circuit I particularly like. Last year on this track we had the worst result of the season, but I will be racing to win. I have lots of Italian fans too and it would be a fantastic gift to win for my Italian mechanics and for my team"

• ROSSI (YAMAHA) 2003 winner: "... the Mugello track is quite good for the Yamaha, especially on the corners ... There are chicanes and different types of corners, which is where I think we will have an advantage. The problem is the main straight, where we could be at a disadvantage.”

• BIAGGI (HONDA) : "... The track would be one of my absolute favourites even if it wasn't my home circuit and the venue for the Italian GP. The endless front straightaway, the fast bends, the technically-challenging esses, all make this a fantastic track to ride at: with the "Bucine", the "Arrabbiata" double-apex, the "Casanova-Savelli" where my fan-club always cheers from, as well as all the rest… I love every bit of it. I also like the hilly nature of the track, I'm not a big fan of the flat circuits. The track is very different from Le Mans, it doesn't have the same hard braking for starters, but the positive work my team has done with the set-up after the last race could allow me to have a good base setting with which to go just as well at this track. I think that the race will be very hard fought, there are a lot of us who want and who are capable of going well, and I'm certain to be amongst those."

• CAPIROSSI (DUCATI): "... Last year’s Italian GP was the start of a really good run of results for me ... So I hope that this year’s race will work for me in the same way. The decision to use two versions of the Desmosedici, as in the Le Mans tests, is a clear indication of Ducati Corse’s desire to get back up to the front. During qualifying we will have a chance to test both bikes and we will see which one I feel better with ... Mugello is an important race for me – I am an Italian rider on an Italian bike! It’s always a real challenge because there’s so much for riders and engineers to understand at this track: fast corners and fast changes of direction, downhill corners with negative camber and a few bumps. All this means a lot of work on chassis set-up.”

• EDWARDS (HONDA): "... After the work at the Michelin test track my feeling with the bike is much better ...We had problems with the front whenever the air temperature rose. We changed the forks and we've now resolved these problems. So now I can't wait to go to Mugello. The Italians are favourites but there won't only be Rossi and Biaggi, Sete and I will be up there to fight also. Mugello is a special track, full of history, and I like the atmosphere there."

• CHECA (YAMAHA): "... I am feeling very comfortable about Mugello ... It's not just a good track, one that I like, but the situation we find ourselves in now is great. All of my team have got their smiles back! Since the Jerez front row, and of course after finishing second in Le Mans, we have all recovered our enthusiasm and motivation. We are working in quite a different way at the moment; we know we still have limitations but we are in a position to fight to win now, as long as we make no mistakes. The extra day of testing in Le Mans was also useful just to confirm that our race setting was the right one .... Mugello has a long straight and as we are not quite as fast as some of the other bikes right now, we can lose 1 or 2 tenths of a second along there. Our strength lies in the corners where we can catch up or pass. At the moment I am having some problems when the bike is leaned over at an angle. But I have confidence in myself and I feel good on the bike right now"