Circuits Mugello in Itali

Points of interest picked out by the motogp.com statisticians ahead of Sunday´s Gran Premio d´Italia Alice premier class contest.

- Valentino Rossi´s pole position lap time is the fastest ever lap of the Mugello circuit by a motorcycle. The top seven riders on the grid have gone faster than the previous pole position record set in 2006 by Sete Gibernau on a Ducati.

- Rossi will start from pole for the first time since the Grand Prix of Catalunya last year. This is the 50th occasion Rossi has started from pole in Grand Prix racing. If Rossi wins the race it will be the first time he has scored three successive victories since 2005 when he won at Donington, Sachsenring and Brno. Rossi has not won on the last six occasions he has started from pole.

- This is the first pole for Bridgestone since Casey Stoner was the fastest qualifier at the San Marino Grand Prix last year. It has been 17 years since the last non- Michelin win in the premier-class at Mugello, when Wayne Rainey won on Dunlops in 1991.

- As at all of the previous races this year, all four Yamaha riders have qualified in the top eight places on the grid.

- Dani Pedrosa finished second last year at Mugello after qualifying in eighth place on the grid.

- Loris Capirossi will be starting from the front row for the first time since the final race of 2006 in Valencia. This is also the first front row start for a Suzuki rider since Chris Vermeulen was third on the grid at Laguna Seca last year.

- Casey Stoner´s only podium finish at Mugello across all three classes was second place in the 125cc race in 2004.

- Fifth place on the grid is by far the best qualifying result at Mugello for Colin Edwards – his previous best from five previous appearances at the circuit is 12th. Edwards has never finished higher than ninth in a GP at Mugello.

- Jorge Lorenzo will be starting from his lowest grid position (seventh) since moving up to the MotoGP class at the start of the year. Lorenzo is set to become the youngest ever rider to make his 100th Grand Prix start, taking this record from Hector Barbera who will reach this milestone earlier in the day in the 250cc race.

- Shinya Nakano will be starting from his best grid position (ninth) since he was the eighth fastest qualifier at the Australian GP last year. Source