Elias prepared and ready for home GP
Toni Elias makes the short trip from his Manresa home to the Montmelò circuit this weekend, where he is planning for success in his home Grand Prix. The Catalan favourite has only been on the podium here twice in the past – once in 125 and once in 250 – and he is determined to provide his fans with a victory to celebrate. After the disappointment of Mugello and Silverstone both Toni and the team rediscovered their form and confidence at Assen, a race that breathed new life into his quest to be the dominant force in Moto2. With a clutch of riders capable of winning at each race this is no easy task but the key to championship success lies in consistency.
Toni Elias “We were back to our old selves at Assen and now we have the confidence to go to Barcelona with the same belief in our potential that we had at the start of the season. I have never had a lot of success at Montmelò over the years – just a couple of podiums – so this year I’d like to win it for my fans. My house is close to the track and there will be a lot of people there supporting me so I don’t want to let them down. At Assen we found our way again after being lost for the previous two rounds so we have to keep working in the same way. As a team we never give up and we have to maintain the same approach if we are to achieve the goals we set ourselves at the start of the year. ”
Fausto Gresini “I feel more calm after Assen. I hadn’t lost faith – I knew that the rider and team would come through a difficult patch and they did that in the best way, with a podium finish and some important points for the championship. Now that kind of performance from Assen needs to be repeated at Barcelona. Montmelò is a circuit that Toni is always excited to ride at but he’s never found his best form there in the past. I hope the good race at Assen gives him the boost he needs to be amongst the frontrunners at his home Grand Prix. I’m sure he’ll be fighting for the win and I hope that together we can achieve it because it would give everybody another important injection of confidence.”
Source: Gresini Racing
