Gresini duo hope to start resurgence

Both Toni Elias and Alex de Angelis are currently outside the top ten in the championship, and the latter's sixth place at Losail is the team's only top six finish so far this year.

Elias was hampered by a lack of strength at Le Mans following arm surgery in the build-up to the race, but he expects to be back to full fitness - and therefore faster - at Mugello.

"I'll be in much better physical shape at Mugello," he said. "Since Le Mans I've been undergoing physiotherapy twice a day so the arm feels much better. Hopefully my strength is back too because I need to be riding this bike on the limit in order for us to make the necessary progress with the set-up.

"We have made gradual progress since the start of the season and have taken positive lessons out of every race, so I really hope this weekend we can make that definitive step in quality that will propel us into the battle at the front.

"This is the team's home race so it is important we put on a good show in front of the Italian fans and it would be fitting if this was the turning point for our season."

De Angelis also believes Mugello could mark an upturn in Gresini's form given his very strong record at his home circuit.

"Things haven't gone our way recently but the Grand Prix of Italy is a special occasion for us and I am determined to turn things around," he said.

"The new setting we gambled with in the second half of the race at Le Mans worked well, so hopefully we can take some positives to Mugello and start out with a good base setting on Friday afternoon, which is what we really need.

"I was on the podium at this circuit for three seasons in a row in the 250cc class before moving up to MotoGP and I had the best race of my rookie season last year, when I finished fourth."