Capirossi confident on home soil

It will be the first time the Italian has raced for Suzuki at the Tuscan track, where he won in 2000, and he's hoping to take a step forward with the GSV-R on home soil.

"I love Mugello," he said. "I'm really looking forward to racing a Suzuki in Italy for the first time, it's a big moment for me and I know there will be many fans there.

"The bike is getting better all the time, but still we must make improvements. Hopefully we can make big steps at Mugello and give the Italians and Suzuki fans something to cheers about.

"I'm very determined to do well at my home grand prix and will be doing all I can to make it happen."

Capirossi's Suzuki team-mate Chris Vermeulen is also confident about Suzuki's chances after he qualified on the front row in the wet at Mugello last year.

"We made some important steps in the last race at Le Mans and that's put us in a much better positions for Mugello," he said. "The potential we showed in France was a boost for the whole team, but we still have quite a bit of work to do to bridge the gap to the front guys.

"Mugello is quite a touch track to ride at the maximum level, but I got the hang of it in the race last year and I'm sure having Loris in the team with his home advantage will be a big help."