Bagnaia 'determined and confident', Miller 'thrilled' for Mugello

Leading Ducati's quest for a fourth successive home Italian MotoGP victory this weekend will be factory team riders Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller.

Miller is the man of the moment, having won the last two grands prix and recently announcing a new contract extension to remain with Ducati, alongside Bagnaia, in 2022.

But Mugello, absent from the 2020 calendar, has not been kind to Miller in the past. The Australian has failed to finish in four of his five Italian MotoGP appearances and crossed the line just 15th in the other.

"After almost two years, we're back at Mugello, and I'm really thrilled. The Italian GP is the home race for our team, and this track is always special," said Miller.

"It will definitely be a very different weekend without the fans in the stands, but I'm sure that all the Ducatisti will be cheering for us from home!

"After winning the last two Grands Prix, I'm very motivated, and I'm keen to keep that momentum going. I can't wait to get back on track this weekend!"

But while Miller is Ducati's only race winner this season, it is Bagnaia who is leading their world championship charge.

The Italian heads for his first home Mugello MotoGP round just a single point behind Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo after fighting from 16th to fourth in the flag-to-flag race at Le Mans.

"The Italian Grand Prix is our home race, and it's held at Mugello, one of my favourite tracks! It'll be the first time I'll ride here wearing the official colours of the Ducati Lenovo Team, and this motivates me even more!" Bagnaia said.

"During the last few races, my feeling with the Desmosedici GP has always been excellent, and Mugello is a circuit that suits our bike's technical specifications very well.

"We'll see how it goes this weekend, but I'm determined and confident that we can have a good race”.

Johann Zarco is the third Ducati rider to have stood on the podium so far this season, the Frenchman's recent Qatar top speed record could also be broken this weekend.