Round six of the 2021 Moto2 World Championship takes Elf Marc VDS Racing Team riders Sam Lowes and Augusto Fernandez to the technically challenging Mugello track in Italy’s picturesque Tuscany region.

• Lowes and Fernandez may not have come away with the results their pace deserved in Le Mans, but both arrive in Mugello eager to showcase their full potential in Sunday’s 21-lap Italian Grand Prix.
• The pair completed a very constructive one-day test at the Circuit Barcelona-de Catalunya last week and are confident of a successful start to a busy run of four races taking part over the next five weeks leading into the long summer break.

/// AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ 

• Fernandez is determined to convert his recent strong practice and qualifying form into a top result when he makes just his third Mugello appearance this weekend.
• Mugello was the venue for the Spaniard’s World Championship debut in 2017 and on his most recent appearance in 2019 he enjoyed a fantastic race and finished less than two seconds off the podium in fifth. 

“It’s an amazing but tricky track”

“I’m really looking forward to going to Mugello. I had a very good race there in 2019 but I am still lacking experience of this track. It’s an amazing but tricky track and I’ll need to play video games again because I haven’t done many laps there! It was a big shame to finish the race in Le Mans so early when it was clear we had a chance of a strong result. But we performed very well and understood many things about the bike during the test in Barcelona last week. I’m feeling confident with the bike, but it is important to finish this weekend after crashes in the last two races. I’m sure we can be competitive but to finish is key to regain some confidence and recover some points in the World Championship.”

/// SAM LOWES

• Mugello’s fast and flowing 5.4km track is the ideal place for Lowes to fire momentum back into his World Championship challenge after a fall out of podium contention in France.
• The 30-year-old took his first front row in Mugello in 2014 and since then he’s scored two pole positions and five years ago, he was only one second away from a famous win in third position behind Johann Zarco and Lorenzo Baldassarri.

“We usually get close and exciting races in Mugello”

“Mugello is a track I really love, and it was very unfortunate we couldn’t race there in 2020. It’s like a second home race for me with so many of my family living in Italy. It is fast and flowing and one that I enjoy and usually we get some very close and exciting races. I’m really looking forward to it and after the disappointment of Le Mans it’s vital that we come away from Mugello with some decent points on the board. I’ve been fast at every track so far this year and there’s no reason for me not to be confident going into Mugello. I bring some good feelings into this weekend after the test in Barcelona went very well and I can’t wait to get started.”