Pirro out to make amends after German setback

Michele Pirro is desperate to make amends at Mugello this weekend after technical problems ruled him out of the reckoning at Sachsenring.

It was a bitter blow for the Gresini rider, who had clinched his best result of the season a week previously with a superb ride to ninth at Assen on the FTR Honda behind Aspar's Randy de Puniet.

The issue has now been resolved and Pirro is taking extra motivation to put on a good show in front of his home fans at Mugello, his first MotoGP race in Italy.

"I am still upset about the technical problem that forced me to retire from the race in Germany, but I am also confident that the guys will be able to study the data and make sure we don't suffer this issue again," he said.

"It was a real shame, because I am sure that without it I could have been fighting to be the top CRT at Sachsenring.

"We will make up for it at Mugello, a circuit where we are obliged to do well in front of our home crowd and sponsors," he added.

"I am excited about it and can't wait to get on track and see how competitive our bike is there."

Pirro was buoyed by his performance in qualifying at Sachsenring, a track his team felt would not play to the advantages of the FTR Honda, and expects the bike to be much stronger in Italy.

"The bike is still new and every track is a discovery, but on paper Sachsenring was not going to suit us and we showed we could be competitive there so that gives us a lot of confidence.

"I really want to have a great race because a lot of people are coming from my hometown of San Giovanni Rotondo to support me at Mugello."