High-riding Protons head for the hills.

Buoyed up by four top ten finishes in the first four races, Proton Team KR riders Jeremy McWilliams and Nobuatsu Aoki head for the Tuscan hills of Mugello with confidence riding high.

This is especially the case for McWilliams - for the Italian GP circuit has been a happy hunting ground for him in the past. Last year he qualified on the front row of the 250 grid, and though he fell victim to difficult wet conditions in the race, he was disputing the lead at the time. The year before he had finished second on the twin-cylinder Aprilia 500, one of the machine's highest finishes.

Since the last round, the French GP at Le Mans, where Aoki equalled the English-made three-cylinder lightweight machine's best ever result and McWilliams added the fourth top ten finish to the team's 2002 portfolio, the team's strength has been boosted still further by special tests at the Spanish Almeria circuit. As well as chassis variations, McWilliams and test rider David Garcia tested the latest in the continuing supply of new Bridgestone tyres, which have proved an important asset to the team's successful season so far.

The Le Mans result was a bonus. The Proton KR3's strengths are fine road holding and high corner speed, while the venue for the French GP is a stop-and-go circuit, with more emphasis on horsepower and acceleration. Even so, the strength of the now highly developed KR3 package, the ever-improving Bridgestone tyres, and the sheer level of effort from the two new-for-2002 riders meant that they comfortable exceeded expectations.

The fifth round, at Mugello outside Florence, should swing the balance back towards the Proton. The classic 3.259-mile (5.245km) circuit is fast and highly technical, with corner sets leading one into the next, and plenty of opportunity for the Proton riders to exploit their ability to brake late and get the power on early.

The only minus point is the long start-finish straight. Here the new-generation 990cc four-strokes - up against the 500cc two-strokes like the Proton for the first time this year - will have the opportunity to exploit their extra horsepower to the full. Even then, the result will not be cut and dried.

"We have an advantage in being able to come off the long corner before the straight faster," said team manager Chuck Aksland. "That will help us in our battle against the more powerful four-cylinder two-strokes, and against the four-strokes as well.

"More than once so far this year we've gone to circuits that we didn't expect would favour us - and come away with good results," he continued. "It's hard to make predictions, but we've proved that our package is working better than ever before, and we have every reason to be hopeful."

Last year's Italian GP saw rider Jurgen van den Goorbergh qualify well, on the second row of the grid - and in the race he was the fastest man on the track when rain started to fall, causing the race to be stopped. He eventually finished 12th after the restart, frozen half to death in the dire conditions.

The other strength is the Bridgestone tyres. "Four top ten finishes in the first four races of their first season is pretty impressive," said Aksland.

"Every race they bring something different - new compounds and constructions, and something better. That is the key: they have a handle on the effect of the changes they are making. We are expecting the next round of improvements for Mugello."

"It was great to be among the best of the machines at Le Mans, and I'm only sorry I wasn't able to capitalise more on my second-row start," said McWilliams. "I love the track at Mugello, and I've always gone well there in the past. Bridgestone have promised more of the tyres I liked in France, and there is a new chassis to try before the race. We've shown so far the bike is not a million miles away, and we're moving forward all the time. This is one of the tracks I was looking forward to, so I'm looking forward to the race."

"I'm enjoying this season even more than I expected," said Aoki. "The KR3 is really an excellent bike, and I have to thank my team for the excellent work they've done at every race. So far we have two seventh places, and sixth at the last race. Mugello may be difficult with the long straight, but there are also lots of fast corners, so I'll try to make the most of them, and keep on getting good results."