Mugello, Italy

Valentino Rossi put the fear of God into his rivals on the first day of practice at Mugello, leading the session almost from start to finish. He had spent Thursday explaining that his shoulder injury was worse than expected, and dampening expectations. There was no such thing on Friday afternoon, though, as Rossi smashed Casey Stoner's race lap record by over a quarter of a second.

The one question mark over that time was the fact that Rossi used a soft tire to set it, but Rossi thought the soft tires might actually last the entire race. Rossi intends to test that tomorrow, but even if the soft tires don't look like they'll last, the rest of the MotoGP field need to be worried, as the Fiat Yamaha rider was still faster than everyone else on the harder compound.

With the MotoGP paddock reconvened at Mugello - and it really is a stunning setting for a motorcycle race - the atmosphere is hectic and frenzied, and it's only just Thursday. There are many reasons for that atmosphere, but mostly, it comes down to two key facts: 1) We're in Italy, and 2) We're at Mugello.

Being in Italy means that some riders are on double duty, with Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso doing their usual press debriefs in addition to appearing at the press conference. The usual Thursday pre-event press conference was positively heaving, the room packed to the rafters and all seats taken, a change from most other Thursday conferences. It's not just that every Italian newspaper has sent extra journalists to the round, but journalists from around the world are seizing the opportunity to attend one of the most spectacular races of the year, and follow it up with a few days in Tuscany.

The one place that everyone wants to be at a MotoGP race is in the paddock. Simultaneously, it is one of the most difficult places to get into, as, quite simply, Dorna does not sell passes into the paddock. The usual way - other than in a professional capacity, or working as a marshal - is to purchase a VIP package through one of the very few specialist travel companies authorized to issue paddock passes, such as our friends over at Pole Position Travel.