Althea Honda's Tommy Hill has started learning Italian in an effort to improve communications in the team so he can give proper technical feedback in the squad's own language. It isn't proving easy, however, as there are so many dialects, sometimes his team have no idea what he is talking about.

Until now, Hill has had to rely on his Ohlins suspension technician translating for him but words like squat and chatter have been received with blank expressions and shrugging of shoulders.

"I have been learning Italian using a translation programme on my laptop and it has been okay. But because there are some many dialects in the language, some of the times they don't know what I am on about," said Hill, speaking (in English) to bikesportnews.com this morning.

"The language can be so different. I suppose it's a bit like a broad Glaswegian making himself understood in a Cornish village. But I'll keep chipping away at it and we will get there eventually.

"I am sitting down with the boys today to work on a strategy for this weekend. I am quite good at learning tracks but you have to master them quickly in this championship as it's so competitive. The bike should be powerful enough around here as we had to dial a load of power off for Assen, and I know it has been on the dyno, so we will see wat's what tomorrow afternoon."