Petrucci earns maiden MotoGP victory in Mugello thriller
Australian Miller crashes out following spirited encounter.
Image: Supplied.
Mission Winnow Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci has captured his first MotoGP World Championship victory on his 124th start in the premier class at Mugello, holding off reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to cross the line just 0.043s clear at the chequered flag. Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati) completed the podium in his 300th grand prix.
It was Marquez who took the holeshot from pole, but the headline-grabber as the lights went out was Dovizioso as the Italian shot off the line from P9 with a perfect start and was into a stunning third – behind Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) – into turn one.
Petrucci dropped to fifth, the two Petronas Yamaha SRTs of Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli also lost out, and Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) moved up. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was also on the move, threading his way into the fight at the front after starting in 13th. At the front though, it only took one lap for Dovizioso and Petrucci to tag onto the back of Marquez as they swooped through on Crutchlow in quick succession.
It remained a train of riders at the front, with nine within two seconds, but home eyes were also trained elsewhere as Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) ran on, as did rookie Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), and the two were forced into a quick trip across the gravel – rejoining at the back. The race was on and Mir would recover for points, but it ended early for the ‘Doctor’ as he then slid out of contention at turn nine – a tough end to a tough weekend.
Back at the front though, the fight was feisty and slowly but surely, a front quintet of Petrucci, Marquez, Dovizioso, Miller and Rins were able to pull away. Drama then hit Miller though as he suddenly crashed out – not long after teammate Francesco Bagnaia had done the same – and then there were four.
That was how it would remain, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) the next man down the road but the Japanese rider unable to close in. With five laps to go there was nothing between the foursome, and despite the chopping and changing, it was Petrucci who’d been at the front since lap 11 to assert some authority on his charge at the win – with ‘DesmoDovi’ then taking over from Marquez in second.
Sure enough, the number 04 struck against his teammate at turn one with four to go, but he couldn’t pull away – and Petrucci soon hit back. He held on in the lead next time around into San Donato too, and again, until the high speed chess game arrived at the final lap.
Dovizioso slipstreamed past his teammate on the final full speed dash down the straight, but Marquez did one better and managed to take both, the Honda man ahead into turn one for the final time. But he headed a little wide and Dovizioso took the inside line – but he was wide as well. Enter Petrucci, with the number nine spotting the gap and slicing past both as Dovi had to then sit up and cede second to Marquez.
The task for ‘Petrux’ was then easier said than done – defend the lead of his first home grand prix in factory colours from the most notorious last lap lunger. But that’s what he did. He needed the lap of his life and that’s exactly what he delivered, just out of reach of Marquez and emerging from the final corner still ahead as Dovi tried to find a way past Marquez.
But there wasn’t one, and the turn one shuffle would prove decisive as Petrucci escaped Marquez who escaped Dovi on the run to the line – and the number 04 Ducati even came under threat from Rins into the final corner.
But the Suzuki man couldn’t stick with the Borgo Panigale power, and one of the races of the season saw Petrucci make some history, Marquez gaining a little ground in the championship and Dovizioso forced to settle for third on his 300th grand prix start. For all his help and support, however, Petrucci did dedicate the win to his compatriot.
Behind Rins’ stellar ride to fourth, Nakagami pulled out an ace on race day to take his best ever premier class finish as he completed the top five – and as top Independent Team rider to boot. Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) gained some ground late on to claim sixth, with wildcard Michele Pirro (Mission Winnow Ducati) a late mover as well as he came home seventh.
Crutchlow slipped to eighth, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) taking P9 after another impressive weekend that included KTM’s highest finish in a free practice session and direct entry into Q2.
Fabio Quartararo, who lost out after his stunning qualifying session, crossed the line tenth but once again took home a good little haul of points to keep his supreme run in the fight for Rookie of the Year, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) taking P11 on Noale factory home turf. Mir recovered to 12th and got past Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team), with Karel Abraham (Reale Avintia Racing) and Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completing the points.
Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took back-to-back wins in the Moto2 class for the first time in Mugello, with the Spaniard repeating his Le Mans pace to pull away into clear air in the lead and leave Italy only two points off the championship lead.
Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) put in an impressive performance on home turf to take his first podium of the season in second, with Tom Luthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) completing the podium. Australian Remy Gardner (SAG Racing Team) was 13th in the encounter.
Polesitter Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers) pitched it to perfection to pip compatriot Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) to the line in the Moto3 category, winning his first grand prix by just 0.02s9 in a classic Moto3 melee. Behind the home duo, Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai) left it late to make his charge for the front, completing the podium in third and still within hundredths of the win. The MotoGP World Championship now heads to Catalunya in Spain on 16 June.
Ken Roczen has taken top honours at Round 3 of the AMA Pro Motocross and in doing so claimed the lead from Eli Tomac. In the 250 class it was Adam Cianciarulo who took the win from Justin Cooper, with each taking a win and a second place, but with Cianciarulo coming out on top to continue his winning streak, and holding onto the 250 standings lead.
2019 Thunder Valley National MX
The mile-high altitude of the greater Denver area provided the setting for Round 3 of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, and was also the landmark 15th running of the Thunder Valley National at the Thunder Valley Motocross Park. The highest professional motocross track in the world, at an elevation of 6108 feet, provides a unique challenge to the world’s best riders.
Dean Ferris – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Dean Ferris lead the Aussies in the 450 class with a 6-9 result for eighth overall, while Todd Waters was 14th, with the same result in both motos. New Zealand’s Cody Cooper was 32nd with a 30-29 result. Dean Ferris currently sits eighth in the standings.
Hunter Lawrence – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
In the 250s Hunter Lawrence recorded a 10-7 for eighth overall, while Wilson Todd was 15th with a 14-17. Hunter Lawrence is now ninth in the standings.
450 Class
The opening 450 Class moto followed a brief thunderstorm at the track and it presented riders with a much different racing surface than what they’d previously been competing on. When the gate dropped rookie Zach Osborne grabbed his first holeshot over Roczen and Cooper Webb.
450 Start – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
As Osborne looked to assert himself in the lead for the first time in his 450 Class career he came under fire from Roczen, who let it fly on the track’s biggest and longest downhill descent to surge into the top spot. With the clear track, Roczen upped his pace and was able to establish a multi-second gap over field at the completion of the opening lap.
Behind this battle, entering point leader and reigning back-to-back champion Eli Tomac was forced to fight his way from outside the top 10 aboard his Monster Energy Kawasaki. The Colorado native was in the mix in the top five off the start, but a crash by Marvin Musquin briefly held Tomac up and forced him to lose valuable track position.
Ken Roczen – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Roczen was able to continue to add to his advantage, which left Osborne and Webb to settle into second and third, respectively. Without much action up front, the focus turned to Tomac and his quest to climb up the running order. He successfully broke into the top 10, but then encountered an issue with his goggles, which slowed his pace and saw him lose a position.
Tomac elected to make quick pit stop in the mechanics area to get new goggles and returned to the track in the thick off the battle for 10th place. He easily cleared Musquin and Justin Hill and made a push to gain more positions in the waning moments of the moto.
Eli Tomac – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Roczen rode to a dominant and uneventful moto victory, his second of the season, by 35.4 seconds over Osborne. Webb rode to his best moto result of the season in third, with Anderson fourth and Tomac able to salvage a hard-fought fifth.
450 Start – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
The deciding 450 Class moto saw Webb edge out Blake Baggett for the holeshot and surge out to the early lead. Roczen, who started third, was able to get around Baggett and quickly attacked Webb for the lead. Webb withstood the initial pass attempt and carried on to lead the opening lap.
Behind them Musquin engaged in a fierce battle with Baggett for third, with the two riders swapping the position. The Frenchman gained the upper hand as they started the next lap, while their battle allowed Tomac to close in from fifth.
Marvin Musquin & Eli Tomac – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Roczen stalked Webb throughout the next lap and eventually made the pass happen. Just like in the first moto, Roczen took full advantage of the clear track to establish a multi-second lead. Tomac began a determined charge from fifth that carried him around Baggett, then around Musquin into third.
He was able to close in on Webb for second and made the pass for the position in the exact same spot where Roczen took the lead. Once Tomac found his way into the runner-up spot he and Roczen were separated by about four seconds. Webb continued to lose ground and gave up third to his teammate Musquin, and later dropped another spot to a hard-charging Osborne.
Ken Roczen – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Tomac continued to chip away at the gap to Roczen, and a battle for the lead began with about 10 minutes left in the moto. Tomac easily got within a bike length of Roczen, but found it difficult to make the pass.
Tomac was able to show a wheel to Roczen in a few turns, but the German was able to fend him off on numerous occasions. With the home crowd passionately cheering him on, Tomac finally found his way into the lead and quickly distanced himself from Roczen.
Jason Anderson – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Tomac carried on to his fourth moto win of the season, 9.1 seconds ahead of Roczen. Musquin followed in a distant third.
Roczen’s 1-2 effort easily gave him his second overall victory and the 16th win of his career, which puts him into a tie for eighth on the all-time list. Tomac’s second-moto win vaulted him into the runner-up spot (5-1), while Osborne earned his first 450 Class podium result in third (2-4).
Ken Roczen – P1
“I tried all the way through [to the second moto finish]. [Tomac] was just quicker in the end there. The good thing was I didn’t let him get away,” said Rozen. “I almost got together with a lapper there coming to the white flag. He crashed right in front of me. It definitely got rougher in the second moto, for sure, but we did exactly what we needed to do to get the overall [win].”
Ken Roczen – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
With the win, Roczen also reclaimed control of the points lead for the second time this season. He holds a two-point lead over Tomac, while Osborne moved into third, 26 points out of the lead.
Zach Osborne – P3
“It was a pretty solid day, to get third in qualifying and then 2-4 in the motos for third overall, I feel pretty good about it. I feel like I didn’t ride to my peak today but I’m going to work on finding a little bit more speed and continuing to move forward from here.”
Zach Osborne – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Jason Anderson – P4
“I’m happy to be leaving Colorado with 4-5 finishes, that’s the most points I’ve ever scored here. I’ll move on and try to be better for the next one at High Point.”
Jason Anderson – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Marvin Musquin – P5
“It was a rough start of the day for the motos and I gave my best to come back to eighth in the first moto. Those guys out front were fast, so to catch more than that, it was difficult. I put myself in a better position to fight for the podium and the win in the second moto. Something clicked a little bit and then my riding was better – I had better lines and better flow. We improved the bike a little bit for the second moto and that was the positive.”
Marvin Musquin – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Cody Webb – P6
“It was a tough day in Colorado. I struggled a little bit in practice so it was nice to get on the podium in Moto 1. In Moto 2, I made a bike change that wasn’t good at all and I really struggled. It was a tough day but we have two weeks now to try to get better and start the east coast nationals off on a better note.”
Cody Webb – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
The season has been one of learning and adjusting for Ferris, but he has also been eager to put his talent to the test. In the opening moto, he nearly grabbed the holeshot and was in the mix for over half of the race running in fourth. Near the end he fell back to sixth, but that still gave Ferris his best moto finish of the season. In Moto 2, it was more of an uphill battle as he pushed inside the top 10. Ferris would eventually make it up to ninth, giving him a 6-9 score for eighth overall.
Dean Ferris – P8
“Big improvements for me today. I got two reasonably good starts and kind of got pulled along with the big group. We made improvements with the bike. I’m somewhat comfortable now and feel like we’re getting the train on the tracks now for the rest of the season. The conditions were demanding, the track was really rutted and rough as usual, but I liked it. I’m definitely really happy about the improvements we made and the result this weekend. It’s something to build on.”
Dean Ferris – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Justin Barcia – P9
“It was a tough day for me. I went back to Florida this week and came down with some kind of sickness. I don’t really know what it was but I had really bad migraines all week and struggled with that. I didn’t get a lot of sleep. It was difficult. I wasn’t feeling good the first moto at all and unfortunately it showed. That was really frustrating. In the second moto I felt a little bit better, kind of regrouped, got a little energy and put it all out there. All in all, I was happy with my bike settings and stuff like that. It seems like I’ve been making some progress, but it really hasn’t shown at the moment. I just need to use this off-week coming up to do a little testing, get healthy and go to the East Coast. That’s when I plan on really moving forward and turning it on.”
Justin Barcia – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Todd Waters took 14-14 results on his Husqvarna for the same position overall, and holds 46 championship points for 14th in the standings. Cody Cooper went 30-29.
Todd Waters – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
450 Results Thunder Valley National
450 Podium 1) Ken Roczen, 2) Eli Tomac, 3) Zach Osborne – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Roczen reclaims points lead with Thunder Valley victory
Section: Competition
Cianciarulo wins 250MX as Australia’s Ferris records top 10 result.
Image: Supplied.
Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen has reclaimed the 450MX points lead after securing victory at Thunder Valley’s third round of the 2019 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
The German ace put on a stellar display in difficult conditions, winding up with a 1-2 scorecard to comfortably edge out two-time defending champion Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki), who completed the day with 5-1 results.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rookie Zach Osborne earned his maiden premier class podium, as Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) and Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) locked out the top five.
Australian Dean Ferris (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing) rode this best overall score of the season, earning with eighth with 6-9 results, as compatriot Todd Waters (Husqvarna) was 14th with a pair of 14th place race results.
In the 250MX category, Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) emerged with his third-consecutive victory, notching up a 2-1 scorecard to earn the win on countback over Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Star Racing), who went 1-2.
Michael Mosiman (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) was third ahead of Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Star Racing) and Chase Sexton (Geico Honda), while Australian contenders Hunter Lawrence (Geico Honda) and Wilson Todd (Red Bull TLD KTM) were eighth and 15th respectively. The Pro Motocross championship now heads to High Point on 16 June.
The 2019 Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE adds a vast array of electronic aids and wizardry plus ergonomic comforts that make it a truly versatile motorcycle.
While the base Versys 1000 costs $16,100 (ride away based on Brisbane delivery), the SE adds almost $8000. That puts it closer to some European bikes with comparable features.
The SE adds hand guards, cruise control, bigger screen, thicker seats, cornering lights, quick shifter, electronic suspension, TFT colour screen, LED lighting, self-healing paint from the H2, traction control, four engine modes, corner management, inertia control that works on the brakes and traction, and it all Bluetooths to your phone via a special Rideology app.
Whew! It’s a hefty amount of kit but it doesn’t get in the way or feel like extras you don’t really need. They all simply work to make it a competent sports bike, agile commuter and comfy tourer.
SE styling
If you like Transformers, you’re going to love this bike’s styling.
For me, it’s “bitsy” with too many angles and separate plastic panels. There is no flow.
However, Mrs MBW loves it, especially the high-quality sparkling green paint.
It’s also nice to know that any hairline scratches (such as from a tank bag or your belt buckle) can be removed with a blast from a hair dryer or hot sun, thanks to Kawasaki’s clever self-healing paint. Read more here.
If you want to tour, there is no need for extra racks to attach the $1290 lockable hard bags. They simply clip into the “invisible” connectors.
Take them off and there is no ugly scaffolding left behind.
However, you will need to buy a base plate to go on the rear rack if you want to fit a top box.
Engine and transmission
The base and SE models are powered by the 1043cc inline four from the Z1000 which has been detuned for more rideable use.
The word “detuned” might make some riders baulk.
After all, it drops power substantially from 105kW at 10,000 revs in the Z1000 to 88.2kW at 9000 revs while the torque is also down from 111Nm at 7300rpm to 102Nm at 75000rpm.
But the power delivery is more linear, smoother and better controlled by the electronic rider aids which means you can use more of the power and torque more of the time.
What makes it even easier to use is the up and down quick shifter.
It is lightning quick and smooth, allowing you to shift up no matter how much throttle you hold and down-shift on deceleration or a closed throttle, although sometimes I had to take a couple of dabs to get it to change.
On a complex set of corners, you can swap cogs between the turns faster and more frequently than you ever imagined, making for swifter progress.
While the clutch has a light pull, you only need to use it when taking off or coming to a stop.
Over the past couple of weeks that’s the only time I used it.
I found the slick transmission a little under-geared so the engine whined and buzzed some at 4000 revs in sixth gear at 100km/h. Perhaps a taller top cog would be better for touring and economy.
Electronic aids
There are four engine modes that adjust power, the fully adjustable Showa suspension, traction control and braking.
Sport mode gives 100% power and a firm suspension with a bit of latitude in the traction control and ABS.
Road also has full power set, softer settings and less control intervention, while Rain has 75% power, the softest suspension and the most intervention.
Rain is actually a good mode to use around town as it makes the ride-by-wire throttle less snatchy.
Rider mode allows you to fully adjust everything to suit your tastes.
You can switch modes on the fly, or use the Rideology app to set it all up before you ride, then send the settings to your bike.
The app also allows you to record and share your trip which includes a map, plus details such as maximum speed, throttle, brakes and even lean angle.
However, be careful what you record and with whom you share info as you don’t want to incriminate yourself!
Creature features
The riding position of the Versys models is neutral with the rider bolt upright and bars and footpegs a comfortable reach way.
SE adds a bigger, adjustable windscreen with a vent to effectively reduce negative air pressure and annoying turbulence.
In fact, it is so effective, I got quite warm when the temperature nudged mid-20s and on cold days I had to ride with the visor open to prevent fogging.
Together with hand guards and an engine that pours heat out on to your right calf, it would be quite hot in a slow summer traffic crawl.
But in winter it is quite cozy and there is no need for grip warmers as the guards keep the wind chill off the backs of your hands.
SE also gets deeper seat padding. My pillion raved about the rear comfort, the long reach to the pegs and the big grab handles.
However, my bony backside found the firm, contoured seat prevented me moving around, so I developed “hot spots” on my rear after about an hour.
I’m 183cm tall and I couldn’t get my heels on the ground thanks to the high 840mm seats, so it’s not for short riders.
The easy-lift centre stand is a breeze to use and convenient for cleaning the rear wheel and chain maintenance.
Tech features
TFT screens are amazingly clear in all lighting conditions and allow a host of information.
This customisable screen is no different and Kawasaki have packed in a wide array of features.
Some information is more for entertainment value and could even be a distraction.
For example, you can select one screen variant that shows dynamic throttle position, braking effort and lean angle.
Those could be interesting stats on your Rideology app to show your friends after your ride. However, they would be a distraction on the fly, particularly checking out your lean angles as you are cornering!
With all these creature features, I was surprised Kawasaki did not add self-cancelling indicators. I believe they should be mandatory on all road bikes as they are a safety measure and have been in cars for decades.
Handling
All the electronics and creature features only add 7kg to the weight of the SE which at 257kg might seem a bit porky.
However, it feels light even lifting it off the side stand and turning it around in my garage.
It feels lighter as you get under way.
Change of direction is super light, making it eminently manoeuvrable in a carpark, around tight roundabouts, carving the S-bends on your favourite mountain road or filtering through the morning traffic.
Wide tapered-steel handlebars amplify the flickable nature of the SE.
Yet for all that quick steering and nimble handling it feels very stable on the highway.
It also holds a sturdy line through corners while allowing you to adjust your line without disturbing the bike’s balance.
The 43mm inverted Showa cartridge forks and Showa BFRC lite rear shock are fully adjustable through the electronic settings, although you need a 5mm hex key to adjust front preload.
I found the Sport setting a little too stiff for our country roads.
Most of my ride time was spent in the Road setting, although the Rain mode actually provided the swiftest progress through the corrugated corners on the western side of Mt Glorious.
Rain mode is also super-plush for touring and should allow most people to sit comfortably for the full duration of the almost high-300km range you could squeeze from the 21-litre tank.
You can also set up the suspension to account for your load from the options of Rider, Rider and Luggage, or Rider with Passenger and Luggage.
There is no setting for rider and pillion without luggage, so I set it to rider and luggage where it worked just fine. In fact, I could hardly feel my pillion on the back.
Above and beyond whatever suspension settings you choose, the dynamic damping electronically adjusts for road irregularities in milliseconds to iron out bumps and keep the rubber on the road.
The Bosch IMU works so well with the traction and brake controls that you can be a little hamfisted with throttle and brake application without drama, even when leaned over in a corner.
Conclusion
You may not like all the electronic wizardry, but in this case it all works to provide a dynamic, yet comfortable ride.
It also converts this into a versatile three-in-one bike that makes the extra expense worthwhile.
Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE tech specs
Model
KLZ1000DKF
Engine Type
1043cc in-line 4-cylinder, liquid- cooled.
Price
$24,000 (ride away in Brisbane)
Bore x Stroke
77 x 56mm
Compression Ratio
10.3:1
Valve System
DOHC 16 valve
Fuel System
DFI 4 X 38 mm with oval sub throttles
Ignition
TCBI with Digital Advance
Starting
Electric
Transmission
6-speed with Positive Neutral finder
Suspension – front
43mm inverted forks with KECS-controlled compression and rebound damping, manual spring preload adjustability, and top-out springs
Suspension – rear
Horizontal Back-link, BFRC lite gas-charged shock with piggyback reservoir, KECS-controlled compression and rebound damping, and electronic spring preload adjustability
2019 MotoGP Round Six – Mugello MotoGP Rider Quotes
Danilo Petrucci – P1
“I really wanted this victory and when I realized the pace at the front wasn’t too fierce and I was able to manage my rhythm in the leading group, I told myself it was the right time to go for it. I tried to control the race by staying in the lead to avoid the risk of losing too many positions in the battle, dictating the pace to preserve the energies and the tyres for the final rush. I was a bit worried about the slipstream as we entered the final lap, but I managed to brake really deep and find a small gap between Andrea and Marc to retake the lead, then I simply pushed as hard as I could until the checkered flag. A good chunk of this win came thanks to Andrea, who took me under his wing this winter and gave so many precious tips. Now we’ll keep fighting together for the championship.”
Danilo Petrucci took his first MotoGP victory
Marc Marquez – P2
“Today was time to defend, and we did it in the best way we could because usually this is not one of our best circuits. I stayed calm and waited to try something in the last lap. I was able to try but I missed the apex on the first corner and then both Ducati overtook me. Petrucci rode very well at the front today, congratulations to him. My goal was to finish in front of Dovizioso and Rins and we did this so I’m happy. Also congratulations to my brother Alex, he had a great race today too. As always, thanks to the Repsol Honda Team as they have worked hard to allow us to fight for victory here.”
Marc Marquez, Danilo Petrucci, Andrea Dovizioso
Andrea Dovizioso – P3
“It’s been a really exciting race, as it’s often the case here at Mugello. Until the very last lap, everything went to plan. I got off to a great start and I put myself in a good position to manage the tyres, staying always within the top three despite the many overtakes in the leading group. My plan was to seize the lead at the beginning of the last lap, but I had to pick up the bike out of turn one to avoid contact and I lost positions and points. I’m a bit disappointed because of that, but also very happy for Danilo, who really deserved this win. It would have been better to score a one-two finish, but Márquez was very competitive also here. As for us, we struggled a bit early on in the weekend but once again we managed to stay in contention until the very end during the race. We want more and we’ll keep working to improve.”
Petrucci, Dovizioso, Marquez
Alex Rins – P4
“I don’t think I could have had a better result with a better grid position, I recovered a lot of places on the first lap, but I was losing a lot of time on the straight. We knew it would be a tricky part of the track for us, and it’s a bit of a pity. But I gave 100% and pushed really hard, I tried to pass Dovizioso on the last corner, but he had a bit more traction than me. Anyway, I’m happy with this 4th and it all helps with the championship!”
Alex Rins
Takaaki Nakagami – P5
“It was an amazing day and an amazing race. I was really strong from the start and I know that this is a weak point for me. In all the races after a couple of laps I’ve dropped positions and then fight back in the middle and at the end. But today, I was really strong at the beginning of the race and then tried to keep the position. At the end I knew that (Maverick) Vinales was really pushing hard, but I never gave up and fought hard. It’s the best result for me, I was the second Honda and fifth place is amazing. I didn’t expect it, it’s a fantastic weekend for me and I want to thank the team who did a really great job all weekend, the bike worked really well.”
Takaaki Nakagami
Maverick Vinales – P6
“Today I struggled a lot. I had no feeling with the bike during the race and the tyres were very slippery. I tried to push in the correct way and manage the tyres in the best way I could, but anyway it wasn’t enough. I don’t think we should be on the level of getting sixth places, we need to push more. I really don’t know what to expect for Montmeló. For sure, during the practices we can be there, but in the race it’s a different story. Our bike suffers a lot when we don’t have grip. So, we need to keep working to see if we can improve the feeling and take steps forward.”
Maverick Vinales
Michele Pirro – P7
“The most important thing is that we won again at Mugello, for the third time in a row, because we couldn’t take it for granted. As for me, I’m a bit disappointed because today during the race my Desmosedici GP was really competitive, but unfortunately I faced an issue with my forearm in the early laps, which slowed me down. Then, I simply tried to stay calm and I managed to climb back to seventh. I want to thank Ducati because, after last year’s big crash on this track, we’ve done a great job together and I’m confident I’ll be back to top form soon.”
Michele Pirro
Cal Crutchlow – P8
“Today was a very difficult day, quite possibly my worst race of the season. Again I was in the front group, but then got dropped from the front group which has not normally happened to me in previous years. I had a bad feeling with the bike when I was changing direction, which was happening all weekend, and I was not able to be competitive in that area. Then with about 14 laps remaining I felt a big drop in the rear tyre and was unable to keep my pace throughout the rest of the race. After the race we assessed the situation with the team and Michelin and found an unusual rubber wear on the rear tyre. So we’ll continue to evaluate it and I’m sure Michelin will investigate why this happened. I’m pleased to finish and get some points on a tough day, but that’s not where I need to finish at all.”
Mugello MotoGP 2019
Pol Espargaro – P9
“We knew our position would be around 7-10 and we were not expecting these temperatures. With the Medium tyre we were in a very low grip situation and we knew our job would be a little bit harder. I was fighting a lot at the beginning of the race with [Franco] Morbidelli, [Alex] Rins even and [Fabio] Quartararo. It was hard, hot and with many changes of direction. It was a physical track and we saw many riders by the end were dropping and we could keep our pace. Anyway we were fourteen seconds faster in our total race time in 2018 and in the end I think we can be happy.”
Pol Espargaro
Fabio Quartararo – P10
“I struggled right from the beginning. My start wasn’t bad, but I did a small wheelie that made me lose several positions. As the race progressed, the front tyre pressure increased a lot and unfortunately I couldn’t find a good feeling with the front. Our pace during the weekend was good, but we couldn’t get a great result. The goal is to be the best rookie, and today we achieved that. I don’t want to rush and I want to go step-by-step. Now we are going to Barcelona, which is one of my favourite circuits and I can’t wait to ride there with a MotoGP bike.”
Fabio Quartararo
Aleix Espargaro – P11
“I started well, but unfortunately, during the first lap Zarco made some pretty bold contact, causing me to lose time. In terms of pace, I had plenty to battle with Pol and Pirro in the top 10, but despite feeling very good today, I struggled to overtake. It’s a pity. Without the initial contact, a top-ten finish would most certainly have been within our potential. The conditions were demanding today. It was very hot and there wasn’t much grip and, considering our starting position, the 20-second gap behind the leader is a good result.”
Aleix Espargaro
Joan Mir – P12
“I’m glad to pick up some points today, even if it wasn’t in the position that I wanted or that I felt I could achieve with my potential this weekend. The touch between Valentino and I cost me around seven seconds, and that’s what prevented me from getting a Top 10 finish. Anyway, I want to thank the team for all the great work done this weekend, I feel good and I know the results will come.”
Joan Mir, Valentino Rossi
Jorge Lorenzo – P13
“Today was more or less what we expected. I didn’t have the pace and wasn’t as comfortable on the bike to be more competitive. We made a change in the Warm Up and it improved some areas. Not better or worse than we expected but neither myself nor Honda give up on making progress and finding a solution together. Now I will go to Japan to work with Honda on some improvements to come back stronger.”
Jorge Lorenzo
Karel Abraham – P14
”To be honest the race was almost what I expected. I knew that we are capable to fight for the point today I knew we were strong same as Le Mans but it didn´t work. But I know also very well that the conditions changed for the race today, the track was hot, the air was hot this means it will be a lot more difficult for the tyres, for the bike but also for the rider. For me especially because I do not like hot conditions. After the start of the race it was not very good in identity very well with the tyres, because the front and the rear was slaiding quite a lot. But after a 4 laps I took the confidence and the bike work better. And I stay to overtake everybody. The race was very hard. I knew my tyres were dropping specially in the end but I could see everybody stay was dropping because I start to catch the otherones. So I was very good finally we made 2 points I think we deserve because we work really hard all weekend. And all my team we deserve the points, thank you very much to everyone. I´m super happy we ended finally the weekend like this.”
Karel Abraham
Andrea Iannone – P15
“I am rather satisfied, especially with the pace in the early part of the race. Starting so far behind, I was able to battle and make up a lot of ground, even on Aleix who is certainly my point of reference. Unfortunately, on the final laps with Mir and Zarco, we held one another up, losing time and also letting those who were behind us get close. This was clearly not the Mugello I expected, but our goal is long-term – to get to know the bike better and better and to develop it.”
Andrea Iannone
Johann Zarco – P16
“I wanted a bit more consistency so I chose the Soft tyre but by the end it was finished. I wanted to be able to fight at the beginning and understand what my opponents can do better than me or not. I was able to get some good information even though I suffered at the end of the race and I finished slowly. We know we are suffering and I must wait to have some new things on the bike. I know I need to change my style but even by trying to do this I have the same limits as before. We can only get better from here and now I have six months experience. I think the team has good information for the way to work.”
Johann Zarco
Miguel Oliveira – P17
“It was a tough race in the beginning and hard to manage the bike with the full fuel tank. Then I started to find my pace and it was quite OK. The last five laps where very difficult again as I was missing grip and I could not manage to attack the points scoring positions. But, in general, the gap to the front was not too big and also the one to Pol was not huge. After the tough weekend, I think we didn’t expect to be so competitive in the race, so it was positive.”
Miguel Oliveira
Jack Miller – DNF
“It was a very exciting race. I was with the front group and it was a fantastic battle. The feeling with the bike was very good and I started to push after seeing Petrucci and Marquez trying to make the gap. I tried to overtake Rins but then I crashed.”
Jack Miller
Pecco Bagnaia – DNF
“It’s a shame we couldn’t finish the race. Our goal was to stay in the Top 10 and the race pace was very good. I am still satisfied because in the last three races we have made great steps forward. We’ll try again in Barcelona.”
Pecco Bagnaia chasing Cal Crutchlow
Valentino Rossi – DNF
“It was a very difficult weekend, because I was always very slow. We expected to be more competitive, so it was difficult to manage. We also made some mistakes in the practice: I made a mistake in FP3 and because of it I started very far towards the back of the grid. In the race, my pace wasn’t fantastic. I tried to overtake Mir, but he tried to defend his position, and unfortunately we touched. Luckily, we didn’t crash, but we went onto the gravel. After that I tried to push to recover and I lost the front and crashed, so it’s a bad end to a difficult weekend, especially since it’s in Mugello. But that’s the way it is. We will try to do better.”
Valentino Rossi
Franco Morbidelli – DNF
“I had a good start for the first few metres, but then I lost a lot of ground for some reason. After that I started to recover, and little-by-little I felt faster. However, on the sixth lap I made a mistake on the last corner and I lost the front end. It was a shame because I was going fast, and I think I could have fought for a place in the top five. It’s been a good weekend in any case. We suffered on Friday but we were fast on Saturday, and at least over the first five or six laps today we showed great potential. I’m looking forward to the Catalan GP.”
Franco Morbidelli
Hafizh Syahrin – DNF
“I felt very good with the bike in the beginning of the race but in Turn 9 I had a huge low side and was lucky to save this. I tried to push again but couldn’t find the same feeling as in the beginning. I wanted to do more laps but with this feeling it was impossible not to go down, so I decided to retire. It’s a pity, especially because I’m convinced that we could have scored points here but sometimes this just happens. Even if this was not our day and I’m truly sorry for everybody, we keep working hard for the next race. Barcelona is my favourite track, so I will for sure give more than 100 percent again.”
Ducati celebrate Petrucci’s success at Mugello
Tito Rabat – DNF
”Happy because we have found the way with the bike, because we can be competitive and fight with the best but frustrated by the problem today. Now we just have to think about Montmeló.”
Tito Rabat
MotoGP Team Managers
Claudio Domenicali – CEO of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
“Winning is always fantastic, but to do it here at Mugello really has a special meaning. It’s our home race, and on this wonderful track we can always count on the support of so many people from our company and thousands of passionate ducatisti. Until a few laps to go, we had as many as four bikes fighting for top positions. Danilo probably had a bit of an edge today, but both our factory riders fought for the win until the very last inch and I believe that Andrea deserves part of the credit for this victory, as he was the first to highlight Danilo’s potential and he took him under his wing, doing a really excellent job.”
Ducati celebrate Petrucci’s success at Mugello
Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager
“We all must be proud of the work done, because winning three times in a row at Mugello, in front of so many Ducati fans, is a dream come true. Danilo was really phenomenal, he rode a fantastic last lap, with an incredible pass at the beginning, and I’m really happy he took his maiden MotoGP win at his home race. I’m sorry for Andrea, who couldn’t pass Márquez back before the checkered flag, but he rode a fantastic race as well and a podium is always a great result. I want to congratulate myself with all three of them, because they really put on a show.”
Ducati celebrate Petrucci’s success at Mugello
Ken Kawauchi – Suzuki Technical Manager
“Alex did an excellent job considering the grid position yesterday, he put together a great race. I want to apologise to him because it was hard to keep up with the others on the long straight, we have improved the bike and we will continue to work hard for this. Joan picked up some points today and he did a very good race, without the runoff it could have been even better, so we’re happy with the work he did today.”
Petrucci, Marquez, Dovizioso, Rins
Davide Brivio – Suzuki Team Manager
“Alex did a really great race, recovering so well from 13th position on the grid. We’re slightly disappointed for him, because he did everything he could, and it was not enough to stay right with the others. But we know how competitive we are, and there are some other circuits which will suit us better. Anyway, we’re really pleased with this 4th place. Joan started from 20th and he did a great job, getting into points scoring positions, until he had the coming together with Valentino which cost him a lot. But he did so well to recover 12th place. It’s been positive for both riders today.”
Petrucci, Marquez, Dovizioso, Rins
Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Team Manager
“A top ten was the target for us and we achieved that here with Pol, which was very good. A positive point was that the bike had good potential all weekend. Mugello and Barcelona have been difficult tracks for us in the past and with our current package, so to make the top ten so far is very good. With Johann we made some improvement on Friday but he crashed on Saturday and took a gamble with tyre choice for the race, and the Soft rear could not stay until the end. We’ll be looking forward to trying for another top ten in Catalunya.”
Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“Naturally we are very disappointed. We knew this weekend was going to be really difficult, but we had higher hopes for our team‘s home GP than the results we got today. We have to give credit to Maverick though. His start was far from ideal, but he fought his way back to sixth, which was realistically the best could do, considering his race pace. Valentino had a nightmare of a day… It was going to be hard starting from 18th on the grid, but the incidents on track ended his race. All in all, it’s a GP to forget for him. We as a team, however, will be doing the opposite: we have to learn from this and find something for the next race in Catalunya in two weeks‘ time.”
Valentino Rossi, Andrea Iannone
Hervé Poncharal – Red Bull KTM Team Manager
“To finish a weekend without a point, is always a disappointment, because this is a reward for the hard work of the whole team and the riders. But still I believe, we did a good weekend. We were quite competitive in the race. Hafizh had a big moment and that was a real shame, because until then, that was for sure the best start of the year for him and he could have been fighting for points, but unfortunately lost the front, he tried to stay on track, but was close to crash. He aimed to carry on a bit more, but lost the front a few more times and I understand his idea that is was safer to come in, but it was a huge disappointment as it was by far the best Hafizh we saw since the beginning of the year. Miguel was lapping really consistently. We knew he would be strong all race long, because I think the tyre choice was the best one. We passed quite a few guys, including Johann Zarco and for a part of the race, we were in the points, but unfortunately Abraham was a bit quicker in the end and passed us, which didn’t allow us to score that point, that would have been a decent end to a quite constructive weekend. Nevertheless, we have to remember that the Warm Up crash didn’t help, so for sure, in the early part of the race Miguel was a bit cautious. He’s got a small injury on a finger of his left hand. Ok, this is not, what we want to do, but we were not too far. We saw that Pol Espargaro could finish in front of some top factory guys, so we need to keep on working. Today we finished second of the KTM MotoGP department. Overall, we have mixed feelings, but let’s take the positive ones, gather all the information we have and get more confidence and head to Barcelona with a good feeling, where hopefully we can score points with both of our guys.”
Razlan Razali – Petronas SRT Team Principal
“In MotoGP we have mixed feelings about the race today. Franco Morbidelli was doing very well, until he crashed, but we are happy with his performance. We’re also happy with the tenth position for Fabio Quartararo, because the goal for him is still to be the best rookie in the class. Clearly we weren’t able to match the fastest bikes on the straight today, but we move on and take the positives. We have learned a lot and we have seen our two riders riding with the frontrunners. Now we have to prepare for Catalonia.”
Wilco Zeelenberg – Petronas SRT Team Manager
“We’ve learned a lot from today’s race. In this World Championship there are at least 15 riders who can fight for the podium. In practice we are clearly part of that group, but we have to be realistic. We finished tenth with Fabio and Franco crashed. We were in the group, but we weren’t able to fight until the end. It’s good to have picked up points and I think we showed good performance in practice, but we must improve in the race.”
Piero Taramasso – Michelin
“Today was a fantastic spectacle to what has been both a very tough, but also extremely rewarding weekend. The whole array of tyres were used in the practices and five of the compounds were raced today. The track was in poor condition compared to last year, but the tyres all worked well and we had some very fast lap-times, plus a new outright lap-record, the fastest speed from a MotoGP bike and the race was 10-seconds quicker than last year. We have learned a lot though and will need to look at how the tyres behaved in the race and reassess the compounds for next season to take into account the extra abrasiveness. Overall we are very pleased and now we head to Catalunya for another important race and a test on the Monday where we will be trying some tyres for 2020.”
After four full days of inactivity due to the weather on the Isle of Man, the third solo qualifying session at the 2019 IOM TT races, fuelled by Monster Energy, finally got underway on Sunday afternoon.
The mist on the Mountain cleared sufficiently for the session to take place after a delay of an hour and a half, although there were still damp patches from the earlier rain and strong winds around the course, particularly on the Mountain section.
TT Sunday Qualifying Results
Superbike
Conor Cummins 128.92 mph
Dean Harrison 128.29 mph
David Johnson 128.24 mph
Michael Rutter 127.55 mph
Jamie Coward 127.22 mph
James Hillier 125.36 mph
Peter Hickman 125.04 mph
Sam West 124.96 mph
John McGuinness 124.72 mph
Brian McCormack 124.33 mph
Philip Crowe 124.31 mph
Daley Mathison 124.22 mph
Gary Johnson 123.75 mph
Stefano Bonetti 123.48 mph
Derek Sheils 123.10 mph
Paul Jordan 122.84 mph
Jay Lawrence 122.47 mph
Shaun Anderson 122.35 mph
Lee Johnston 122.27 mph
Ian Hutchinson 121.95 mph
Superstock
Peter Hickman 128.50 mph
Conor Cummins 127.17 mph
Gary Johnson 124.97 mph
James Hillier 124.33 mph
Michael Rutter 123.53 mph
Rob Hodson 123.39 mph
Davey Todd 122.94 mph
Horst Saiger 121.30 mph
Derek McGee 120.98 mph
Philip Crowe 119.85 mph
Supersport
Lee Johnston 122.93 mph
Gary Johnson 122.59 mph
James Hillier 122.02 mph
Jamie Coward 121.33 mph
Dean Harrison 121.17 mph
Ian Hutchinson 121.13 mph
Paul Jordan 120.48 mph
David Johnson 120.35 mph
Derek McGee 119.64 mph
Derek Sheils 119.58 mph
Daley Mathison 119.11 mph
John McGuinness 117.77 mph
Michael Sweeney 117.70 mph
Mike Browne 117.55 mph
Xavier Denis 116.53 mph
TT Zero
Michael Rutter 117.16 mph
Ian Lougher 95.36 mph
Sunday TT Qualifying Report
Conor Cummins on the Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles Honda set the quickest lap of the session, clocking 128.92mph although Peter Hickman posted the fastest opening four sectors of the session – indeed the week – on his Superstock machine before slowing over the final two sectors.
Conor Cummings quickest on Sunday
Michael Rutter (Bathams Racing Honda), Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) and Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering Kawasaki) led the Superbike, Superstock and Supersport classes away and all three were out on their Superbikes. Gary Johnson opted to take out his RAF Regular & Reserve Triumph Supersport machine.
Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing BMW) and Ian Hutchinson (Honda Racing) were both out on their Superbikes while James Hillier headed down Glencrutchery Road on the Quattro Plant Wicked Coatings Superstock Kawasaki.
Lee Johnston
Harrison was the quickest to Glen Helen, by four and a half seconds, from Michael Dunlop (Tyco BMW) with Hickman half a second further back in third. Cummins was close behind in fourth with Jamie Coward and Rutter completing the top six as Hillier and Johnson topped the early Superstock and Supersport times respectively.
Cummins set the quickest sector time on the run to Ballaugh before Hickman had the honour of getting from Ballaugh to Ramsey the quickest but as they completed the opening lap, Harrison was initially the quickest overall with a lap of 126.53mph.
Peter Hickman
That was nine seconds quicker than Rutter (125.42) with Hickman slotting into third at 125.04mph as he completed his first lap of TT2019 on his Superbike before pulling straight in to switch to his Superstock BMW.
However, Cummins went to the top of the leaderboard with a lap of 126.54mph, which was a tenth of a second quicker than Harrison. Hillier (124.33) and Johnson (122.59) were the quickest of the Superstock and Supersport machines but 18-time TT Race winner Dunlop was in trouble and he stopped at the Mountain Box.
Dean Harrison
Coward (124.82), John McGuinness (123.33) and Derek Sheils (123.10) were the other riders to lap at more than 123mph whilst Hutchinson lapped at 121.95mph as he got back on track after his spill at the 11th Milestone on Tuesday evening.
The second lap saw Cummins and Harrison set near identical times on the run to Ramsey but the Manxman edged it and with an improved speed of 128.92mph on the Milenco by Padgetts Honda, he remained at the top of the Superbike leaderboard.
Harrison (128.29), Rutter (127.55) and Coward (127.22) all upped their pace although the wind and the damp patches, combined with the lack of track time, continued to keep speeds down.
Hickman was another rider impressing on the second lap and he set the quickest Superstock lap of the session with a speed of 128.50mph.
Hillier (125.36) moved up to fifth place on the Superbike leaderboard with Gary Johnson (123.75) slotting into seventh while Davey Todd (122.94) moved up to third overall in the Superstock class. Newcomers Lucas Maurer (117.13) and Raymond Casey (113.27) also set their best laps of the week so far.
The big news of the session though came on the third lap as Hickman, still on his Superstock machine, set the fastest sector times on the run to Ramsey but just as it looked like he’d set the first 130mph lap of the week, he lost time between the Bungalow and the Grandstand and cruised across the line at 126.82mph. His Bungalow to Bungalow time was in excess of 130mph.
He remained quickest in the Superstock class ahead of new second place rider Cummins (127.17) and Gary Johnson (124.97) with Cummins (128.92) and Harrison (128.29) the two quickest riders in the Superbike category. There was a change for third though towards the end of the session as David Johnson pushed Rutter down to fourth after an impressive lap of 128.24mph on the Honda Racing machine.
Rutter, Coward and Hillier completed the top six in the Superbike class and, along with Hickman, were the only other riders above 125mph but Sam West (124.96) wasn’t far behind as McGuinness, Brian McCormack and Phil Crowe posted late laps of 124.72mph, 124.33mph and 124.31mph respectively.
Understandably, most riders focused on the big bikes but Lee Johnston (122.93) moved ahead of long time leader Johnson (122.59) as Coward (121.36) ended the session in third overall.
Michael Rutter – TT Zero
Michael Rutter also took the opportunity to go out at the end of the session on his TT Zero bike and posted a strong 117mph although John McGuinness ran out of time to get out for the session.
Sidecars
After four full days of inactivity due to the weather on the Isle of Man, the second qualifying session for sidecars at the 2019 Isle of Man TT races, fuelled by Monster Energy, finally got underway on Sunday afternoon.
The mist on the Mountain cleared sufficiently for the session to take place after a delay of an hour and a half, although there were still damp patches from the earlier rain and strong winds around the course, particularly on the Mountain section.
With bright skies and sunshine at the Grandstand, the Formula Two Sidecars were first to take to the Mountain Course with Ben and Tom Birchall leading the field away, closely followed by Holden/Cain, Tim Reeves/Mark Wilkes, Pete Founds/Jevan Walmsley, Lewis Blackstock/Patrick Rosney and Dave Molyneux/Harry Payne.
Ben and Tom Birchall
Holden/Cain were the quickest to Glen Helen, three seconds quicker than the Birchalls, but newcomers Ryan and Callum Crowe, who set a stunning 109mph lap in their opening lap on Tuesday night, stopped early at Snugborough and although they made adjustments, they were unable to continue. Two of the favourites were also in trouble with Reeves/Wilkes and Blackstock/Rosney retiring at Churchtown and Sulby Bridge respectively.
Holden/Cain continued to set the pace on the Silicone Barnes Racing Honda, overtaking the Birchalls on the road, and they were first to complete the lap with a speed of 114.99mph, which was almost identical to their lap from Tuesday evening.
The Birchalls lapped nearly twenty seconds slower at 113.19mph with Founds/Walmsley on 111.80mph. Founds/Lowther went fourth quickest with a lap of 110.49mph followed by Molyneux/Payne at 109.43mph.
Allan Schofield/Steve Thomas slotted into sixth on the leaderboard with a lap of 107.77mph with Gary Bryan/Phil Hyde and former race winners Conrad Harrison/Andy Winkle also lapping in excess of 107mph.
Second time around it was the Birchalls who were in the ascendancy and with three of the quickest sector times they increased their pace to 114.93mph. Holden/Cain were slightly slower than their opening lap with a speed of 114.30mph but Founds/Walmsley lapped quicker at 113.36mph. Harrison/Winkle (108.24) and Estelle Leblond/Franck Claeys (106.96) also upped their speeds but Molyneux’s second lap was a more sedate 104.22mph.
There’s a new Grand Prix winner in town: Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati), on his 124th start in the premier class, has taken to the top step for the first time after a near-perfect performance to give Ducati their third win in a row at Mugello, holding off reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to cross the line just 0.043 clear at the chequered flag.
Danilo Petrucci took his first MotoGP victory
Mugello MotoGP Race Report
It was Marquez who took the holeshot from pole, but the headline-grabber as the lights went out was Dovizioso as the Italian shot off the line from P9 with a perfect start and was into a stunning third – behind Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) – into Turn 1.
Marquez leads Miller, Crutchlow and Bagnaia
Petrucci dropped to fifth, the two Petronas Yamaha SRTs of Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli also lost out, and Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) moved up.
Cal Crutchlow
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was also on the move, threading his way into the fight at the front after starting in 13th. At the front though, it only took one lap for Dovizioso and Petrucci to tag onto the back of Marquez as they swooped through on Crutchlow in quick succession.
Miller and Petrucci
The question was, could the reigning Champion bolt? And the answer was no. It remained a train of riders at the front, with nine within two seconds, but home eyes were also trained elsewhere as Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) ran on, as did rookie Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), and the two were forced into a quick trip across the gravel – rejoining at the back.
Joan Mir, Valentino Rossi
The race was on and Mir would recover for points, but it ended early for the ‘Doctor’ as he then slid out of contention at Turn 9 – a tough end to a tough weekend.
Joan Mir, Valentino Rossi
Back at the front though, the fight was feisty and slowly but surely, a front quintet of Petrucci, Marquez, Dovizioso, Miller and Rins were able to pull away. Drama then hit Miller though as he suddenly crashed out – not long after teammate Francesco Bagnaia had done the same – and then there were four.
Petrucci, Dovizioso, Rins, Marquez, Miller
That was how it would remain, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) the next man down the road but the Japanese rider unable to close in. With five laps to go there was nothing between the foursome, and despite the chopping and changing, it was Petrucci who’d been at the front since Lap 11 to assert some authority on his charge at the win – with ‘DesmoDovi’ then taking over from Marquez in second.
Petrucci, Dovizioso, Marquez, Rins
Sure enough, the number 04 struck against his teammate at Turn 1 with four to go, but he couldn’t pull away – and Petrucci soon hit back. He held on in the lead next time around into San Donato too, and again, until the high speed chess game arrived at the final lap.
Petrucci, Dovizioso, Marquez
Dovizioso slipstreamed past his team-mate on the final full speed dash down the straight, but Marquez did one better and managed to take both, the Honda man ahead into Turn 1 for the final time. But he headed a little wide and Dovizioso took the inside line – but he was wide as well.
Petrucci, Dovizioso, Marquez
Enter Petrucci, with the number 9 spotting the gap and slicing past both as Dovi had to then sit up and cede second to Marquez.
Petrucci, Dovizioso, Marquez
The task for ‘Petrux’ was then easier said than done: defend the lead of his first home Grand Prix in factory colours from the most notorious last lap lunger. But that’s what he did.
Petrucci, Marquez, Dovizioso, Rins
He needed the lap of his life and that’s exactly what he delivered, just out of reach of Marquez and emerging from the final corner still ahead as Dovi tried to find a way past Marquez. But there wasn’t one, and the Turn 1 shuffle would prove decisive as Petrucci escaped Marquez who escaped Dovi on the run to the line – and the number 04 Ducati even came under threat from Rins into the final corner.
Petrucci, Marquez, Dovizioso, Rins
But the Suzuki man couldn’t stick with the Borgo Panigale power, and one of the races of the season saw Petrucci make some history, Marquez gaining a little ground in the Championship and Dovizioso forced to settle for third on his 300th Grand Prix start. For all his help and support, however, Petrucci did dedicate the win to his compatriot.
Danilo Petrucci took his first MotoGP victory
Behind Rins’ stellar ride to fourth, Nakagami pulled out an ace on race day to take his best ever premier class finish as he completed the top five – and as top Independent Team rider to boot.
Vinales, Mir, Pirro
Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) gained some ground late on to claim sixth, with wildcard Michele Pirro (Mission Winnow Ducati) a late mover as well as he came home seventh. Crutchlow slipped to eighth, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) taking P9 after another impressive weekend that included KTM’s highest finish in a Free Practice session and direct entry into Q2.
Pol Espargaro
Fabio Quartararo, who lost out after his stunning qualifying session, crossed the line tenth but once again took home a good little haul of points to keep his supreme run in the fight for Rookie of the Year, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) taking P11 on Noale factory home turf. Mir recovered to 12th and got past Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team), with Karel Abraham (Reale Avintia Racing) and Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completing the points.
Jorge Lorenzo, Johann Zarco
That’s it from the stunning Mugello, with Petrucci now a Grand Prix winner and arriving into the next race with his place in the Ducati history books secured.
Ducati celebrate Petrucci’s success at Mugello
The mission now for the Mission Winnow Ducati teammates? Stop Marquez. But it’s the reigning Champion’s turf up next and he arrives 12 points clear…don’t miss the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya in two weeks.
Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took back-to-back wins in the intermediate class for the first time in Mugello, with the Spaniard repeating his Le Mans pace to pull away into clear air in the lead and leave Italy only two points off the Championship lead. Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) put in an impressive performance on home turf to take his first podium of the season in second, with Tom Lüthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) completing the podium.
Alex Marquez
It was Lüthi who took the holeshot from second on the grid, with he and teammate Marcel Schrötter taking control of the first few laps and trying to make a break for it. And that they did, initially, but after five laps Marquez, from third on the grid, was homing in and bringing Marini and Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) along for the ride. The number 73 didn’t waste time getting past Schrötter, and Marini then duelled the German before making it stick.
That had given Lüthi and Marquez the chance to make a small break for it, just under a second clear, but Marquez had his eyes on the lead. Nine laps down, Marquez made it a Mugello classic as he slipstreamed Lüthi down the start finish straight and took over at the front at Turn 1.
From there he never looked back, pulling clear of those on the chase as Marini edged closer to Lüthi and eyed a move. Once past though, the clock was running out for the Italian and he couldn’t match Marquez, with the French GP winner crossing the line in clear air for another dominant win. For Marini though it marks a return to the podium for the first time this season, and the Sky Racing Team VR46 rider also said it marked a big turnaround in how he felt on the bike. Lüthi, ever-consistent, completed the podium to make it three riders now within four points at the top of the Championship.
The man still at the top of those standings despite a more difficult home Grand Prix than likely expected, Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40), put together a brilliant recovery to move through from the fifth row to P4 by the flag. His teammate, Augusto Fernandez, was three tenths behind in fifth place, ahead of Italtrans Racing Team’s Enea Bastianini in sixth, a career best finish in Moto2 as he came home top rookie. Navarro and Schrötter eventually slipped back to seventh and eighth respectively, with Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (MB Conveyors Speed Up) rounded out the top ten despite the Italian being involved in some first lap drama and heading a little wide early on.
2017 winner Mattia Pasini (Petronas Sprinta Racing) took P12, with the points completed by Xavi Vierge (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), Remy Gardner and teammate Tetsuta Nagashima (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team), and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo).
That’s all she wrote at Mugello in the intermediate class, and it’s Marquez on a roll as we next head to his home round at Catalunya. Can he take over at the top on home turf and take the points lead from Baldassarri for the first time all year? Find out on June 9th.
There’s no place like home and in front of the loud, proud and partisan crowd at Mugello, polesitter Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers) pitched it to perfection to pip compatriot Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) to the line in the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, winning his first Grand Prix by just 0.029 in a classic Moto3 melee. Behind the home duo, Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai) left it late to make his charge for the front, completing the podium in third and still within hundredths of the win.
Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers)
Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) got the best start off the front row, but Arbolino was quick to hit back and the Italian took over at the front through Turn 1 as Rodrigo headed a bit wide and the battle began. One serious mover off the start proved John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) as the Brit shot up from 17th on the grid into the top five, but as is always the case at Mugello it was a group affair at the front.
Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Rodrigo, Dalla Porta, McPhee and Arbolino were the key names at the sharp end as the squabbling began, but there was early heartbreak for one not long after as Rodrigo crashed out. That created a bit of breathing space for Dalla Porta, Arbolino and Suzuki but it didn’t take long for it to re-form into a group.
With 14 laps to go, Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) was the man on the move. Starting down in P18 after having his fastest Q2 lap cancelled on Saturday, the Italian had crossed the line at the end of Lap 1 even further down the order in P21. But lap by lap he moved forward, set a fastest lap and was the man leading the second group before breaking away from it and catching those ahead. At the same time, it looked like Dalla Porta had managed to break away in the lead although it wasn’t for long.Ttwo laps later Arbolino had reeled him in and it was game on with 18 riders in the freight train at the front.
Home heartbreak then hit for Migno and Romano Fenati (VNE Snipers) as they crashed out the group, before Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) also went down and took Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing) with him. With three laps to go the front group had been whittled down further as eight riders broke free: Dalla Porta, Arbolino, Antonelli, McPhee, Dennis Foggia (Sky Racing Team VR46), Suzuki, Masia and Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), and the action ratcheted up a notch once again.
Masia made his serious lunge for the front at Turn 1 on the final lap, surging through to challenge for the lead from third but the man who’d led for much of the race – Dalla Porta – was ready to fight for it and reasserted his authority. But by the final sector Arbolino was clear of Masia too, and from there it was a classic Mugello drag to the line…
Pulling out just at the right time and side by side with Dalla Porta on the blast to the chequered flag, it was incredibly close but Arbolino just managed to edge ahead– ‘just’ translating into 0.29 on the timesheets. Masia took third just 0.078 back, with Antonelli gaining an incredible 14 places on his grid position to cross the line in P4 at his home Grand Prix and put in some serious damage limitation in the Championship.
Foggia completed the top five ahead of McPhee, with points leader Aron Canet losing some ground in the standings as he crossed the line in P7, ahead of Suzuki by the flag. Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) was top rookie and took ninth, ahead of Darryn Binder as the South African was one to lose out big when crashes shuffled the group.
Raul Fernandez (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) took P11, beating teammate Albert Arenas and Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) in a three-way fight, with Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PrüstelGP) and Makar Yurchenko (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race) completing the points.
Moto3 return at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in two weeks – will Canet keep the reins on home turf or will it be all change again? Six different winners in a row is the record so far in 2019…and it’s 11 stretching back to the flyaways last season.
Mugello Moto3 Results 2019 1 – Tony Arbolino (ITA – Honda) 39’29.874 2 – Lorenzo Dalla Porta (ITA – Honda) +0.029 3 – Jaume Masia (SPA – KTM) +0.078
“After the race I was feeling disappointed, more or less I have the same feeling as I did in Qatar. I had the rhythm to spend more time at the front and fight for the win but anyway, I tried 100% and pushed really hard. Even up to last corner as I tried to overtake Dovizioso, but his traction was better than me. So, we finish fourth, but I am happy.”
Whilst the battle raged on in the Italian heat at the front of the MotoGP™ field, Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda IDEMITSU) scorched to his best ever premier class result, with a fifth position at the Gran Premio D’Italia Oakley. In a race which saw him charge ahead of Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda CASTROL), Nakagami was able to get his first top five of his premier class career, whilst making it the first top five for a Japanese rider in MotoGP™ since Katsuyuki Nakasuga’s podium in Valencia, 2012.
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