Bagnaia pulls the pin to head Rins, Acosta and Oliveira, with four factories in the top four on Friday

Pecco quickest but penalised, Marc Marquez goes through to Q2, Martin ends Friday in seventh and Quartararo JUST misses the cut as Practice in Mugello delivers plenty to talk about

Friday, 31 May 2024

After an intense hour of Practice at the Gran Premio d’Italia Brembo, the important Q2 spots have been decided and it’s reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) returning to the top. He stamped some authority on the field at the end of Friday to set a magnificent 1:44.938 and pull quarter of a second clear. However, he was also then given a three-place grid penalty for the Grand Prix race on Sunday for an incident with Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), deemed to have been slow on line and disturbed the #73. Watch the incident below!

Meanwhile, the chasing pack is led by Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team) in second as Yamaha continued to make a statement of intent to fight further forward this weekend. Rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) made a brilliant recovery after a crash at Turn 13 to complete the top three, and the #31 also had a tip off in the morning but no harm done to rider nor pace.

There was drama throughout the session and some after. Acosta’s crash forced the #31 to get a lift back to the paddock for his spare bike, and the Bagnaia decision was confirmed in the evening. The end of Practice was a frantic rush to the top too, deposing the leader before the final few minutes, which had been Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing).

Bagnaia became the first rider of the weekend to enter the 1:44 bracket as a handful of riders tried to find time in the closing minutes, but nobody was able to match the #1’s third sector. Rins shot back up to second though, and Acosta’s damage limitation was even more than that as he takes P3.

Further back in fourth after a brilliant end to Friday’s proceedings was Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing), who improved late in the session to make it four different bikes in the top four as he repped for Aprilia.

After dramas on the last couple of Fridays, meanwhile, Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) had none at Mugello and will have direct entry to Q2 for the first time since the Spanish GP. Has he solved the one-lap puzzle?

After a tough start to the day, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) found pace with a new soft rear tyre to jump to sixth on the timesheets. Bastianini ended what was a good day for the factory Ducati team and finished ahead of Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), with the Championship leader having a slightly more muted day on the timesheets. 

Alex Marquez, despite that incident with Bagnaia, also claimed his first direct entry to Q2 since the Spanish GP – taking P8 and capping off an excellent Friday for Gresini. Behind the #73 was Viñales, who dropped down to ninth ahead of Aprilia Racing teammate Aleix Espargaro, who took the final spot inside the vital top 10 for Saturday’s qualifying.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team’s Fabio Quartararo missed out by just 0.019 as teammate Rins moves through, and he’ll battle the likes of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder and Jack Miller, as well as Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team duo Marco Bezzecchi and last year’s polesitter Fabio Di Giannantonio.

They’ll now reset and recharge for super Saturday, and we know it really will be. Join us then for more from Mugello!

FP2: 10:10 (UTC +2)

Q1: 10:50

Q2: 11.15

Tissot Sprint: 15:00

Bagnaia given three-place grid penalty for Sunday

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) put in a statement laptime to pull clear at the top in Practice at the Gran Premio d’Italia Brembo, but the reigning Champion was also involved in an incident with Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) in the session.

The FIM MotoGP™ Stewards investigated and deemed Bagnaia was slow on the line and disturbed the Gresini rider, giving the reigning Champion a three-place grid penalty.

The penalty only applies to the Grand Prix race, not the Tissot Sprint, but it means Bagnaia can’t start any further forward on Sunday than fourth on the grid as he looks to take his third Italian GP win in a row.

Check out the video of the incident and then tune in to qualifying from 10:50 (UTC +2) on Saturday to see where Bagnaia will start on home turf at Mugello.

Chantra, Roberts, Aldeguer and Lopez covered by less than a tenth

Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) ends Friday fastest at the Gran Premio d’Italia Brembo with a 1:50.841, but it was tight at the top with Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) a mere 0.011s behind and MB Conveyors SpeedUp duo Fermin Aldeguer and Alonso Lopez still within a tenth.

Championship leader Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) and Roberts duelled for the top spot throughout the opening stage of the session before Chantra began to improve, the Thai rider then just able to deny both. Garcia got leapfrogged by more riders too, shuffled down to P8 by the end of play as Aron Canet (Fantic Racing), RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP’s Barry Baltus and Filip Salac (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) took fifth to seventh, respectively.

Barcelona winner Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) will want more than P12 when action continues on Saturday, and Catalan GP podium finisher Jake Dixon (CFMoto Inde Aspar Team) is looking for a big move up from P25. Check out the full results below and come back for more at 9:25 local time (UTC+2) for Practice 2 before qualifying at 13:45 local time.

Alonso throws down the gauntlet, Veijer gives chase

CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team’s David Alonso is the benchmark to beat once again on Friday at the Gran Premio d’Italia Brembo, over half a second clear of Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP). Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) was third quickest as his quietly impressive 2024 continues, and the Japanese rider was the final competitor within seven tenths of the top.

Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is next on the chase as the timesheets tighten up, with hundredths and thousandths measuring the gaps throughout the rest of the top ten and beyond. Rookie Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) impressed once again in fifth as he comes into Mugello off the back of his best finish yet, with Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) forced to settle for sixth by only 0.017.

One to watch as the lightweight class head back out for P2 will be Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), who is second in the Championship but ended P1 in 17th. Moto3™ head back out in the morning for P2 before qualifying at 12:50 (UTC +2), so check out the full results via the link below and come back for more on Saturday!