Francesco Bagnaia won the MotoGP Tissot Sprint race Saturday afternoon at the Mugello circuit, in Italy. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP24 on Michelin control tires, the two-time and defending World Champion won the 11-lap race by 1.469 seconds.
Six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez was the runner-up on his Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP23.
Rookie sensation Pedro Acosta celebrated signing a new contract with KTM by finishing third on his Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 machine.
Jorge Martin, the World Championship point leader coming into the weekend, crashed his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati, giving up 12 points of his lead over Bagnaia.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Bagnaia resists Marquez to claim first Sprint spoils since 2023, Martin crashes out at Mugello
The #1 reigns supreme in Italy after a dramatic Tissot Sprint that sees the Championship gap cut to just 27 points
Saturday, 01 June 2024
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) is a Tissot Sprint winner for the first time since the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix! The reigning Champion redeemed his last lap crash a week ago in Barcelona to put in a stunning performance on Saturday at the Gran Premio d’Italia Brembo, taking off in the lead and then holding Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) at bay over a tense final few laps. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) completed the Sprint podium fresh from the news he’ll be in orange next season.
Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), meanwhile, crashed out in the latter stages – and after a tangle with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team).
Bagnaia got an almighty launch from second to take the holeshot, heading down into San Donato with metres to spare. Teammate Bastianini also launched it like a rocket to take the inside line and move into P2, denying polesitter Martin. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) shot up from P13 on the grid to challenge in the top five, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) losing out to the South African and Marc Marquez.
Binder vs Marquez was the first big move, with the #93 attacking the KTM next time round down the main straight. He just found room on the right, tight as anything, and just kept it into Turn 1. The Gresini then set off after the top three – but drama was already brewing up ahead.
Bagnaia held the lead as Martin barreled back past Bastianini, but the Beast went for the move at Turn 1, heading slightly deep. Martin took the cutback and there was contact, with then Bastianini sliding out of his home Sprint. Incident: under investigation by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards, alongside another that saw Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) collide.
The result was no further action regarding either incident, which was certainly positive for the #89’s hopes of taking some key points, as he now had Marc Marquez to deal with – and Bagnaia was starting to disappear up the road just as Acosta was starting to home in.
With four to go, there was yet more drama though, and at the front. This time alone, but once again for Martin. The #89 had passed Marquez then been passed back, and he was holding a fairly secure third just ahead of Acosta. But round San Donato the front said no more and the Championship leader slid off onto the sidelines.
That left a familiar chess match at the front: Bagnaia vs Marquez. Next time around too, the #93 took a huge chunk out of the lead, and it was down to seven tenths with two to go. But the reigning Champion found a response in the third sector of the penultimate lap, and with that the deal was done. One more lap to right the wrong of the Barcelona Sprint – and with a second in hand. It was 1.469 as he crossed the line, and Marquez had put down his own burst of speed to leave Acosta a further two and a half seconds in arrears.
Taking his first Saturday victory since the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix is a big statement as Bagnaia cuts the gap to 27 points at the top of the Championship. He also once again escapes Marc Marquez, but the #93 once again banks some points, stays consistent, and this time starts Sunday ahead of the reigning Champion too. For Acosta, a podium is a nice dovetail to a day that also saw him confirmed as a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider for 2025.
Martin, meanwhile, will be ruing his mistake, having not made too many at all so far in 2024. But 27 points remains sizeable as he looks to hit back on Sunday.
Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) equals his best result of the season so far, taking his second P4 in a Sprint after doing the same in Jerez, with Viñales completing the top five after getting past Binder. The South African held off Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), who completed the points in that order n a close-fought battle. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) completed the top ten, just a tenth ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team).
The dust settles on another dramatic Sprint, with Martin failing to score on Saturday for the first time ever since the format was introduced. Can he flip the form book on Sunday and come out swinging to gain some ground in the Grand Prix? Can Marquez take Ducati’s 93rd win? Or, despite that three-place grid penalty, can Bagnaia make it three Mugello wins in a row and complete a second double in two years? All will be revealed on Sunday at 14:00 (UTC +2), so don’t miss it!
Roberts sets new lap record to deny Garcia by just 0.078
After a dramatic qualifying at the Gran Premio d’Italia Brembo, Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) will start on pole position on Sunday after a late lap to claim a new lap record. The #16 continues to battle for the World Championship against Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI), who will start from second on the grid. Garcia set a great time early on which would stand the test of time ahead for all but pole, with MB Conveyors SpeedUp’s Alonso Lopez rounding out the front row in third.
There would be drama before Q2 even got underway for one rider, with Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) not taking part in Q2 due to an issue with his shoulder. He will be reviewed ahead of the Moto2™ race, and if starts it’ll be down the order after not heading out in the session.
Once Q2 was underway, Garcia was fastest in the early stages – setting a 1:49.955 early on. Roberts found time in the last two minutes to jump to second and set a new lap record after a stunning performance by the American, and during the last minute, Lopez also found time, pushing Manuel Gonzalez (Gresini Racing Moto2™) off the front row of the grid.
Heading the second row of the grid in fourth position will be Gonzalez, ahead of Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), with the latter having an eventful qualifying after battling through Q1 and setting seven fast laps across Q2. Binder will be joined by fellow Q1 graduate Marcos Ramirez, with the #24 capping off a great day for OnlyFans American Racing.
Team Ciatti Boscoscuro wildcard Mattia Pasini will start from the third row of the grid after another impressive result from the Italian. Behind Pasini was Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) in eighth, with Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) rounding off the third row of the grid. However, some big names will start further back, such as Catalan GP winner Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) in P12 and Barcelona podium finisher Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) in 15th, both ahead of Aldeguer, who will start from 18th if he races on Sunday.
Moto2™ take on Mugello on Sunday at 12:15 local time (UTC +2), so make sure you tune in!
Alonso heads Ortola, Rueda on the chase as Moto3™ line up to take on Mugello
A brilliant Moto3™ qualifying concluded with David Alonso (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) storming to pole position after an incredible performance all weekend at the Gran Premio d’Italia Brembo. The #80 secured pole position on his final lap after a frantic session, heading Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) as the Spaniard got closest. Rounding off the front row at Mugello is Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jose Antonio Rueda, who took his sixth front row of the season.
Once Q2 got underway it was Jerez winner Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) who was fast straight out of the gates, with Alonso ending his first run down in third. On the second run, Veijer would improve before all eyes turned to Alonso who briefly topped the times. Ortola was next to steal the top honours on his final run, but Alonso would have his chance to respond, clocking an incredible 1:54.194 on his final lap of qualifying before Rueda jumped to third to knock Veijer off the front row too.
Veijer heads the second row of the grid after a late crash at Scarperia while the #95 was on a fast lap. Alongside the Dutchman will be Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), who rounds out the top five – less than a second adrift. Holgado has a good starting position for Sunday, as does rookie Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) as he takes sixth.
Rookie Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) starts from seventh on the grid, alongside Honda Team Asia’s Taiyo Furusato, with the #72 continuing to impress this weekend. After fighting through Q1 earlier on, Joel Kelso will round off the third row of the grid in ninth position for BOE Motorsport.
Can anyone catch Alonso? We’ll find out at 11:00 (UTC +2)!
