Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Autodromo del Mugello, Italy

June 4, 2017

Race Results (all on Michelin tires):

1. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 23 laps, Total Race Time 41:32.126

2. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (YAMAHA), -1.281 seconds

3. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), -2.334

4. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), -3.685

5. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (DUCATI), -5.802

6. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), -5.885

7. Johann ZARCO, France (YAMAHA), -13.205

8. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (DUCATI), -14.393

9. Michele PIRRO, Italy (DUCATI), -14.880

10. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUZUKI), -15.502

11. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), -22.004

12. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), -24.952

13. Jonas FOLGER, Germany (YAMAHA), -28.160

14. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), -30.676

15. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), -30.779

16. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (DUCATI), -42.306

17. Sylvain GUINTOLI, France (SUZUKI), -46.294

18. Loris BAZ, France (DUCATI), -50.731

19. Sam LOWES, UK (APRILIA), -50.740

20. Bradley SMITH, UK (KTM), -50.897

21. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), -1 lap, DNF, crash

22. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), -1 lap, DNF, crash

23. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (APRILIA), -8 laps, DNF, retired, jump start/ride-through penalty

24. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (KTM), -10 laps, DNF, retired

World Championship Point Standings (after 6 of 18 races):

1. Vinales, 105 points

2. Dovizioso, 79

3. Rossi, 75

4. TIE, Marquez/Pedrosa, 68

6. Zarco, 64

7. Lorenzo, 46

8. Petrucci, 42

9. Folger, 41

10. Crutchlow, 40

11. TIE, Redding/Miller, 30

13. Bautista, 25

14. Iannone, 21

15. Baz, 19

16. Rabat, 18

17. Aleix Espargaro, 17

18. Barbera, 14

19. Abraham, 9

20. TIE, Pirro/Alex Rins, 7

22. TIE, Pol Espargaro/Smith, 6

24. Lowes, 2

25. Guintoli, 1

26. Takuya Tsuda, 0

More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:

Rabat and Miller both in the points at Mugello

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Tito Rabat backed-up his superb qualifying pace to finish 11th in today’s Italian Grand Prix.

And with teammate Jack Miller in 15th position the sixth round of the MotoGP World Championship delivered a double points finish.

Starting from a career best tenth on the grid Rabat lost ground early on the Mugello Circuit with its sweeping curves and fast straight. But a mid-race surge saw the Spaniard tagging behind fellow Honda RC213V riders Cal Crutchlow and Dani Pedrosa.

With five laps to go Rabat was losing rear tyre grip and decided to conserve energy to make sure of a points finish.

The Italian GP weekend was a frustrating one for Miller who lacked front-end confidence and set-up time having missed the earlier Barcelona test with a hand injury suffered in the French GP.

It was crucial for Miller to get through this race without further fitness issues and he rode accordingly to secure the final world championship point.

Miller is now 12th in the championship standings on 30 points with Rabat in 16th position with 18 points.

Tito Rabat: 11th

“I am very happy with this result because this is the closest I have finished to the front guys in MotoGP. After the start I was able to stay with Cal Crutchlow for many laps and I was pushing 100%. Then towards the end Dani Pedrosa was just ahead but I was losing some rear grip and was getting very tired so I decided to make sure I finished the race.”

Jack Miller: 15th

“Scoring a point today is bonus considering from the start of the weekend I just didn’t feel on the pace with a lack of front grip and confidence. But it was a solid result with no crashes and I did the best I could in the race. Now I’m looking forward to doing the Barcelona race next weekend and being fit for the second of the back-to-back races.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal

“At the beginning of the race Tito lost some time but he was much faster in the middle section and he showed all the weekend that he had the potential to do this result. Tito was the second Honda rider to finish the race. This was a difficult weekend for Jack and we were not able to give him a bike he was comfortable with so I hope we can go to Barcelona and find the pace Jack showed at the beginning of the season. We have two riders in the points, so this is a positive.”

More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:

Zarco clinches 7th at Mugello – Folger recovers to 13th

Johann Zarco produced a determined performance in the Tuscan hills to seize 7th at the Italian Grand Prix in front of over 100,00 passionate fans. The rapid French rider began the race from 11th on the grid and pushed nonstop as he fought in the competitive showdown. The final result today adds to his 6th place in the championship standings where he is currently the top independent rider as well as the leading rookie.

Meanwhile, Jonas Folger battled throughout the 23-lap sprint to maintain the 100% point scoring record in six races in his rookie season. He endured a difficult start whereby he fell back to 21st by the end of the second lap, yet he remained focused and mounted a notable recovery charge before eventually finishing in 13th.

Johann ZARCO

Position: 7th – Championship: 6th – Points: 64

“It was a great race for me here in Mugello and I am happy with the end result. I started from 11th on the grid, which made things more difficult because I didn’t have the advantage that I had in Le Mans with my qualifying position. However, I was able to keep the pace and control my rhythm but it was tricky to overtake Iannone because his acceleration was slightly better and his braking was also very strong. It took a long time to get past him and as a result, I lost contact with Marquez and Bautista and this was the group that was fighting for 5th. When I overtook Iannone, I expected to catch the two riders in front of me quite quickly, yet, I was tired because I had to force the bike a lot and I felt that my tyres had dropped a little. However, in the last five laps the group behind me caught up, but I had a great feeling on the bike and the hard tyre was working really well again, as was the front, and this meant that I could push and save this 7th position. The result is a positive thing because it was a tricky weekend and we tried to find a solution to some of the sliding issues but it was not so easy. However, once again, I gained a lot of knowledge and I gave it everything that I had, so we can leave Mugello feeling satisfied.”

Jonas FOLGER

Position: 13th – Championship: 9th – Points: 41

“I can’t hide my disappointment about today but I did my best to recover as much as possible. The issue that is limiting me is the beginning section of the race and we are unsure about how to improve the situation at the moment. We are always able to make a fast lap during the weekend, but during the GP here, I struggled to stay consistent and ride decent lap times at the start. It was not a good day and I want to move on from this. Now I have to check and find a solution so that we can step up and go faster when the lights go out. We will keep working and I will try my best once again in Catalunya.”

Hervé PONCHARAL

Team manager

“The last sprint of the day was fantastic and the crowd must have been delighted to witness three amazing Grand Prix’s, plus MotoGP brings a show that no other sport can bring right now. It was a great day for Johann and maybe some people would think that his result is disappointing compared to the podium finish in Le Mans, but we knew that the French GP was a very special weekend. In addition, it was a tough weekend here, yet, he was by far the best rookie and finished ahead of some of the factory riders including Iannone and Lorenzo. His start was not as good as usual but he made some very interesting and exciting passes and 7th is where we were at today. The guys in front were quicker and we can all see how strong Ducati is at this track but maybe the competition will be more equal at other circuits. I am very proud of Johann and race after race he is in the front group and he fears no one. As for Jonas, today was a bit of a disappointment as he ended up in 13th and this is not where we should be. He can be as quick as his teammate, however, he today he finished 15 seconds behind Johann and he lost all of this time in the first five laps. We know that he has the speed so we have to work more on the mental side so that he can improve at the start of the races. Jonas has all of our trust and this is important, and we are all behind him. We are fully confident in his ability, but it’s about time that things moved up a bit and we want him to show us his real talent. There are only a few days before the 7th round so it will be a quick rest but we can’t wait to be in Catalunya and racing again because this is what we love.”

More, from a press release issued by Pull&Bear Aspar Team:

Bautista dazzles with fifth place in Italy

Pull & Bear Aspar rider shows great pace at Mugello to finish three seconds from podium. Karel Abraham improves feeling and narrowly misses the points

The MotoGP World Championship reached a third distance for the season today with Italian riders setting the standard at Mugello. Andrea Dovizioso completed a home victory treble started by Andrea Migno in Moto3 and Mattia Pasini in Moto2. The Ducati rider took his third MotoGP victory and presented the Borgo Panigale factory with a first win of the season in a race he started from the front row. Dovizioso gradually consolidated his position in the front group until, at the start of lap 14 of a total of 23, he took a lead he would not relinquish. Behind, Maverick Viñales, Valentino Rossi and Ducati independent rider Danilo Petrucci fought for the rest of the podium positions, which finally went to the Spaniard and Petrucci.

Pull & Bear Aspar rider Álvaro Bautista completed the top five with a great performance at Mugello. Bautista brought the Pull & Bear Aspar Team back to the top 5 after a brilliant race that saw him gradually close in on the front and finish just three seconds from the podium. The Spaniard started the race with a clear goal of just making sure of a finish, so was a little tense in the first few turns. Once he loosened up he dispatched of the likes of Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Márquez to claim fifth and spark the celebrations in the Pull & Bear Aspar garage. For his part, Karel Abraham has shown great improvement since the test in Barcelona and from the beginning of the Italian Grand Prix to finish 16th, one position outside the points. The Czech rider is looking to build on the positive trend he has shown here since Friday at the next round in Barcelona in just a few days time.

5th Álvaro Bautista: “Today it was important to make it to the end of the race, after the two non-finishes in the last two races in Jerez and Le Mans, where we could have done well. We needed to finish. I had good pace, but I lost some positions at the beginning because I was a little stiff. Then, I started to relax and pick up my rhythm, and little by little I was passing the riders ahead. When I caught Marc Márquez, I thought about pushing to see if I could leave him behind, but he hooked on and it was difficult. Lap by lap the variation in the gap to the lead was very small but it served as reference. On the last lap, I tried to close all the doors to prevent him passing me, I did it and now I can say I finished fifth. I am happy to finish the race and especially to do it in this way. This was a real fifth position, not down to problems for other riders like in Argentina, where we were fourth. It gives us a real boost of morale for Barcelona.”

16th Karel Abraham: “It has been a bittersweet weekend because we started out on Friday still with a lot of problems that we had been unable to solve in Barcelona, we didn’t make much progress on Saturday but today we were able to run very consistent and quite fast lap times. Unfortunately there was a big gap to the group in front of me, which was Miller, Barberá and Folger, and even though I was making similar lap times to them it was too late to catch them. There was a big gap behind me too so I kind of rolled off for the last couple of laps. I’m disappointed we didn’t get that one point, but on the other hand we were in last place on Friday with big problems so we made an important step that we can be please with. Now we go to Barcelona and despite the problems we had there in the test I hope the progress we made here at Mugello can see us back up there fighting for the points again.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:

 ONLY A PENALTY FOR A JUMP START PUT THE BRAKES ON ALEIX ESPARGARÓ’S AMBITIONS AT MUGELLO

HIS ABSOLUTE FIFTH TIME IN THE RACE CONFIRMS THE VALUE OF ALEIX AND HIS APRILIA

When all was said and done, with the race severely compromised, Aleix Espargaró and his Aprilia scratched the itch of wanting to be the fastest on the track – even faster than the riders battling for the win. But the time of 1’47.885, achieved nine laps from the end, fifth best absolute lap of the race, remains solely as consolation, albeit not insignificant, in a race that was over for Aleix when the red light went off. In fact, at the start his RS-GP made a clear move early that did not have any impact on his performance, but it was enough to expose Aleix to the risk of a penalty which then arrived, forcing the Spaniard to do a ride through and consequently relegating him far from the group and extremely far from the battle for a top ten spot where he had been before.

Back on the track – and before stopping due to running long onto the gravel – Aleix demonstrated that excellent race pace that had fed the hopes of the entire Aprilia Racing Team Gresini throughout the weekend that he might bring home those results that are clearly within his potential. It is not enough to save the weekend, but it is a good start for the next MotoGP race which will be on the Spanish Montmelò circuit next Sunday.

Sam Lowes finished nineteenth. After a good start where he got close to the centre group, Sam had to reckon with a faltering feeling with the front that slowed him.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“It is a real pity. For the first time in my career I made a jump start and that is not what we needed. First and foremost I would like to apologize to the team. This is a particularly important race for Aprilia and the RS-GP was working very well. The sensations were the best of the entire season. My pace in the low 48s after the ride through (therefore without particular motivation and without the advantage of any slipstream) shows that we could have battled for important positions. After running off track in the gravel, something wasn’t working right with gear selection, so I made a pit stop. Once again, we showed that we are fast, but we are going home without any points. Now we need to consistently get back into the positions that we deserve.”

SAM LOWES

“I expected to be able to do a better race today, because in the first 6 laps I felt very much at ease. I was able to overtake several riders, lapping at good times straight away, even dropping below 1’49”. At a certain point I began to lose the good feeling with the front end and so I struggled to maintain a good pace. It was a situation that conditioned me for the rest of the race. It’s a pity because throughout the weekend I had never noticed this type of problem. In any case, I want to look at the various positive sides that came out this weekend. I am happy to have finished the race and to have achieved a lap time that was actually only one second off the best. I am learning a lot in every race and we are moving in the right direction.”

ROMANO ALBESIANO – APRILIA RACING MANAGER

“We are not bringing home anything, despite being clearly fast, even fifth in the race lap time rankings. The problem at the start compromised the race for Aleix who then confirmed just how competitive he and his RS-GP are. Now we are headed to Barcelona which is a good track for us, as they all are, since we have a bike that is proving to be truly strong on all the circuits and a fast rider like Aleix. If there are no problems, we can realistically aim for very high positions, but now the time has come to demonstrate our value, which by now is quite clear and acknowledged, with concrete race results.”

FAUSTO GRESINI – TEAM MANAGER

“It should have been a good race. We had everything we needed to make it happen, but instead it was compromised right at the start. And yet, even in these circumstances, we clearly demonstrated how high our potential is, lapping very fast. It’s a shame that it had to happen here at Mugello, but fortunately we don’t have much time to complain, because already on Sunday we will be racing in Barcelona, a circuit where we just did some positive tests, so we will have our chance for redemption straight away.”

More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing:

Difficult Sunday for Reale Avintia Racing riders

The Italian Grand Prix did not end as expected for Reale Avintia Racing riders Hector Barbera and Loris Baz. Yesterday, both riders had a good feeling during qualifying and they had hoped for a successful race today, but nothing went as planned.

The tyre selection was crucial because the race conditions were completely different to the previous two days. But the bet of Hector Barbera and his team to race with the hardest Michelin compound both front and rear turned out to be wrong and the Spaniard finished the race 14th.

Loris Baz started the day with a big crash in the warm-up session in which his Desmosedici was completely destroyed. The mechanics worked against the clock to get everything ready for the race and the French rider of the Reale Avintia hoped to be able to fight for points. But a strong pain in both arms, besides an intense headache, stopped him from improving during the race.

The MotoGP World Championship now heads straight to Barcelona, where the seventh round of the season will take place next weekend.

Hector Barbera | P14

“I’m not happy. Overall we had a very good weekend, but the race today has been a disaster. I think we went wrong with our tyre choice and I was the one who wanted to race with the hardest compound. But as it turned out in the race, I had no grip. The two Ducatis on the podium today were using the medium compound front and rear, so it is clear that we have made a bad choice. It’s disappointing that we can’t confirm our progress with a good race result. Every time we have everything working in the right way we seem to hit a wall. Now we have to forget this race and think about Barcelona.”

Loris Baz | P18

“It’s been a very difficult day and I’ve crash pretty hard in the warm-up this morning. My mechanics have done a great job to get my bike ready for the race, but the problem is that I had the bike and the engine that I liked less. At the beginning of the race I had a hard time to follow the other riders in acceleration. And after five laps I’ve started to feel bad, with pain in my arms and a strong headache, which is rare for me. I only hope to recover to the maximum for next Friday because I want to give it all at Barcelona.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Ride of his life: Dovizioso takes magnificent win at Mugello

Mugello may never sleep, but that didn’t prevent a dream Italian GP for the Borgo Panigale factory rider

Italian rider, Italian bike, Italian GP…and the tricolore flew high over the podium at Mugello, as Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso took a magnificent win battling rivals on track and illness off it to cross the line over a second clear of Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and an impressive home podium for second Italian Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing).

Home hero Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) shot off the line for the lead from P2 on the grid, denying teammate and polesitter Viñales as Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) stormed up from seventh to fight off Dovizioso for third.

With the leaders in-line, over the line saw Lorenzo use the incredible speed of the Ducati to take the lead for the first time in red, dueling with old nemesis Rossi before the Italian took him back – and the next lap proved almost a replay as two of the men to have dominated the sport this decade found themselves sharing the front of the race for the first time this season.

Then it was ‘DesmoDovi’ on the move past his teammate after Viñales had gone through on Rossi, the Championship leader taking the ‘Doctor’ as the trio began to break away from Lorenzo – with Petrucci on the chase.

Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) had an incredible start from P16 after having suffered with illness throughout the weekend, moving up into seventh, as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) suffered a different fate and got a ride through for a jump start.

Petrucci caught the group before too long as Dovizioso took over at the front, and the Pramac rider then pounced on Viñales after a small mistake to follow ‘DesmoDovi’. Then it was holding station as the gaps grew and then shrunk, before the factory Ducati in the lead gained a small gap – and every member of the Borgo Panigale team held their breath as Viñales took over in second, only a few laps remaining and the Championship leader with his head down.

Closing in and then falling back, the pendulum swung between the two men until the last lap dawned – and ‘DesmoDovi’ kept it inch-perfect around every corner to take his third ever Grand Prix victory, and the first for a red machine at Mugello since Casey Stoner won in 2009.

Viñales took second to increase his Championship lead once again, with Petrucci putting in the dry-weather ride of his life to complete the podium after staying clear of Rossi over the last couple of laps. The ‘Doctor’, who suffered a motocross crash in training the week before the event, pushed hard through the pain barrier at home and just missed the podium but took good points – as always, putting on a great show.

Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) took a big scalp as he caught and passed reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to complete the top five, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) coming home in P7 behind Marquez.

Lorenzo, after his early duel for the lead, suffered grip issues later in the race and crossed the line in eighth, beating Ducati test rider Michele Pirro over the line. Iannone’s heroics following his illness saw him complete the top ten at home.

The late drama a little further off the front saw a tough day for Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) conclude in a crash as the ‘Baby Samurai’ slid out, unfortunately collecting LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow on the final lap.

Tito Rabat (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took P11, with the top fifteen completed by Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Racing), Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing) and Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS).

Now the paddock packs up and heads for Barcelona, as the Catalan GP turns the home tables for many on the grid – sure to result in another spectacular, spectacular.

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

MOVISTAR YAMAHA TAKE SECOND AND FOURTH IN MUGELLO MATCH-UP

Thousands of Italian fans cheered on Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team‘s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi as they fought a hard battle at the Autodromo del Mugello to secure a brave second and fourth place respectively.

Scarperia (Italy), 4th June 2017

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales ended the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley today with a strong performance. The Spaniard held firm at the front of the field to earn a second place, his fourth podium of the season over six races. His still recovering teammate Valentino Rossi had the passionate Italian crowds at the Autodromo del Mugello in a frenzy as he battled at the front of the field. He finished the race in fourth position.

Viñales had a good start from pole and slotted in behind his fellow Movistar Yamaha rider. After a few tussles with various rivals in the opening stages, he hit the front of the field on lap four and put his head down to get a bit of daylight between him and the chasing riders. Though he was unable to completely break away, he held on to the lead for ten laps, after which he had to let Andrea Dovizioso pass.

Small mistakes in turn 15 on lap 15 and in turn one on lap 17 caused the young contender to lose some time and he found himself in third place. However, Viñales refused to give up the fight and, with four laps to go, he took back second position and was on the hunt for Dovizioso, 1.215s ahead of him. He shaved off some time in the last few laps, but decided to abort his mission on the home stretch. He crossed the line in second place, 1.281s from first, scoring valuable points for the championship.

Starting from second on the grid, Rossi had the air horns blare in the crowd as he dashed past his teammate to take the holeshot. He was joined at the front by Jorge Lorenzo, Viñales and Dovizioso. The heart rates of VR46 fans all around the world went through the roof on the opening laps, as the Doctor battled with the challenging riders. The order changed constantly, until a front group, consisting of four riders, started to form after lap seven.

While the Mugello Circuit got swamped in yellow smoke, Rossi bravely held on to third place for eight laps, until Danilo Petrucci passed him on lap 14, just when the Doctor was lining up Viñales. The nine times World Champion was initially up for the challenge to regain his position, but with his body still sore from his motocross accident, he wisely decided to bring home his YZR-M1 for a fourth-place finish. He took the chequered flag 3.685s from the front.

Viñales’ second place earns him 20 points. He maintains the lead in the championship standings with a 105-point total, 30 points ahead of Rossi in third place. The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team also hold the lead in the Team standings by 44 points, with a total of 180 points, whilst Yamaha remains the top manufacturer in the Constructor’s Championship by a 23-point margin, with 128 points.

The MotoGP paddock will now travel to Spain for the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, held next weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

It has not been a very easy weekend, but after yesterday‘s qualifying we were quite confident of our performance. Today‘s race started well with Maverick and Valentino battling at the front of the field for the lead in a group of four to five riders who all maintained a similar pace. When Maverick understood that chasing the rider in first position was too risky, he decided to take home some very important points for the championship, rather than make a mistake. Knowing Valentino‘s condition when he arrived here, he rode a really great race. He was on the limit of his physical abilities today, so his fourth place is a big achievement, but in my opinion he deserved a podium, considering the effort that he put in. We will now head straight to Catalunya for the next round of the ch ampionship, where we look forward to another thrilling weekend of racing.

MAVERICK VIÑALES

Honestly, I‘m so happy and pleased, because today was a day to stay on the bike. When I saw Valentino fall back and with Marc not being there at the front, I thought “OK today is the day to take second place and bring home a lot of points”, which is really important after the crash on Friday. Being on the bike was already very lucky, because it was a fast crash and my arm was hurting a lot, so I‘m very pleased for today‘s result. I was only feeling pain when the bike was moving but for most of the race I was feeling really good, I was at 100%. I was, as always, preparing to push on the last five laps and make my best rhythm of the race, but like I said, today was a good day to stay on the bike.

VALENTINO ROSSI

I knew that today‘s race would be more difficult than usual for me. While on the bike I rode well and I didn’t have pain, but I was struggling a bit and I knew that 23 laps would be long and hard. I tried my best, I did a perfect start and I led the race for some laps, but I couldn’t really ride the way I would have liked to. At the end I tried to stay close to the riders in front, but I did not have the power to attack Danilo. I would have liked a lot to be on the podium today, but there was nothing I could do. It‘s a bit disappointing that I’m not on the podium at Mugello, but seeing where I was few days ago, and the big hit I took, it‘s been a positive weekend all in all. Being here and riding in front of so many fans was a “gift”. Now we have just few days before Catalun ya, another important race, so I will try to recover and be in perfect shape in Barcelona.

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Difficult race for Marquez and Pedrosa in Mugello

The Repsol Honda riders had quite a challenging time at the Italian Grand Prix today. Marc Marquez struggled to manage front-tyre life for the entire race and settled for bringing home 10 solid points, finishing in sixth place.

Dani Pedrosa also struggled a lot with the front tyre and was trying to obtain the best result possible when he crashed out of 11th position on the last lap, unintentionally taking down fellow Honda rider Cal Crutchlow.

Heading to the next race in Catalunya in just one week’s time, Marc and Dani are fourth and fifth in the Championship, both on 68 points (37 points behind leader Viñales).

Marc Marquez 93

6TH

“I started the race strong because I knew the first laps were important, so I tried to fight. At first I was able to do it, but after a while I started struggling with the front tyre in the corners, and I was also getting caught on the straight by the others. We chose the medium front spec because we knew that with the hard option, which I felt better with, we wouldn’t have finished the race. In fact, with the hard front option being asymmetric, in this case the medium spec was harder on the right side than the hard spec, and the Mugello track stresses the right side more. But at a certain point, I started feeling I was struggling too much in the corners, so I decided to stay there and not risk crashing. The situation allowed us to finish sixth. This is an up-and-down championship, so we must keep working hard and look to improve.”

Dani Pedrosa 26

DNF

“We’ve been struggling with lack of grip since the beginning of the weekend, and today in the race it was even worse. I felt no grip since the start, either at the front or the rear, and I got passed by many riders with no possibility to fight back. The bike was shaking a lot even on the straight, and basically I wasn’t able to manage it. It was a long race. Ultimately I crashed on the last lap trying to overtake Cal, and I took him out. I’m sorry for that because it’s not good when you make a mistake and someone else pays for it. Luckily, we’re both okay after the crash, so we’ll take this and look forward to the next race. Hopefully we’ll have a better feeling in Catalunya.”

More, from a press release issued by Michelin:

MICHELIN SEES DOMINANT DOVIZIOSO PRODUCE A MUGELLO MASTERPIECE

Michelin witnessed the first Italian MotoGP™ winner on a Ducati at the Italian Grand Prix as Andrea Dovizioso rode to a superb victory at Mugello today in front of his home crowd at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley.

Starting from third on the grid, Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was soon amongst the early leaders as home favourite Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) got the holeshot and led for the first three-laps. Rossi was then passed by team-mate and yesterday’s pole-setter Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), who held first place until lap-14 when Dovizioso made the race-winning manoeuvre to seize the lead and take the chequered flag at the end of 23 demanding laps, a victory made even more impressive as Dovizioso had to sit out this morning’s warm-up through ill-health. Following the Italian across the line was Viñales, a result that extended his championship lead. Third-place went to another home-hero as Danilo Petrucci (OCTO Pramac Racing) scored his first dry weather MotoGP podium and the honour of First Independent Rider.

Today again underlined the usability of the range of MICHELIN Power Slick tyres, as each of the three front and rear compounds was used in the race. The three podium men all used different pairings, Dovizioso had a medium front and rear compound, with Viñales choosing the hard front and rear and Petrucci favouring the hard front and medium rear. This highlights the options that are available to all riders and manufacturers and was the first time this season that all six versions of the slick tyre had been used in a race. The durability and performance of the MICHELIN Power Slicks were further emphasised as the race duration time of 41’32.126 set a new record, almost four-and-a-half seconds better than the previous best – which was achieved on Michelin tyres last season. Today’s result also saw the fourth different winner in as many races, again showing how the Michelin tyres adapt to all machinery, with three manufacturers taking victory from those four races.

The battle for the remaining top-10 places also produced to some exciting battles with Rossi coming home in fourth before his adoring home fans, who had bathed the grandstands in a sea of yellow – Rossi also produced a great ride after a training accident had threatened to rule out his participation this weekend. Fifth went to Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Ducati) after a spirited head-to-head with reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) who took sixth. Seventh went to Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) with Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) and Michele Pirro (Ducati Team) taking eighth and ninth respectively. Andrea Iannone (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) rounded out the top-10.

Today’s race was held in overcast and slightly cooler conditions than had been experienced during the first two days and the big crowd of over 98,000 people that filled the Tuscan hillsides around the circuit were treated to an exciting day of racing. The Moto2™ and Moto3™ race were – like the main event – won by Italian riders, making today a true celebration.

The MotoGP circus now heads straight to Spain and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya where round seven of the championship will take place next weekend.

Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team:

“It has been a really special feeling to win today in front of the home fans and on a Ducati. I felt really good on the tyres today. The rear didn’t drop at all so I was able to be consistent from the start to the finish, so I was happy about that. The front is not so easy to manage here, but overall we are happy because we did a great test here before the race with Michelin and that helped us to be perfect for the race.”

Nicolas Goubert – Deputy Director, Technical Director and Supervisor of the MotoGP Programme:

“We have had a very positive weekend here at Mugello. The stiffer construction front tyre worked well here and the riders adapted to it and produced some very fast times from the practice sessions onwards. Our range of different compounds again created many choices for the riders and gave them something they could use, no matter what their riding style or bike. We are constantly striving to improve and we have a marker from last year of our own results to aim for, so to get another race duration record for the second event in succession is also a very pleasing outcome for all involved. It was a special atmosphere here today and one that was good to be a part of, we hope that this continues for the rest of the year and the racing is as good as it was today. We now head to Spain and another important race, we had a good test there recently so we know what to expect and have the tyres to cope with the conditions. We also have another test after the race weekend at the same track, so we will be looking to gather more information from that.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:

TENTH PLACE FOR IANNONE AT THE ITALIAN GP

Andrea Iannone: 10th place, +15.502

Sylvain Guintoli: 17th place, +46.294

Race day at Mugello marked positive improvements for both Team SUZUKI ECSTAR riders, with Andrea Iannone finishing in 10th and Sylvain Guintoli finishing in 17th. Apart from the results, what leaves the Team more confident and positive is the feedback received by the riders and their capability to do battle in the pack.

After a positive warm-up (3rd), Iannone was able to maintain a competitive pace in the race and to recover some places while fighting it out with top riders. His performance allowed him to be well into the top ten for most of the race, and it was only towards the end when he gave up some tenths of seconds on the pace. This is one of the issues the team is currently looking into and analysing.

Guintoli had an especially positive race with the GSX-RR. This marks his second opportunity with the Team to contend with MotoGP riders in a race, and he demonstrated that he could make a comeback from his position. The Frenchman is finding more and more confidence and feeling with the bike, and the team is benefitting from his experiences and his capability to make clear and precise reports to the engineers.

Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager

“Compared to yesterday, I can say that today we got a good result. Andrea’s 10th place may appear similar to Le Mans, but in reality it was much different. This weekend we were able to find a variety of aspects on which to improve for him. My feeling is that we can take some further steps for improvement soon. Today he kept a very good pace for the first part of the race and then his rhythm dropped. However, we were able understand how this can be improved. After the Cataluña GP we will be testing many elements of the bike in order to improve acceleration and traction. Sylvain had a positive weekend as well; he improved considerably from Friday to Sunday. He was finally able to race along with other riders and this was a tremendous improvement. Also his comments are always precise and sharp, which is very helpful to us. I really appreciated the work he’s done today.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“I think this has been a very positive race for us and I see it as a milestone on our path to growth. It’s a tenth place like at Le Mans, but it felt completely different. Andrea fought with the fastest riders and kept the gap short from the leading group. He made an extremely beneficial leap forward at the beginning of the race, successfully converting 16th place to 9th place by the first corner. He maintained the same pace as the leaders for many laps. Then his performance dropped towards the end, but we already have ideas on how to improve this issue, and it is better that we immediately go to Barcelona where we will double-check them. It seems like we were able to achieve a better feeling between the bike and the rider, and this is the most positive thing to take away from the weekend. Sylvain had an excellent race; he was able to recover positions, and fight and overtake finally. This means his feeling is improving. “

Andrea Iannone

“I’m satisfied with the first part of the race. I was able to recover, overtake, and fight. Later when the tyre performance dropped, the bike changed its behaviour and I struggled to manage the situation at that time. I likewise struggled with the braking and with the cornering speed; this last one is one of the strengths of my GSX-RR, but when the tyres drop the situation changes. This is something we are working on, this race itself gave us information and ideas to work on. It’s sad for me not having a better performance at a circuit like Mugello, because I’ve grown accustomed to being very, very competitive here. The qualifying also affected the race result. Anyway we are working hard; we already have some ideas, and I hope in Barcelona we will make some more solid improvements.”

Sylvain Guintoli

“This has been a stronger race than at Le Mans. I’m happy about this. I was able to fight in the race, overtake, battle, and finish the race lapping consistently with nearly the same time as in the beginning. I’m still adapting to the MotoGP class, and I’m happy for today; we reduced the gap from the leader and this makes the race a positive one for me. Day after day I feel the GSX-RR becoming “more mine”. Now I can enjoy overtaking, feeling the power of the engine, and basically have fun, which is the best way to achieve positive results. “

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Andrea Dovizioso scores a fantastic win in the Italian GP at Mugello. Eighth place for Jorge Lorenzo and ninth for Michele Pirro. Danilo Petrucci finishes on the podium with an excellent third place on the Team Pramac Desmosedici GP

Andrea Dovizioso scored a fantastic win in today’s Italian GP, held at the Mugello circuit in Tuscany in front of a record crowd of 98,269 spectators. The Italian, who started from the front row after qualifying third, crossed the line at the end of lap 1 in fourth and then fought it out with Lorenzo and Rossi in the early stages, before moving up to second behind Viñales on lap 6. Dovizioso then took control at the front and maintained the lead of the race until the flag, holding off attacks from Viñales and Petrucci, who were second and third at the finish.

Jorge Lorenzo, who got a great start from row 3, was in the lead of the race for part of the opening lap, but then began to lose touch with the leading group and in the end he had to settle for eighth, ahead of Michele Pirro, who finished ninth after starting from row 2.

In the standings, Dovizioso has moved up into second place with 79 points, 26 behind leader Viñales, while Lorenzo has gained one place and is now seventh with 46 points.

Today’s triumph takes Ducati up to a total of 34 wins in MotoGP.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1st

“It was a fantastic day for me but it had started badly after a sleepless night because I had a bit of food poisoning. Today I didn’t have much energy, but I knew that the bike was going to be strong, because we had worked well throughout the weekend and I also had a lot of support from my fans, physiotherapist and family and this made a big difference. Despite the fact that I wasn’t at 100%, I was able to administer the race even though I wasn’t the quickest man out there, but I did a perfect strategy, and I moved into the right position at the right moment. I rode really smoothly, I never forced the pace excessively and this made all the difference because Mugello is a track that physically wears you out and in any case the tyres did not allow me to push too hard. Finally we did it: winning at Mugello is really something special!”

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 8th

“Obviously I can’t be satisfied with my race today. Even though I got off to a good start and I led a race for the first time this year, unfortunately lap after lap my pace started to slow. I continue to lose time under braking and for the moment I can’t get the best out of the bike’s assets, but above all I can’t be fast through the corner, which is one of my strong points, and today I was passed several times on the inside without being able to react. The positive thing about the race is that Andrea won and Danilo came third, demonstrating that today the Ducati was the best bike on the track. Back on Friday I said that the bike was good enough to win and I’m happy for Dovizioso because he deserved it.”

Michele Pirro (Ducati Test Team #51) – 9th

“Unfortunately I ruined my good performance in practice and qualifying with a pretty bad start, and ending up thirteenth at the first corner from fourth on the grid certainly didn’t help matters much. From then on I tried to make my own pace, but we all had more or less the same speed and the battling between us did not allow me to make up many positions. In the end I finished the race just behind Jorge and that’s not bad, but above all I’m pleased because we worked well and we were consistently fast throughout the weekend.”

Claudio Domenicali (CEO of Ducati Motor Holding)

“Today’s win is a magnificent result that is just reward for all the hard work and sacrifices that everyone in Ducati Corse have done over the last few months and so I want to dedicate this splendid victory to them. At Mugello we saw two Ducati bikes and two Italian riders on the podium, with Andrea on the top step, in a fantastic race with no real retirements, and in the end the best man and bike won. Today we had an extraordinary bike and Dovizioso scored an exceptional result. This is the result of great team-work, and I think all Italians will be proud of it.”