MotoGP™: Bagnaia takes home win as Michelin’s range covers all the weekend’s conditions

The Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley (Round 8 of the 2022 MotoGPTM World Championship) was won by home star Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), ahead of defending champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) came third to make it three different bikemakers on the podium, while two different tire combinations finished in the top-three to provide a further demonstration of the MICHELIN Power range’s exceptional versatility.  

Bagnaia got away well from fourth on the grid to emerge as an early challenger on medium MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear. The fifth of the afternoon’s 23 laps saw him establish a new race lap record for the grand prix (1m46.588s) and he took command on Lap 9. A series of quick times then helped him pull clear of second-placed Quartararo to claim his second victory of the season, his sixth at MotoGP level.

Quartararo struggled much of the weekend to find a workable set-up and reverted to a former settings choice to create a surprise by clinching second on Sunday on hard and medium MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear. The result takes him further clear at the top of the provisional Riders’ standings.

Espargaro (medium MICHELIN Power Slicks all-round) was third past the flag to secure his fourth straight podium finish.

Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) ended up fourth and best-placed Independent Team rider, while rookie Marco Bezzechi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) followed up second place in qualifying with fifth place on Sunday, in addition to bettering the previous best race lap record. His Mooney VR46 Racing Team team-mate Luca Marini was sixth.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) took the tricky conditions that marked qualifying (damp patches) in his stride to pocket pole-position. He eventually completed the Gran Premio d’Italia in 11th position.

The MICHELIN Power range had to contend with particularly hot weather during the opening free practice runs before a storm broke out for Saturday’s last FP session. The outstanding grip provided by the MICHELIN Power Slicks gave the riders the confidence they needed to push hard for the top prize in qualifying, though, while warm-up and the race itself took place in all-dry, yet significantly cooler conditions (track temperature 36°C instead of 50°C on Friday afternoon). Four of the six possible tire combinations were chosen for Sunday’s grand prix.

At a pre-race press conference, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) announced that he would be undergoing further surgery this week and that he would consequently be out of action for several months.

The Gran Premio d’Italia’s bill also include Rounds 5 and 6 of the 2022 FIM MotoETM World Cup. The first race – which was shortened to just five laps due to the poor weather – was won by Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE), while Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE) took the spoils in the second. Michelin uses MotoE as a high-tech lap for sustainable mobility and 40 percent (average) of the raw materials used to make the tires it supplies for the series come from sustainable sources.

Next round: Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, Spain (June 3-5).