MotoGP™ - Danilo Petrucci earns maiden MotoGPTM victory at Mugello

Danilo Petrucci claimed the first premier-class win of his career at his home race on an Italian bike. The Ducati Team rider earned rapturous applause from the local fans when he was first across the line at Mugello, home of the 2019 MotoGPTM World Championship’s sixth round. Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Petrucci’s team-mate Andrea Dovizioso were second and third. The performance of Michelin’s latest-generation MotoGPTM tyres contributed to the tumbling of several records.  

The Gran Premio d'Italia Oakley saw four different riders take turns at the front of the field, including pole-winner Marc Márquez who shaved almost seven-tenths of a second off the track’s existing lap record (posted by Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi in 2018) in qualifying.

The world champion started this year’s race on hard-compound MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear and got away well to lead during the early part of the 23-lap grand prix.

Meanwhile, Dovizioso – who had opted for medium MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear – leapt from ninth on the grid to steal second place, ahead of Petrucci (same tyres), Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) and Jack Miller (Pramac Racing).

Márquez defended top spot for six laps but failed to put any real distance between his Honda and the pack, and Dovizioso, Petrucci and Alex Rins (13th in qualifying for Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) all succeeded in spending spells at the top of the leaderboard.

Petrucci was in front with two laps to go when Márquez made a move from third place to dislodge the Italian momentarily, but the Ducati rider responded at once and recovered top spot before going on to collect his maiden MotoGPTM victory, chased by the Spaniard and Dovizioso.

Rins rounded out the afternoon’s top four which was blanketed by just half-a-second at the flag.

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was fifth (a personal best at this level) and best-placed independent team rider, ahead of Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Michele Pirro (Ducati Team), Cal Crutchlow, Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Racing Factory) and Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT).

Five of the six tyre-specs taken to Mugello Michelin were raced, and only the soft front was turned down in the hot weather. The performance of the different versions of the MICHELIN Power Slick allowed the riders to keep the Tifosi entertained all weekend and, in doing so, they contributed to lowering the circuit’s lap record several times.

Petrucci was the first rider to squeeze beneath the previous benchmark during Free Practice 3, while six other riders followed suit in qualifying. Dovizioso clocked the fastest ever top speed at Mugello when he reached 356.70kph, again during FP3.

Márquez continues to top the provisional Rider’s standings on 115 points, tailed by Dovizioso (103) and Rins (88).

Next race: Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain (June 14-16).