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 t...
MotoGP: Marquez on his momentum, as Quartararo claims maiden MotoGP podium!
16/06/2019
The 2019 MotoGPTM World Championship pace-setter Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) extended his lead in the provisional standings by winning the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya at Barcelona-Catalunya. French youngster Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), 20, collected his first podium finish, ahead of Mission Winnow Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci.
Premier-class motorcycle racing’s youngest ever pole-winner Quartararo failed to capitalise on his qualifying exploit when he was caught napping at lights-out by Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati) who led into the first right-hander, chased by Marquez.
A tangle involving the Spaniard and the Frenchman then relegated the latter to ninth spot, while Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) took advantage of the situation to appear in second place. Lap 2 saw Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) make a mistake under braking and his subsequent fall took out Dovizioso, Viñales and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) at the same time.
As the pack struggled to find some sort of cohesion, Marquez (hard and soft MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear) took control to pull away from Petrucci and Quartararo, before going comfortably clear of his pursuers.
The championship leader went on to finish clear of Quartararo and Mugello victor Petrucci.
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) finished just shy of the top-three, ahead of Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) who fought back from 14
Six tyre combinations were used in Catalonia, with the top four riders notably opting for four different permutations… Marquez: hard and soft MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear / Quartararo: soft and medium front and rear / Petrucci: softs front and rear / Alex Rins: mediums front and rear!
The result sees Marquez (140 points) widen the gap at the top of the provisional Riders’ standings, ahead of Dovizioso (103) and Rins (101).
Next round: Motul TT Assen, Netherlands (June 28-30, 2019).