Quartararo claims emotional Italian GP victory

The victory tale

Quartararo’s new front start device worked wonders off the line as the polesitter managed to keep Bagnaia at bay until the braking zone, when the Italian dived up the inside of the Frenchman to lead. Pecco then led the way as the riders settled into the race, but the Ducati rider tucked the front at Turn 9 on Lap 2, Bagnaia’s race was over. Quartararo was handed the lead, as compatriot Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) frustrated El Diablo in the early laps by utilising his Ducati grunt on the front straight.

Eventually, Quartararo broke the slipstream of Zarco heading onto Lap 5 after making good progress on the twisty part of the circuit, and from there, the Yamaha star was able to edge clear of Zarco in second place. By Lap 11 his lead was up to 2.7s over second place Zarco, who had Oliveira clinging onto his tailpipes. Comfortably lapping in the 1:47s, Quartararo was in a league of his own at Mugello and took a third win of the season by 2.5s, a victory dedicated to the late Jason Dupasquier.

The podium battle

After battling with Quartararo in the early laps, Zarco was forced to watch his countryman ride away into the distance and focus on keeping Oliveira behind him. The two Team Suzuki Ecstar riders – Mir and Alex Rins – had troubles making passes stick on Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), that Ducati power enabling the Australian to overtake Mir and Rins on the straight. Eventually though, Rins and Mir got through and the latter was able to drag himself and Rins up to the Zarco and Oliveira podium fight.

With eight laps remaining, Oliveira skipped past Zarco for the first time at Turn 11 to take P2. Exactly the same manoeuvre was produced by Mir a lap later as the reigning World Champion picked up P3, and he crucially held Zarco at bay into Turn 1. Rins then pounced with six laps to go as Zarco now sat P5, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Miller and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) lurking.

With five to go, Rins then crashed out at the final corner from fourth place – the fourth DNF in a row for the Spaniard. Oliveira was able to fend off Mir, but after exceeding track limits by millimetres on the final lap at Turn 5, the Portuguese rider was demoted one position. Mir was initially promoted to P2 before it was deemed he too exceeded track limits, which saw the results stay as they were: Oliveira P2, Mir P3. Zarco missed out by just under a second in fourth, the latter does move up to P2 in the standings though, 24 points behind Quartararo.