Ducati dominate Mugello Sprint race – KTM and Binder set new top speed record

MotoGP 2023

Round Six – Mugello

Saturday

MotoGP Qualifying

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) bested Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to pole by less than a tenth of a second in a tense qualifying session that saw  the top ten covered by less than a second.

Bagnaia and Marquez exchanged some gestures and words on the track after Bagnaia caught Marquez on track only for the Repsol Honda man to then tuck in behind him and get a tow.

Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) was third fastest despite having come through Q1, grabbing a front row for the Tissot Sprint right at the end, but he’ll serve his 3-place grid penalty on Sunday… bumping Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) up to a front row for the Grand Prix race, but will start the Saturday Sprint from the front row.

Jack Miller was next best ahead of Jorge Martin, Marco Bezzecchi and Aleix Espargaro.

MotoGP Qualifying Results

MotoGP Sprint Race

Rain clouds loomed over Mugello ahead of the first-ever Tissot Sprint at the iconic Italian venue. The lights went out, and Bagnaia took the holeshot as Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) flew his way into P2. Miller didn’t hold onto it though as Bagnaia led Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Martin on the first lap.

There was drama from the off as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was eager to carve through the field. The South African saw a small gap left open by Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), but as the door naturally began to close on the racing line the slightest of touches was all that was needed to send the Spaniard into the Turn One gravel trap. Binder was given a Long Lap for that as Alex Marquez tumbled out, rider ok.

Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Martin, Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Bezzecchi, and Miller was the order the first time across the line. Spits of rain then began to fall as Martin decided it was time to hit the front with the pack bunching up in uncertain conditions. The rain flags came out as the riders were now able to swap bikes if they so wished.

The pack began to shuffle as the rain came down on the far section of the circuit with nine laps to go. Martin led the way with Miller and Marquez following closely. At this point, Miller decided it was time for gloves off as he divebombed Marc Marquez, sending them both wide and down the order.

Meanwhile at the front, Bagnaia had retaken the lead and with Marquez and Miller now having dropped down to P7 and P5 respectively, the order was now Bagnaia, Martin, Bezzecchi, Marini, and Miller.

The rain stopped and the race began to settle down with seven laps to go, but now it was now Bezzecchi catapulting himself right in the mix. The young Italian was all over the rear wheel of the race leader Bagnaia, with the Pramac duo of Martin and Zarco waiting to pick up the pieces in 3rd and 4th.

The pressure was on for Bagnaia but the #1 responded in true Champions’ fashion stretching out the field with four laps remaining. Bagnaia put the hammer down setting the fastest lap of the race, giving himself some breathing space ahead of chasing Indendent Team Ducatis. Bezzecchi threw the kitchen sink at the Mugello circuit but it wasn’t enough to get the better of Bagnaia who was in a league of his own, and brought home his first Tissot Sprint victory on home soil.

The fight for the final spot in the top 3 was decided by less than a tenth of a second as Zarco almost rode pillion to Martin on the final lap. The final sector came Zarco was trying everything to push his way through, but the Spaniard kept the door firmly closed on the #5.

Marini rounded out the top 5 on home soil with Miller recovering to P6 after dropping down the order. After Miller and Marquez had bashed bars early on, Marquez came home P7.

Walking wounded, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) held strong in a solid point-scoring finish ahead of another recovering rider in Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team). The Italian took the final point as he crossed the line in a Tissot Sprint for the first time in his career. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) rounded out the top 10 as his 2023 struggles continued somewhat, looking for more on Sunday.

Brad Binder finished 11th after recovering from his long lap penalty and the South Africa set a new top speed record in MotoGP after clocking 366.1 km/h (227.4 mph) through the speed trap on the KTM RC16.

MotoGP Sprint Race Results

MotoGP Championship Points

Moto2 Qualifying

Aron Canet (Pons Wegwow Los40) put his name well and truly into the mix for victory contention at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley as the Spaniard put down a 1:50.796 in Q2, but bad luck hit not long after. He crashed out and headed to the medical centre, and he’ll need to be reviewed before the race to get the ok to start. He has a small bone infraction in two fingers, but he’ll be determined to be given the green light.

Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) dominated practice and was the favourite going into the session, but fell 0.159s short of his compatriot to start second. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) rounded out the top three for another front row, with teammate and Championship leader Tony Arbolino down in 10th.

Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) bagged P4 to secure the top spot on row two with Filip Salač (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2) and Jake Dixon (AutosolarGASGAS Aspar M2) joining the American on Row 2.

It was looking as if Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing) was going to take pole in the closing stages, but traffic mid-lap halted the Italian’s progress. Vietti will line up in P7 on the grid, fronting Row 3 ahead of the MB Conveyors SpeedUp duo of Fermin Aldeguer and Alonso Lopez.

Moto2 Qualifying Results

Moto2 Championship Points

Moto3 Qualifying

Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) has been faultless so far at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley as he put in an incredible 1:56.020 for pole, over half a second clear.

Joel Kelso (CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP) set the 2nd fastest time but following a sanction for slow riding on the line, will start from the back of the grid and take a long lap penalty in the race. That promotes Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) to second on the grid and Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) onto the front row.

Despite taking pole by over half a second, Öncü was determined to break the 1:46 barrier and set a new all-time lap record for the Moto3 category. It wasn’t meant to be for the KTM man however, as the rear-end slid out midway through a hot lap seeing him lose half a second in one sector.

Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) led the best of the rest as the Brazilian was 0.701s shy of pole, but just like Kelso serves a back of the grid and Long Lap penalty. This gifts Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) P4 as he enjoyed a dream weekend starting from the front of row 2 at his home Grand Prix.

Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) will join him on row two, with Andrea Migno (CIP Green Power), Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), and Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) making up row three.

Moto3 Qualifying Results

Moto3 Championship Points

MotoE Race One

Ferrari and Casadei shot off the line as the lights went out, with Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) losing some ground in the shuffle at Turn 1 and Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) the same. Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) managed to gain from seventh, but it was Mantovani making waves behind Ferrari and Casadei in the lead as the trio started to break away.

A jolt of drama came at the start of Lap 2, with Nicholas Spinelli (HP Pons Los40) trying a move on Garzo for fourth and overcooking it, sliding out. Rider ok, but it left Garzo at the head of the group chasing the leading trio. As the laps ticked down though, the chasing group became a duo as Garzo and teammate Randy Krummemacher kept some clear air back to Granado, with the Brazilian starting to come under some pressure from behind.

With three to go, Mantovani then hit for the lead. A clean move at Turn 1 saw the number 9 take over, and the very same corner staged another shuffle next time round. Ferrari got past Mantovani on the straight and then headed slightly wide, just as Casadei got past Mantovani. But the number 9 was able to get the cutback on both in stunning style, back in the lead as the final lap approached.

Onto that last lap, Mantovani stayed ahead as Ferrari sliced back past Casadei, and the number 11 then set about chasing the RNF machine down. But as close as he got, he couldn’t make a move through the final sector, with Mantovani taking that stunning home win. Ferrari was forced to settle for second, with Casadei back on the rostrum for the first time in 2023 in third.

Fourth saw Garzo just get the better of rookie teammate Krummenacher, with Granado coming home sixth as he returns to action and managed to hold off Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse duo Kevin Manfredi and Kevin Zannoni. Torres eventually took P9 and will want more in Race 2, with Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) completing the top ten.

MotoE Race One Results

MotoE Race Two

Torrential conditions hit just ahead of the second electric showdown of the day, it was a whole new challenge. Still, Eric Granado sliced through through the field after a tougher start to take the lead late on and then really put the hammer down, making a gap before the Red Flag came out on the very last lap.

Behind him, there was an absolute charge from home hero Kevin Manfredi (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) as he fought at the front and came home second, with Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE) completing the podium and with that, moving to within just two points of leader Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) in the standings.

There was drama even before lights out as Prettl Pramac riders Tito Rabat and Luca Salvadori both didn’t make it round to pitlane in time to head back through for a second sighting lap, forcing them to start from pitlane. When the lights went out on the grid though it was spray down into Turn 1 but no drama at all, with everyone finding their braking points and setting off around Mugello for a shortened six-lap dash.

Mattia Casadei (HP Pons Los40) got the holeshot, with Ferrari into second and Randy Krummenacher (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) into third, but Manfredi was soon on the move up, as was Granado too. Ferrari then struck at the front to lead and pulled out quite a gap out of the final corner, with Casadei fighting with Granado and Manfredi.

And so, Ferrari led Granado led Manfredi, with the trio pulling clear to make it a private fight for the win as Casadei tried to regroup. As Manfredi battled Granado for second though, Casadei was able to regroup and start to pull then back in.

Alas, it wasn’t to be for the number 40. Granado took the lead at Turn 1 on the penultimate lap, and the Brazilian was pulling clear as Casadei then crashed out of that chasing group. Rider ok, but bike very much not, beached in the gravel near the air fence and bringing the Red Flag out.

With that, Granado’s gap at the front was more than enough to secure the win, and a move Manfredi had just made on Ferrari ensured the number 34 took that second place. Ferrari, forced to settle for third, still made it a positive day at the office, now within a two points of the top.

Nicholas Spinelli (HP Pons Los40) took fourth after a late charge, with Torres completing the top five just ahead of Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE duo Hector Garzo and Krummenacher. Race 1 winner Andrea Mantovani (RNF MotoE Team) crashed out, as did Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team).

MotoE Race Two Results

TBC

MotoE Championship Points

TBC

2023 Misano MotoGP Weekend Schedule
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2023 MotoGP Calendar