MotoGP Mugello: Francesco Bagnaia fights back to beat Fabio Quartararo

Francesco Bagnaia claims his first Mugello MotoGP win after overcoming a poor start, while Suzuki riders Joan Mir and Alex Rins suffer further disappointment after crashing out. 
Francesco Bagnaia, Italian MotoGP race, 29 May
Francesco Bagnaia, Italian MotoGP race, 29 May

Starting from pole position for the first time in his MotoGP career, rookie Fabio Di Gianna🧸ntonio made a superb ♕start as he led into turn one.

Also on the front row ⭕of a MotoGP grid for the first time, fellow Ducati rider Marco Bezzecchi made an equally good start, however, it was Luca Marini who looked the most comfortable.

Marini qui🌟ckly got through on Bezzecchi before lining up a move on Di Giannantonio at turn six, an overtake he completed with ease.

Set for a step back from racing after the Italian MotoGP - Marc Marquez has a fourth operation on his right shoulder scheduled next week - the Repsol Honda rider made a late change from a soft rꦇear tyre to the medium, as did Di Giannantonio.

All other Honda’s elected for the soft rear, but it was Marquꦜez on the medium t𓄧hat had the best opening few laps. Starting 12th, Marquez was up to ninth come the end of lap three. 

Marquez’s start, although good, wa𓄧s nothing compared to that of Brad Binder as the KTM rider  came fromও 16th to eighth in the space of three laps. 

Prior to lap three Aleix Espargaro put🐼 a h🃏ard move on Quartararo at turn six as he pushed the Yamaha rider wide. 

The reigning world champio🅺n was able to hold on to fifth before a response came on the following lap.

Now ahead of Espargaro, Quartararo set about challenging the top three, which he𓄧 did after getting ahead of Di Giannantonio and Marini.

Fabio Quartararo, Italian MotoGP race, 29 May
Fabio Quartararo, Italian MotoGP race, 29 May

However, Quartararo’s charge was stopped by Francesco Bagnaia, the fastestꦅ rider on-tr🌟ack. 

Mugello MotoGP records broken by Ducati…

As Bagnaia set a new all-time race lap record, fellow Ducati rider Jorge Martin also set a new top speed reco൲rd - 226m💎ph!

With 16 laps remaining Suzuki suffere🍌d their second double DNF in as 🐻many races as Mir was first to crash out. Seconds later and Alex Rins was out after crashing at turn 12.

With Mir and Rins’ title challenge all-but over, Bagnaia’s wa𒅌s being relit as he made a move for the🍌 lead at turn one. 

Bagnaia immediately set about breaking the top five as Bezzecch♍i came under pressure from Quartararo🔯. 

With Bagnaia’s lead creeping towards the one second margin🍸, Quartararo pounced on Bezzecchi for second, but the Italian was giving up without🦩 a fight. 

The Ducati’s incredible top speed was keeping the rookie right behind Quartararo, as was the case 🌊with team-mate Marini. 

But as Quar🅷tararo held off the young Italian’s challenge, a challenge that was repeatedly coming at turn one, Espargaro made yet more progress after getting past Marini for fourth. 

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T♛here was more drama with 10 laps to go as🤪 Bastianini, who had clawed his way back onto the back of podium battle, crashed at turn four.  

With Quartararo pulling further and further ahead of Bezz🦄ecchi, Espargaro knew he had to get through on the Ducati rider, whi𓃲ch he did. 

As the battle for second began to settle down, a late charge for the lead then started as Quartararo was closing in on Bagnaia, pဣarticularly in sector thꦅree. 

But with three laps to goಌ, Bagnaia responded as he went 0.3s faster than the M1 rider.

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