Andrea Dovizioso takes magnificent win at Mugello for Ducati
Italian rider on Italian bike at the Italian GP!
Triple Italian victory – Andrea Migno (Moto3), Andrea Dovizioso (MotoGP), and Mattia Pasini (Moto2)
Maverick Vinales now holds a 26-point lead in the championship as MotoGP heads to Catalunya this weekend
MotoGP 2017 – Round Six – Mugello – Italian GP
Italian rider, Italian bike, Italian GP…and the tricolore flew high over the podium at Mugello, as Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso took a magnificent win battling rivals on track and illness off it to cross the line over a second clear of Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and an impressive home podium for second Italian Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing).
Home hero Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) shot off the line for the lead from P2 on the grid, denying teammate and polesitter Viñales as Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) stormed up from seventh to fight off Dovizioso for third.
With the leaders in-line, over the line saw Lorenzo use the incredible speed of the Ducati to take the lead for the first time in red, dueling with old nemesis Rossi before the Italian took him back – and the next lap proved almost a replay as two of the men to have dominated the sport this decade found themselves sharing the front of the race for the first time this season.
Then it was ‘DesmoDovi’ on the move past his teammate after Viñales had gone through on Rossi, the Championship leader taking the ‘Doctor’ as the trio began to break away from Lorenzo – with Petrucci on the chase.
Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) had an incredible start from P16 after having suffered with illness throughout the weekend, moving up into seventh, as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) suffered a different fate and got a ride through for a jump start.
Petrucci caught the group before too long as Dovizioso took over at the front, and the Pramac rider then pounced on Viñales after a small mistake to follow ‘DesmoDovi’. Then it was holding station as the gaps grew and then shrunk, before the factory Ducati in the lead gained a small gap – and every member of the Borgo Panigale team held their breath as Viñales took over in second, only a few laps remaining and the Championship leader with his head down.
Closing in and then falling back, the pendulum swung between the two men until the last lap dawned – and ‘DesmoDovi’ kept it inch-perfect around every corner to take his third ever Grand Prix victory, and the first for a red machine at Mugello since Casey Stoner won in 2009.
Andrea Dovizioso – P1
“It was a fantastic day for me but it had started badly after a sleepless night because I had a bit of food poisoning. Today I didn’t have much energy, but I knew that the bike was going to be strong, because we had worked well throughout the weekend and I also had a lot of support from my fans, physiotherapist and family and this made a big difference. Despite the fact that I wasn’t at 100%, I was able to administer the race even though I wasn’t the quickest man out there, but I did a perfect strategy, and I moved into the right position at the right moment. I rode really smoothly, I never forced the pace excessively and this made all the difference because Mugello is a track that physically wears you out and in any case the tyres did not allow me to push too hard. Finally we did it: winning at Mugello is really something special!”
Claudio Domenicali (CEO of Ducati Motor Holding)
“Today’s win is a magnificent result that is just reward for all the hard work and sacrifices that everyone in Ducati Corse have done over the last few months and so I want to dedicate this splendid victory to them. At Mugello we saw two Ducati bikes and two Italian riders on the podium, with Andrea on the top step, in a fantastic race with no real retirements, and in the end the best man and bike won. Today we had an extraordinary bike and Dovizioso scored an exceptional result. This is the result of great team-work, and I think all Italians will be proud of it.”
Viñales took second to increase his Championship lead once again, with Petrucci putting in the dry-weather ride of his life to complete the podium after staying clear of Rossi over the last couple of laps. The ‘Doctor’, who suffered a motocross crash in training the week before the event, pushed hard through the pain barrier at home and just missed the podium but took good points – as always, putting on a great show.
Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) took a big scalp as he caught and passed reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to complete the top five, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) coming home in P7 behind Marquez.
Lorenzo, after his early duel for the lead, suffered grip issues later in the race and crossed the line in eighth, beating Ducati test rider Michele Pirro over the line. Iannone’s heroics following his illness saw him complete the top ten at home.
The late drama a little further off the front saw a tough day for Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) conclude in a crash as the ‘Baby Samurai’ slid out, unfortunately collecting LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow on the final lap.
Tito Rabat (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took P11, with the top fifteen completed by Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Racing), Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing) and Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS).
Now the paddock packs up and heads for Barcelona, as the Catalan GP turns the home tables for many on the grid this weekend. Santiago!
MotoGP 2017 – Round Six – Mugello – Italian GP – MotoGP Race Results
- DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA 25 Ducati Team 41’32.126
- VINALES Maverick 25 SPA 20 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1.281
- PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA 16 Octo Pramac Racing 2.334
- ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA 13 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 3.685
- BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA 11 Pull&Bear Aspar Team 5.802
- MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA 10 Repsol Honda Team 5.885
- ZARCO Johann 5 FRA 9 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 13.205
- LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA 8 Ducati Team 14.393
- PIRRO Michele 51 ITA 7 Ducati Team 14.880
- IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA 6 Team Suzuki Ecstar 15.502
- RABAT Tito 53 SPA 5 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS 22.004
- REDDING Scott 45 GBR 4 Octo Pramac Racing 24.952
- FOLGER Jonas 94 GER 3 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 28.160
- BARBERA Hector 8 SPA 2 Reale Avintia Racing 30.676
- MILLER Jack 43 AUS 1 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS 30.779
- ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE 0 Pull&Bear Aspar Team 42.306
- GUINTOLI Sylvain 50 FRA 0 Team Suzuki Ecstar 46.294
- BAZ Loris 76 FRA 0 Reale Avintia Racing 50.731
- LOWES Sam 22 GBR 0 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 50.740
- SMITH Bradley 38 GBR 0 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 50.897
- CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR 0 LCR Honda 1 lap
- PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA 0 Repsol Honda Team 1 lap
- ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA 0 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 8 laps
- ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA 0 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 10 laps
MotoGP 2017 – Round Six – Mugello – Italian GP – MotoGP Championship Points Standings
- VINALES Maverick SPA 105 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP
- DOVIZIOSO Andrea ITA 79 Ducati Team
- ROSSI Valentino ITA 75 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP
- MARQUEZ Marc SPA 68 Repsol Honda Team
- PEDROSA Dani SPA 68 Repsol Honda Team
- ZARCO Johann FRA 64 Monster Yamaha Tech 3
- LORENZO Jorge SPA 46 Ducati Team
- PETRUCCI Danilo ITA 42 Octo Pramac Racing
- FOLGER Jonas GER 41 Monster Yamaha Tech 3
- CRUTCHLOW Cal GBR 40 LCR Honda
- REDDING Scott GBR 30 Octo Pramac Racing
- MILLER Jack AUS 30 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS
- BAUTISTA Alvaro SPA 25 Pull&Bear Aspar Team
- IANNONE Andrea ITA 21 Team Suzuki Ecstar
- BAZ Loris FRA 19 Reale Avintia Racing
- RABAT Tito SPA 18 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS
- ESPARGARO Aleix SPA 17 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini
- BARBERA Hector SPA 14 Reale Avintia Racing
- ABRAHAM Karel CZE 9 Pull&Bear Aspar Team
- PIRRO Michele ITA 7 Ducati Team
- RINS Alex SPA 7 Team Suzuki Ecstar
- ESPARGARO Pol SPA 6 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
- SMITH Bradley GBR 6 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
- LOWES Sam GBR 2 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini
- GUINTOLI Sylvain FRA 1 Team Suzuki Ecstar
Mugello Moto2 Race Report Here
Mugello Moto3 Race Report Here
