'Desmo Dovi' lights up Mugello

An Italian star did win the MotoGP race at Mugello on June 4 – but not the man everyone expected.

This wasn't to be Valentino Rossi's day, but instead Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) who took a magnificent win ahead of polesitter Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), followed by surprise packet Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing Ducati).

Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) was fourth from Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Ducati) and world champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda), while Australia's Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda) was 15th.

In front of a record crowd of 98,269 spectators, Dovizioso shook off a bout of overnight food poisoning to move up to second behind Viñales on lap six. He then took control at the front and maintained the lead to bring up his third MotoGP win.

Dovizioso is now second in the standings on 79 points, behind runaway leader Vinales (105) and ahead of Rossi (75), Marquez (68), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda, 68) and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 64).

“It was a fantastic day for me but it had started badly after a sleepless night because of the food poisoning," said Dovizioso.

"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 per cent, 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!”

Dovi's teammate Jorge Lorenzo, who had won five of the last six races at Mugello, led for a brief period in the early stages before finishing the race in eighth, just over a second behind Zarco.

Ducati test rider Michele Pirro and Andrea Iannone (Ecstar Suzuki) saw out the top 10, while Pedrosa crashed on the last lap, taking out Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda).

Miller was happy to leave Mugello with a point after he struggled all weekend with front end grip – an affliction which had all the Honda riders scratching their heads.

"Scoring a point today is bonus considering from the start of the weekend I just didn’t feel on the pace with a lack of front grip and confidence," said Miller.

"But it was a solid result with no crashes and I did the best I could in the race. Now I’m looking forward to doing the Barcelona race next weekend and being fit for the second of the back-to-back races."

MotoGP results
1. Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team, 41m32.126s
2. Maverick Vinales, Movistar Yamaha, +1.281s
3. Danilo Petrucci, Octoi Pramac Ducati, +2.334s

Australian
15. Jack Miller, EG 0,0 Marc VDS, +30.79s

Pole position: Vinales, 1m46.575s = 177.1km/h
Fastest lap: Vinales, 1m47.643s = 175.4km/h

Championship top 3
Vinales 105 • Dovizioso 79 • Rossi 75

Moto2
Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) claimed his first victory in the world championship since 2009, coming out on top after a fight to the flag against Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten) and Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS). The three men crossed the line covered by just over 0.1 seconds in one of the closest Moto2 races of the season.

Championship leader Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was fourth, ahead of Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KT Ajo), while Luca Marini (Forward Racing Team) just pipped Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer Racing) over the line to sixth.

There was drama on lap one when Forward Racing Team’s Lorenzo Baldassarri high-sided at turn 15, collecting Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia).

Australia's Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) was 14th, and said: “It was great to open my 2017 account in Mugello but it was a disappointing final result. I was really tired at the end of the race and I felt that I was lacking some acceleration compared to the others so I struggled to get close enough to make a pass on the other riders around me.

"By the time I made it through the group had gone so I couldn’t make any more progress. A decent weekend overall after qualifying 11th but I wanted more. However, we will leave Mugello with my first point-scoring finish on the Mistral 610 and we have to be happy about that.

"I am sure that Montmelo will be positive and that we can iron out some of the small chatter issues that we still have. Big thanks to the team and to all my sponsors and to everyone sending so many tweets and messages. See you all in Spain!”

Moto2 results
1. Mattia Pasini, Italtrans Racing Team, 39m30.974s
2. Tom Luthi, CarXpert Interwetten, +0.052s
3. Alex Marquez, EG 0,0 Marc VDS, +0.136s

Australian
14. Remy Gardner, Tech 3 Racing, +21.335s

Pole position: Franco Moribidelli, EG 0,0 Marc VDS, 1m51.679s = 169km/h
Fastest lap and new record: Luthi, 1m52.084s = 168.4km/h

Championship top 3
Morbidelli 113 • Luthi 100 • Marquez 78

Moto3
Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46 KTM) is now a first-time GP winner, and he did it on home turf in style just ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3 Honda) as the two broke free from the pack on the final lap. Juanfran Guevara (RBA BOE Racing Team KTM) took his first ever podium in third.

"The most beautiful day of my life. There are no other words to describe this moment. Winning the first race in my career at Mugello in front of this incredible crowd is a dream that goes beyond all my expectations," said Migno.

"It was a tough weekend: I was not fast in the sessions, and then in the warm up something has changed. The last lap was too long: I was in front of Di Giannantonio at the first corner, and it is difficult here at Mugello cross the finish line first from that position. I believed it, I wanted it.

"What to say? I want to thank my family; they always supported me, Team Sky for their incredible job and the VR46 Riders Academy that follows us step by step. A special dedication also to Marco Simoncelli and Nicky Hayden."

Darryn Binder (Platinum Bay Real Estate KTM) was fourth, with Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) completing the top five. Championship leader Joan Mir (Leopard Racing Honda) was seventh – but just over half a second behind the winner.

Moto3 results
1. Andrea Migno, Sky Racing Team VR46 KTM, 39m43.963s
2. Fabio Giannantonio, Del Conca Gresini Honda, +0.037s
3. Juanfran Guevara, RBA Racing Team KTM, +0.166s

Pole position: John McPhee, British Talent Team Honda, 1m57.324s = 161km/h
Fastest lap and new record: Aron Canet, Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda, 1m57.071s = 161.2km/h

Championship top 3
Joan Mir 108 • Canet 74 • Giannantonio 71

Next round: Catalunya, Spain, June 9-11