Vinales silences critics with Misano MotoGP win

Just four points separate the top four riders as MotoGP celebrates the sixth different winner in seven races. And while it looked like Pecco Bagnaia (Pramac Ducati) was just seven laps away from celebrating his maiden premier-class victory, a crash from the young Italian elevated Maverick Vinales (Monster Yamaha) to the top spot, allowing the Spaniard’s results to finally reflect the pace he showed all weekend.

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From pole position, Vinales got off the line well and was in the lead by turn four of the opening lap, which he held until bookie’s favourite Bagnaia passed him on lap five. Crashes from Valentino Rossi (Monster Yamaha) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) early on separated the leading riders, and what looked like a relatively processional affair on paper, transpired into a dramatic race, one pivotal for the championship.

Andrea Dovizioso (Team Ducati) leaves the Misano double header leading the title, despite crossing the line in eighth place. The Italian is one point clear of Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) who was slapped with a penalty on the last lap for exceeding track limits. Vinales’ win places him on equal footing to Quartararo, while Ecstar Suzuki’s Joan Mir’s late-race dash to second place puts him in fourth overall, just four points down on Dovizioso. Mir has scored the most points of any rider during the last four races.

Quartararo’s penalty elevated Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM) onto the podium, costing the Frenchman not just podium prosecco but also the lead in the championship, while Tech3 KTM’s Miguel Oliveira rode through from 15th on the grid to finish fifth. Oliveira’s rookie teammate Iker Lecuona showed great race pace and looked set for a career-best finish of sixth before joining the list of crashers which also included Aleix Espargaro and Tito Rabat.

Aussie Jack Miller, who got the holeshot into the first corner from second on the grid, sucked a plastic tear-off into his airbox on just the second lap, ending his race before it ever really got going. Taka Nakagami (Idemitsu LCR Honda) finished in sixth, 11 seconds behind Vinales and just eight-tenths ahead of Repsol Honda’s Alex Marquez, who recorded his career-best MotoGP finish in seventh. Dovizioso, last weekend’s race winner Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Danilo Petrucci (Team Ducati) rounded out the top 10.

A rain-interrupted Moto2 race reduced it to a 10-lap dash, one eventually won be Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing) who was keen to show why Ducati had just signed him for the MotoGP grid next year. He was pushed by Marco Bezzechi (Sky Racing Team VR46) who took second ahead of Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS). Championship leader Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46), who looked fast and consistent all weekend, couldn’t find a way into the leading positions in the restart – he finished fourth – and Bastianini’s win reduces his points lead to just five points – 125 to Bastianini’s 120. Bezzechi is in third on 105.

It was last-lap drama in the Moto3 race which saw the top 10 riders separated by just over one second over the finish line, but it was Romano Fenati (Sterilgada Max racing Team) who got there first to claim his first victory in more than a year. Contact between Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Jaume Masia (Leopard Honda) opened the door for the controversial 24-year-old with a few corners to go, and he held to take his 12th Moto3 race win and the top of the all-time Moto3 winners tally.

Vietti took second from Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura, while Albert Arenas (Team Aspar) and Masia rounded out the top five. Arenas (119) still narrowly leads the points tally from Ogura (117), with Petronas rider John McPhee, who finished the race in 10th, in third on 98 points.

Aussie Josh Hook had a less than memorable weekend in the MotoE World Cup, finishing eighth in the opening race before crashing out of the second. Dynavolt Intact’s Dominique Aegerter won the opener from Jordi Torres (Pons racing) and Matteo Ferrari (Gresini MotoE), while Ferrari celebrated the race-two win from Mattia Casadei (Sic58 Squadra Corse) and Torres. Ferrari hangs on to the series lead with 86 points from Aegerter’s 82. Hook is in 13th on 23 points.

The paddock now heads to Barcelona for Round Nine this weekend.