Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts

Petrucci beats Marquez and Dovizioso in Mugello thriller

A first MotoGP victory came the way of Danilo Petrucci at Mugello, while Marc Marquez extended his lead at the top of the championship.

By Opta
Danilo Petrucci Ducati MotoGP

Mugello, June 2: Danilo Petrucci held off Marc Marquez and Ducati team-mate Andrea Dovizioso to claim his first MotoGP victory at an exhilarating Italian Grand Prix.

All three riders battled for the win on the final lap of a dramatic race at Mugello, but Petrucci emerged ahead from a three-man dive into the first corner and held on to win his home race.

The victory while battling illness followed up his first podium for the team in Le Mans last time out and was a perfect answer to speculation over whether he will retain his seat on the factory bike in 2020.

Repsol Honda's Marquez started on pole and briefly dropped to fifth midway through the race before working his way back up through the field, the five-time world champion's second place extending his lead in the riders' standings to 12 points.

Dovizioso led at multiple stages and his third spot meant Ducati had two men on the podium for the second straight event.

Alex Rins also had a race to remember, ultimately finishing fourth. He surged up from 13th on the grid and was third by lap four, also briefly battling Dovizioso for the lead before dropping back and closely following the three leaders throughout the closing stages.

Dovizioso had also almost immediately launched himself into contention from his starting place of ninth, and regularly swapped places with Petrucci and Marquez in a dramatic battle.

Jack Miller was part of the leading group before he crashed from fifth position with eight laps to go.

While Italy was celebrating the success of Petrucci and Ducati – who have now won this race for three straight years – it was a wretched home race for Valentino Rossi, who having started 18th was off the track early on and relegated to the back of the pack, before crashing out in another incident soon after.

Fabio Quartararo started in second place, one ahead of Petrucci, but had dropped to ninth by the end of the first lap and finished in 10th.

Earlier on Sunday, Alex Marquez won the Moto2 race, his second straight victory.

IN THE POINTS

1. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) 2. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) +0.043secs 3. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) +0.338s 4. Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) +0.535s 5. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) +6.535s 6. Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha) +7.481s 7. Michele Pirro (Ducati) +13.288s 8. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) +13.937s 9. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) +16.533s 10. Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha) +17.994s 11. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) +20.523s 12. Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) +20.544s 13. Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda) +20.813s 14. Karel Abraham (Reale Avintia Racing) +27.298s 15. Andrea Iannone (Aprilia) +28.051s

TITLE STANDINGS

Riders

1. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) 115 2. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) 103 (-12) 3. Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) 88 (-27) 4. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) 82 (-33) 5. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha) 72 (-43)

Teams 1. Ducati 194 2. Repsol Honda 134 (-60) 3. Monster Energy Yamaha 112 (-82) 4. Suzuki Ecstar 100 (-94) 5. LCR Honda 82 (-112)

Story first published: Sunday, June 2, 2019, 19:59 [IST]
Other articles published on Jun 2, 2019