With so many Italian riders present in the MotoGP camp, this race is a big one for many. A chance to shine in front of their home crowds. For others, a chance to shatter such a dream. With the homegrown hero Valentino Rossi sitting on pole position after beating Andrea Iannone’s lap record, can the nine time world champion stand on the top step here at the 2018 MotoGP Mugello? With two hungry Spaniards in the form of Lorenzo and Vinales beside him, we’ll have to wait and see. Over 90,000 people sure hope Rossi will be victorious.
Lorenzo immediately dives to the front of the pack, battling against Rossi for the lead into the first corner. Despite starting from 6th on the grid, Marc Marquez is soon right behind them. We all know Marc will do whatever it takes to reach the front of the field. Ultimately though he does run wide, losing the ground he has just made up. He does fire back quickly, making contact with Danilo Petrucci and forcing him out wide. Again, Mr Marquez proves himself to be the bully of the circuit. By the time Petrucci rejoins the pack, he has lost 7 places thanks to Marquez, forcing him to sit in 10th place for now.
No grip and lots of slips!
Before the first lap is over, Dani Pedrosa has crashed, along with Taka Nakagami. They are followed shortly after by Scott Redding, Karel Abraham and Jack Miller in lap two. These hot conditions must be taking a toll on the tyres here at the 2018 MotoGP Mugello. Marquez is sliding around on his hard rear tyre, making his move on Valentino Rossi and up into second place. With Rossi now in third place and many hungry Italians behind him, how long can he stay within podium contention? Despite having started from third place on the grid, Maverick Vinales is now down in 10th place. Not sure what’s going on with Vinales and his Yamaha but he certainly isn’t performing as we’d expect him to.
With 19 laps to go, Jorge Lorenzo still leads at the front of the pack, the Ducati functioning very well here at the 2018 MotoGP Mugello. We’ve seen him lead the race before but he tends to lose some of his pace later on. If this is the case, his very wide lines won’t be able to keep the likes of Marquez and Rossi at bay for long. But before Marquez can even begin to start lining up a pass, he slides out into the gravel, holding onto the bike as he does so. The championship leader is down! A little chuckle escapes me as I watch him disappear into the dirt. I shouldn’t laugh, but something about seeing Marc bully and bash his way up the positions only to see it all end up in a pile of dust and gravel did make me smile. I’m only a simple sofa racer after all but the word ‘karma’ rattles around in my mind as I watch him attempt to bump start his bike. Whilst he does get the Respol Honda started again with the help of the marshals, his chance of making this four consecutive victories is smashed.
The Doctor on the defensive
With Marc Marquez out of contention for a spot on the podium, Andrea Dovizioso begins to push on Valentino Rossi. Dovi now holds the outright speed record in MotoGP, with an impressive 356km/h. Can he channel this speed to make it to the front of the pack? He swipes second place from Rossi, making this a Ducati 1-2, something that the Italian fans will surely love! Danilo Petrucci has crept back up the pack into 5th place, a great recovery from the Pramac Ducati rider.
Uncharacteristically, Rossi runs wide allowing Iannone to slip in and claim third position. Iannone has confirmed that he is parting ways with Suzuki at the end of the season but he’s still pushing the blue rocket as hard as he dare. 15 laps to go and it seems Jorge Lorenzo is holding his pace and looking comfortable. This is the most consistent we’ve seen him all season. Lorenzo has confirmed that he intends to leave Ducati at the end of the season, with rumours circulating that he could land on a satellite Yamaha alongside Franco Morbidelli. Only time will tell if this is true.
Rossi tries to claw back his podium place, making a move up into third place once more. He soon runs wide into the final corner, allowing both Iannone and Petrucci to slide underneath, pushing the fan favourite back to 5th position. Iannone is suffering from a lack of grip in the front tyre, a real shame considering the pace he’s had all weekend. Rossi soon dives underneath but for how long? With Petrucci still sitting in third, can Rossi upset a possible Ducati 1,2,3?
Alex Rins has been building himself up for a while, maintaining his grip for the latter stages of the race. With 9 laps to go, he nips under Rossi, who is struggling for grip just as much as his teammate, Andrea Iannone. Just don’t bin it Alex! Crutchlow sits in 7th place, a very nice ride from Cal, holding tight to his LCR Honda and maintaining his grip. I think he’s content to finish this race with points, rather than end up on the floor again.
Pushing for the podium…
All of a sudden, Rins makes a mistake, allowing Rossi back underneath, much to the delight of the yellow army that are packed tightly into the stands of the 2018 MotoGP Mugello. A block pass from the Doctor lets Rossi swipe back third place. At this late stage of the race, the chance of Rossi making it to the top step of the podium are very slim. But a podium place in your own backyard would definitely be pleasing to the nine-time world champion. Petrucci must really be struggling for grip, as Iannone has made it through too!
Rossi, Lorenzo and Dovi
The battle for third place is where the action is, with Rossi, Iannone, Rins, Petrucci and Crutchlow all viable contenders. The grip in these tyres this late in the race is non-existent but they’re all working to wring every last bit of grip out of them! Switching and swapping positions continues right up to the last minute but Rossi holds his own, claiming third position back whenever it is taken from him. A cracking ride from Rossi, who has always been good around Mugello and this year at the 2018 MotoGP Mugello is no exception.
As the race draws to a close, Jorge Lorenzo crosses the line to claim his first victory in a long time! Despite his decision to leave Ducati at the end of the season, this is a great accomplishment for the Spaniard. A great performance from Andrea Dovizioso makes this a Ducati 1-2 here at the 2018 MotoGP Mugello. The Doctor fills the final step on the podium, for the third place finish after a valiant yet unsuccessful effort to steal 2nd place. As the track invasion takes place, this is ultimately a great day for Italy’s motorcycle racing scene.
Congratulations to all riders and teams on a job well done! Just us next time as the Catalan GP gets underway!
Top ten:
1: Lorenzo
2: Dovizioso
3: Rossi
4: Iannone
5: Rins
6: Crutchlow
7: Petrucci
8: Vinales
9: Bautista
10: Zarco
All images courtesy of motogp.com
