Pecco Bagnaia strengthened his grip on the 2023 MotoGP World Championship with an unflustered run to victory in his home Italian MotoGP at Mugello, his third full-length win of the season.

The home hero - competing in Italy for the first time since bringing the MotoGP title home last season - once again proved a class above his squabbling rivals, taking control early on and never putting enough of a wheel wrong to allow even the hint of a challenge to a rival.

A double win for Bagnaia following his Sprint Race success, his sixth ‘first across the line’ MotoGP win on track was amplified by a tough afternoon for closest title rival Marco Bezzecchi, who could only manage eighth, leaving him 21 points adrift in the title fight.

The only rider to mount anything resembling a challenge, Jorge Martin produced another mature ride in the distant shadow of Bagnaia, his back-to-back podiums placing him just three points behind Bezzecchi now.

A double celebration for Prima Pramac Ducati - racing in garish special livery for its home race - Johann Zarco came on strong in the second-half of the race to make it a double podium for the team.

Luca Marini made it a Ducati 1-2-3-4, with Brad Binder fifth, but there was disappointment for the Marquez family after Marc crashed out of fourth, then Alex fell having only just clawed his way up to third.

>>> 2023 Italian MotoGP - MotoGP and Sprint Race Results <<<

Bagnaia proves why he is #1 in Ducati, MotoGP

Twelve months ago, Bagnaia's first Italian MotoGP victory in Ducati colours was an emotional affair typical of watching a young rider realising his dream of winning at home in those colours. Back then his title aspirations seemed distant after a tough start to the year, thus adding a dash of fizz to those celebrations.

One title and seven MotoGP race wins later (10 if you count Sprint Races) and Bagnaia is winning at Mugello with the swagger of a rider who knows he has just asserted his authority over both his rivals and his (many) Ducati team-mates.

Indeed, while Bagnaia's as-good-as lights-to-flag win wasn't terribly exciting, it was a quality performance, the Italian coolly reclaiming the lead from Jack Miller at Turn 2 after losing it to the fast-starting Aussie at Turn 1.

Thereafter he wasn't bothered again, even if he was never allowed to ease off, thanks to the constant attentions of Martin, who after muscling his way into second place on lap two, did his utmost to keep his stablemate honest.

He was the only one to break through from the chasing pack though, Martin gamely giving chase but unable to do more than take the odd nibble, before easing off late on. Bagnaia therefore took the flag just over a second ahead of Martin, with Zarco emerging in third late on to complete the podium.

The Frenchman delivered one of his customary slow-burning races, Zarco meticulously working his way back up the order through an occasionally frenetic chasing pack, eventually relieving Luca Marini for third with six laps remaining.

Marini held onto fourth, the VR46 Ducati rider somewhat fortunate to capitalise on crashes for both Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez while he was battling with them.

Having survived out-braking himself on lap two, Marc had settled in fifth mid-way through the face when he ran wide around the final corner, the Honda's kissing the dirty outside line before laying down, much to the exasperation of the eight-time MotoGP World Champion.

Alex proceeded to take up the fight for the rostrum in his brother's absence, but no sooner had he hauled his way into the top three, he was down again at Turn 2 and out of the race.

The double DNF for the Marquez family spelled good news for KTM, with Brad Binder keeping his simmering title aspirations going with a solid run to fifth, ahead of Jack Miller in seventh, the pair sandwiching Aleix Espargaro on the Aprilia, the Spaniard making solid progress on a bruising weekend.

>>> 2023 MotoGP World Championship Standings <<<

Bezzecchi lost in the pack as MotoGP title hopes take hit

It was a chastening afternoon for Bagnaia's closest title rival Bezzecchi, the VR46 Ducati rider this time unable to make the progress that had him up to second in the Sprint Race.

Careful not to get tangled up in an occasionally boisterous mid-group, Bezzecchi couldn't make progress beyond the lower reaches of the top ten as he laboured to eighth place, losing a fistful of points to Bagnaia in the process, while Martin is now only three points shy of his second position in the standings too.

Behind him, Enea Bastianini achieved his objective of just reaching the end of a full length race for the first time this year, the factory Ducati rider making steady progress en route to ninth, ahead of Franco Morbidelli, who scored a rare 'win' over Yamaha team-mate Fabio Quartararo in tenth and 11th respectively.

Completing the points, Maverick Vinales endured an anonymous afternoon as he struggled to 12th, from Takaaki Nakagami in 13th, Fabio di Giannantonio - the pole sitter a year ago - in 14th and Augusto Fernandez in 15th.

2023 Italian MotoGP, Mugello | Race Results [GP]

Conditions - Warm, Sunny. Dry