Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez battled hard with Movistar’s Jorge Lorenzo for his sixth consecutive win in MotoGP at Mugello. The current champion had to fend off his fellow compatriot to take a tight victory where neither rider gave up on the fight for the top step of the podium.
Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi gave the Italian fans something to smile about – the rider who just completed his 300th GP race came from tenth to end the day in third.
Initally it was Pramac's Andrea Iannone who took the lead going into the opening corner followed by Lorenzo and Marquez on the first lap, but Lorenzo was aggressive from the start and pushed Crutchlow out of the way at San Donato to aim for the front. On the first rotation Lorenzo powered on ahead to pass Marquez and Iannone to take the lead at Abrabiata 2.
But Lorenzo was not the only rider ploughing through the field, his team-mate Valentino Rossi who started from the fourth row had a superb first three laps and out-paced Dovisioso to go into third at Scarperia, but the Doctor was a tenth slower than the bikes of Marquez and Lorenzo with 18 laps remaining.
Iannone was soon consumed by the Honda of Pedrosa after nine rotations, to take fourth from the local lad. Elsewhere Marquez was closing the gap by 0.3 seconds on Lorenzo with 12 laps left, with Rossi 1.4 seconds behind. Meanwhile Iannone was not giving up on his chance for a podium at his home track and edged Pedrosa to go back to fourth, with Monster Yamaha’s Pol Espargaro joining the duo for a scrap for fourth place.
But on the home straight Marquez went into the lead with seven laps remaining, getting the speed, as Lorenzo went slightly into the dirt, allowing the reigning champ to push on ahead, and a battle ensued. The lead between the pair changed constantly with the Spaniards getting so close to each other that their bikes were touching at San Donato on the 19th lap.
A rotation later Marquez got into the lead at Savelli, only for Lorenzo to take it back at Correntaio on the penultimate lap. On the final lap Marquez took the lead, again on the home straight and however hard Lorenzo tried he could not make it past Marquez, and in the end the championship leader got the victory, with Rossi competing the podium. Pedrosa crossed the line in fourth followed by Espargaro and Dovisioso.
It was not a good race for some of the British riders out on the Tuscan circuit. First Monster Yamaha’s Bradley Smith crashed unhurt, then a lap later Ducati’s Cal Crutchlow fell taking Bradl with him at Poggiosecco, while they were in ninth and eighth respectively - ending both their chances of a possible top five finish.
Go&Fun Honda Gresini rider Scott Redding finished just outside the top ten in 13th. PBM rider Michael Laverty ended the race in 16th with Hernandez and Pirro completing the top ten.
