Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo secured his third MotoGP victory of 2021 with a dominant performance at Mugello after Pecco Bagnaia crashed out of the ItalianGP.

Miguel Oliveira and Joan Mir enjoyed a late-race battle for the final podium positions after dispatching the Pramac of Johann Zarco with the KTM holding out across the line.

The MotoGP Mugello battle fired up with Quartararo in the hot seat, launching from pole as he looked to gain the best start against the pursuing might of the Ducati’s alongside. The majority of the pack running medium/medium tyre combination, the Hondas of Takaaki Nakagami, Alex Marquez and Pol Espargaro opting for the soft rear with the KTM’s, Aprilia’s and Marquez brothers fielding hard fronts.

Disaster struck Enea Bastianini as he crashed his Avintia into the back of Zarco on the starting grid, the Italian lucky to escape uninjured as the green flag allowed the race to start on time. Bagnaia claimed the hole-shot as the contest began, Quartararo keeping a tight hold of second with Oliveira through on the remaining Ducati’s to take third as the opening lap unfolded. Zarco came through on the KTM as the lap neared its conclusion with Marc Marquez crashing out at turn three, forcing Franky Morbidelli wide as lap two got going. Further drama struck Bagnaia as the leader crashed out of his home Grand Prix at turn nine with Zarco gunning for his countryman back at the front.

The Pramac rider took charge on lap three before Quartararo struck back, breaking a three-tenth gap almost immediately as he pushed to pull away from trouble. Oliveira sat third from the remaining factory Ducati of Jack Miller with Alex Rins leading Mir for fifth and sixth. Aleix Espargaro tailed the Suzukis in seventh with Brad Binder, Michele Pirro and Nakagami completing the top-10.

Pol Espargaro and Maverick Viñales battled for position, in 11th and 12th, as the Suzuki’s did likewise for fifth, Mir demoting his teammate at the end of lap five before Rins hit back at the first corner moments later. The Spaniard was on a charge as he began to take a look at Miller, briefly making a move on the Australian before the Desmosedici dispatched the challenge. The pair continued to bicker as the next laps developed before both Suzukis and then Binder demoted Miller to seventh on lap eight.

Quartararo had a 2.2s lead with 15 laps to go, Zarco looking to defend from an advancing Oliveira with the Suzukis a further two-seconds behind the podium fight.

Mir saw his chance to outdo his teammate at turn one two-laps later, instantly looking to pull free as another inter-team battle played out further back - Danilo Petrucci and Iker Lecuona squabbling for 12th.

Viñales made a move on Pirro to enter the top-10 as lap 13 unfurled, the Spaniard receiving a track limits warning moments later and with a near-four-second gap to bridge to Nakagami in ninth.

Oliveira had been sitting on the wheels of Zarco throughout the mid-race-distance with the KTM lining the move up as lap 16 counted down. Mir saw his chance to emulate at turn 11 as the Suzuki’s pace increased, Rins following suit next time around, with the trio attempting to hunt down the leading Frenchman, four-seconds ahead.

Espargaro’s race seemed to be fading fast as the Repsol lost a place to Valentino Rossi, but it was Rins who’s luck had run out. A massive mistake at turn 15 leaving the dejected Suzuki barrel-rolling thought the gravel and out of podium contention for his fourth non-scoring race in a row.

Nakagami was the next to fall, at turn 14 as Pirro had his own excursion off-track at turn four. Rossi the benefactor as he rose to 11th before advancing into the top-10 after dispatching Lecuona.

The final lap began with Quartararo holding a 3.2s lead from Oliveira and Mir, Zarco circulating ahead of Binder and Miller as the Suzuki looked to take his one and only chance on the KTM, it wasn’t to be and the top-six came across the line as they’d started. The Yamaha hero dedicating his third victory of the year to his fallen friend, Jason Dupasquier.

Oliveira retained the podium, his first of the year, but was demoted one position after the flag due to exceeding track limits but the drama continued as Mir was given the same penalty shortly after and the places reversed once again.

Espargaro claimed a hard fought seventh after the Aprilia man spent the weekend having his recently operated arm repeatedly drained, with Viñales recovering from a disappointing qualifying to eighth. 2019’s victor Petrucci headed Rossi home for ninth and 10th with Lecuona, Espargaro, Pirro, Alex Marquez and Lorenzo Savadori collecting the final championship points. Morbidelli and Luca Marini completed the finishers.

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