Ecstatic Lorenzo takes dominant Mugello victory in Ducati 1-2

Ducati’s Jorge Lorenzo took victory at Mugello, leading from start to finish to achieve his first victory with the Italian manufacturer at their home circuit. Lorenzo headed home Dovizioso to make it a Factory Ducati 1-2 for only the third time ever, with pole-sitter and fan-magnet Valentino Rossi, completing the podium for the first time at Mugello since 2015.

Lorenzo blitzed into the lead by turn one but for the opening laps had company, with Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez both looking good; Andrea Iannone and Andrea Dovizioso in behind. The opening laps of the race were littered with crashes, the first of which was Dani Pedrosa taking out Takaaki Nakagami at only the second corner on the first lap, completing a terrible Italian GP for the Repsol Honda rider. Nakagami returned to the pits but remounted. Scott Redding went down, as did Karel Abraham, whilst Jack Miller made it five riders down by the end of the opening lap and a half. Tom Luthi crashed at turn 15 half a lap later.

Marc Marquez had a colourful start to the race, surging from 6th to 4th by turn one, before ramming Danilo Petrucci off track at turn two. However, Marquez – who had not looked as convincingly quick all weekend – would find his limit in the race, tucking the front end at the right handed Scarperia corner on lap five, sliding out of second position. He remounted but would eventually score no points.

Maverick Vinales got his traditional appalling start, outside the top ten on lap one, having started from the front row. Teammate Valentino Rossi was also beginning to struggle, losing touch with Jorge Lorenzo before Andrea Dovizioso blasted past the veteran Italian.

Andrea Iannone was up next for Rossi to start defending against but the Suzuki rider – who leaves the team at the end of the season – was struggling to anchor the bike up going into the corners, often missing apexes. However, Iannone made it through at turn one and initially, began going with former teammate Dovizioso. However, braking issues persisted, bringing Rossi, Rins, Petrucci and Crutchlow back into play.

At the front, despite speculation of Jorge Lorenzo’s tyres not seeing him through to the end of the race, the 31-year-old Spaniard was building his lead, setting into the vintage Jorge Lorenzo rhythm of which we’ve seen before and which we know, can be devastatingly crushing for the opposition. It was clear that not even the 2017 winner of the Italian GP (Dovizioso) could catch a formidable Jorge Lorenzo.

Valentino Rossi was back in 3rd place now, with Rins having got past his teammate Iannone. Petrucci also picked up places and before long, picked off Rossi, Rins and Iannone at the final corner. With the battle for third raging, it ended any hope of any of them being able to catch either of the Factory Ducatis.

39-year-old Rossi took back third for good on lap 18, with Iannone being dropped as Valentino picked up his pace in the closing quarter of the race. Iannone now had Rins for company and the two Suzukis battled hard and well within the top five, confirming that are far more competitive in 2018 than in 2017. Danilo Petrucci had slumped towards the end of the race, with Britain’s Cal Crutchlow getting ahead of him, placing the Italian in the jaws of Maverick Vinales and an incredibly impressive Alvaro Bautista – who was 5th at the track last year.

Jorge Lorenzo cruised to his first victory in over a year with a Mugello masterclass but the battle for 2nd had really come alive, with an inspired Valentino Rossi taking three seconds out of a struggling Andrea Dovizioso at the end of the race. Try as he might, Rossi couldn’t overcome the Ducati, with Dovi heading him home – another lap however, and Valentino may have caught him and don’t forget, this year, the race lost one lap, down from 23 to 22.

Andrea Iannone fended off his teammate for another top result which places him seventh in the championship and just 12 points off 2nd. Rins, Crutchlow, Petrucci, Vinales, Bautista and Zarco completed the top ten, with the Frenchman having an atrocious weekend in Italy. Pol Espargaro was the first KTM home in 11th, giving them their first points at Mugello. Syahrin was an impressive 12th whilst a wounded Tito Rabat took a hearty 13th place, with Bradley Smith and Franco Morbidelli completing the points.

With Lorenzo now winning a race, it does open the championship up and one would have to consider Jorge as a more permanent fixture at the front end of the championship now. He breaks into the top ten, whilst Valentino Rossi moves into 2nd position, 23 points adrift of Marc Marquez. Vinales’ disaster sees him slip to 3rd, with Andrea Dovizioso a point behind in fourth. Zarco is two points further back and completes the top five, with Danilo Petrucci in 6th, one point further back.