After securing his fourth consecutive pole position this season, Fabio Quartararo had to capitalize on “the best lap of his career” during qualifying on a track that was not supposed to be as favorable to him.
After a good start, Quartararo couldn’t resist Bagnaia with his powerful Ducati at the end of the long straight line. However, power without control means nothing, and on the next lap, the Italian made a mistake that sent him to the ground. A stroke of luck for our two French riders who took the opportunity to lead the Grand Prix.
For five laps, the Frenchmen engaged in a relentless battle, with Zarco overtaking at the end of the straight line and Quartararo repaying the favor three turns later. More agile, “El Diablo” launched an attack and managed to create a gap sufficient to keep the rider from Cannes at bay. A slight surprise on the Mugello track, which favors the power of the Italian engine over the agility of the Japanese machine.
By mid-race, the Yamaha of the rider from Nice held nearly a three-second lead over his compatriot, who remained under pressure from Miguel Oliveira and the Suzukis, who were closing in on Ducati No. 5. Meanwhile, the leader’s teammate, Maverick Viñales, remained stuck around the 10th position.
In the final laps of the race, the battle for second place intensified, but Zarco could do nothing against his adversaries. Gripped during the grid formation lap by Bastianini, the rear of his Pramac Ducati potentially hindered his race pace. Benefiting from Rins’ crash in front of him, the Frenchman still finished just off the podium.
At the front, Quartararo never faltered in this race and achieved a magnificent result in the world championship. A victory dedicated to his friend Jason Dupasquier, who tragically passed away a few hours before the start following a crash yesterday in qualifying.
