MotoGP Italy LIVE race: Quartararo untouchable, Zarco at the foot of the podium

Article updated until the end of the race

It is a Fabio Quartararo in a state of grace who will start at the head of this Italian Grand Prix at Mugello. This is the second time that the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider has had four poles in a row. He had in fact already experienced this series between the 2019 Malaysian and 2020 Andalusian Grands Prix. The Niçois will also have set the new track record in Tuscany. El Diablo now has 14 leading positions in the premier category, one less than Wayne Rainey.

You have to go back to 2018 to see a pilot Yamaha dominate qualifying on this track, with Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) in 2018. A scenario which will have presented itself a total of nine times. However, Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda Team) is the last competitor to win the Italian Grand Prix from pole, it was in 2014. Valentino Rossi is the only Yamaha rider to have done so during the MotoGP era (2005 and 2008).

Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), Francis Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Johann zarco (Pramac Racing) all three hope to become the fourth representative of the brand Ducati to triumph in as many races contested at Mugello, to succeed Andrea Dovizioso, Jorge Lorenzo et Danilo Petrucci.

fabio quartararo et John Zarco had already found themselves together on the front line this year, it was in Portugal.

Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), survivor of Q1, equals the best qualifications of a driver Aprilia in MotoGP with this fourth time. He was the author during the 2017 Japanese and 2020 Czech Republic Grands Prix. He now hopes to give Aprilia its first Top 5 over the same period.

Jack Miller, winner of the two previous rounds, would dream of succeeding Casey Stoner, the last Ducati rider to have scored three consecutive victories, it was in 2008 between the Donington and Sachsenring events.

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), credited with the sixth time, serves as first representative KTM on the grid. The only time he did so well was in Emilia-Romagna last season. Never a pilot KTM had also been so well positioned on the grid since this pole obtained by Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) on ​​his land last November.

Marc Márquez, who was competing in his seventh MotoGP Q1, his third at Mugello, will occupy 11th place at the start of this Italian Grand Prix. All the other Honda drivers are behind.

A quick summary of the qualifications:

What will this sixth round of the season have in store for us? Before answering this question, here is the table which summarizes the facts known so far.

Mugello MotoGP™	2019	2021
FP1	1'47.558 Marc Márquez (See here)	1'46.593 Maverick Viñales (See here)
FP2	1'46.732 Francesco Bagnaia (See here)	1'46.147 Francesco Bagnaia (See here)
FP3	1'46.056 Danilo Petrucci (See here)	1'45.456 Francesco Bagnaia (See here)
FP4	1'46.799 Fabio Quartararo (See here)	1'46.647 Fabio Quartararo (See here)
Q1	1'46.278 Andrea Dovizioso (See here)	1'45.924 Marc Márquez (See here)
Q2	1'45.519 Marc Márquez (See here)	1'45.187 Fabio Quartararo (See here)
Warm Up	1'46.930 Marc Máask (See here)	1'46.746 Takaaki Nakagami
Course	Petrucci, Marquez, Dovizioso (See here)
All time lap record	1'46.056 Danilo Petrucci (See here)	1'45.187 Fabio Quartararo (See here)

24° in the air and 41.5° on the track under a mild sky will be the conditions offered to drivers for this Italian Grand Prix. A minute of silence will be respected before departure in memory of Jason dupasquier who died of his injuries this Sunday.

The drivers will have 23 laps to complete before seeking victory.

The wind has come into play, a headwind which can bother the drivers on certain sectors of the route.

Bastiani falls on the starting grid.

The wild animals are released and at the end of the first turn it is Quartararo in front of Bagnaia and Oliveira. Bagnaia passes Quartararo and Zarco takes 1rd place. Oliveira and Miller bring up the rear of this top3

Marquez falls following a collision with Morbidelli.

Fall of Bagnaia under pressure from Quartararo. 2 French people in the lead!

Zarco passes Fabio, the Pramac driver leads the race. But the Yamaha rider doesn't give up, he gets over it and takes the lead again.

Another 18 laps and in front Fabio holds on in front of Zarco, Oliveira, Miller, Rins, Mir, Binder, Aleix Espargaro, Pirro and Nakagami. 

It's a fight between Suzuki's two teammates for the gain of 2th position.

Rins passes Miller but the Australian does not give up, he maintains his 4th position. Rins nevertheless manages to slip through a mouse hole, he is now 4th, he takes Mir with him who takes rank 5. Binder also benefits because Miller misses. The KTM rider is 6th

Vinales is in 11th position, Rossi is 15th

At the front, Quartararo has a 2s lead over Zarco. Oliveira is 3rd, Rins and Mir complete this top5. There are 13 laps left to complete

Mir eats his teammate alive and thus takes 4th position.

With 10 laps to go, the top 10 is as follows: Quartararo, Zarco, Oliveira, Mir, Rins, Binder, Miller, Aleix Espargaro, Nakagami and Vinales.

Zarco is now under threat from Oliveira. At 1 tenth...And the Suzukis arrive!

In front of Fabio, 3.8 seconds ahead of Zarco who will have to resist Oliveira. The KTM rider passes, the Portuguese takes 2nd place.

Zarco in difficulty, he was attacked by Mir who managed to overtake him. The Frenchman is also overtaken by Rins, he is now in rank 5.

Rins falls in turn 15

The top 10 is as follows with 4 laps to go: Quartararo, Oliveira, Mir, Zarco, Binder, Miller, Aleix Espargaro, Nakagami, Vinales and Pirro.

Nakagami crashes in turn 14.

Straight from Pirro who drops to rank 13.

Fabio in the lead has a 3.5s lead over Oliveira. Zarco comes back on Mir to gain 3rd position.

Last lap and Fabio holds the line ahead of Oliveira and Mir.

QUARTARARO VICTORY! He finished ahead of Mir, with Oliveira losing a place for going beyond the track limits. Zarco finishes 4th. 

A victory dedicated to his friend and late Jason Dupasquier

Finally Oliveira takes 2nd position on the podium. Mir also went beyond the limits of the track, so he returned his 2nd position to Oliveira. 

            MotoGP Italy Race: classification

Credit classification motogp.com