MotoGP have returned to Mugello for the Italian Grand Prix. The demanding corners and elevation changes proved to be too much for some riders today. With 60 minutes on the clock and 10 riders advancing to Q2, the battle was on!
The Ducati Home Hero
While there are a few Italian riders on the grid, the grand stands were full of Ducati colours, cheering on Francesco Bagnaia. The home hero will be hoping for a strong weekend in-front of his home crowd.
If todays practice session was anything to go by, the Italian rider could be in for a great result. Bagnaia finished the 60 minute session in P2 ahead of his teammate Marc Marquez. So far this season, the Spaniard has been the more dominant of the duo, so Bagnaia is looking to change that in Mugello.
Dramatic session for Quartararo
The 2025 MotoGP season has been nothing short of dramatic for the Yamaha rider. Fabio Quartararo was one of a few riders who found the gravel today. The Frenchman came off his bike in the second sector of the track, hitting his shoulder with quite some force.
Fabio is anything but a quitter – despite slightly dislocating his shoulder, as was reported, he was determined to get back on track. With 34 minutes left on the clock, he was seen re-entering the circuit.
When the chequered flag flew, he was fast enough for P5, securing his spot in Q2. This was a magnificent recovery! Quartararo has bought a special lid this weekend in Mugello, rocking a ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ inspired helmet!
Jack Miller also fell victim to the gravel of Mugello, when he came off his bike into turn 15. He was not able to improve his session, finishing in a respectable 13th after 60 minutes.
KTM Top the Table
It was almost unexpected that anyone would perform quicker than either Ducati rider this weekend. This was until Maverick Viñales set the fastest lap of the day, a 1:44.634. The lap time was very close to the track record set by Jorge Martin last season.
KTM looked relatively confident around Mugello, with KTM Factory rider Pedro Acosta being the lead rider for the majority of the session. He secured P8 when the chequered flag flew, also advancing to Q2.
Viñales’ teammate narrowly missed out on an automatic Q2 appearance. Bastianini only managed P12 by the end of todays practice session.
Will this weekend be another tale of Ducati Domination or will the KTM steal the spotlight?