MotoGP

Magic in Mugello awaits: The 2024 MotoGP Italian Grand Prix Preview

MotoGP heads to Mugello, a track that has always produced moments of magic. Here’s DRC’s preview for the weekend.

Published

1 year ago

May 30, 2024

Magic in Mugello awaits: The 2024 MotoGP Italian Grand Prix Preview

The MotoGP paddock now pitches its tents in Mugello, for the Brembo Italian Grand Prix. ‘Magnificent Mugello’, as it is known by fans around the world, is ready once again to stage a brilliant and thrilling spectacle of Grand Prix Motorcycle racing on Sunday, June 2, 2024.

We head to Ducati's playground 🔴

Plenty of home heroes want the win but will @PeccoBagnaia keep his Mugello victory streak going? ⚔️#ItalianGP 🇮🇹 | ARTICLE ⬇️https://t.co/R0spETpyOR
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) May 29, 2024

The three current championship protagonists, Jorge Martin, Francesco Bagnaia, and Marc Marquez will be looking to one-up their rivals. Enea Bastianini would like to rear gun and support Pecco’s challenge for the world title while stepping up and trying to prove his worth of a Ducati ride.

The Track

The legendary Mugello circuit sits among the hills of Florence, Tuscany, Italy. Described by Mark Webber as one of the most satisfying tracks ever, comparing a lap around here to be equal to a thousand around Yas Marina in terms of satisfaction.

The 5.245 km long track boasts 15 corners, nearly half of them taken at full speed. The 1.1-kilometer-long straight followed by the sweeping right of San Donato provides the best opportunity to pass around this track. The Turn 6-7 and then 13-14 complexes are high-speed chicanes, like the one in Melbourne. The entire last sector is a complex chain of corners, get the entry into Scarperia wrong, and you’re going to suffer for the entire last part of the lap.

Thanks to the long straight, Mugello often is the fastest circuit on the calendar, and holds the record for the greatest speed ever achieved in MotoGP history, with Pecco Bagnaia touching a blistering 363.6 km/hr in his factory Ducati last year. In terms of raw speeds, only the long straights at Lusail, Buddh, and COTA have reached close, with Lusail peaking at 362.4 Kmph.

What to Expect

In the past two years or so, it has become clear that nearly every driver on the top will be a Ducati rider, with a few flashes of brilliance of Brad Binder keeping KTM afloat up there. Mugello is expected to be a battle between the Factory and customer Ducatis of Prima Pramac and Gresini.

However, do not rule out Honda and Yamaha yet, who privately tested their machinery two weeks ago on this same track to seek gains. Considering that they have more data here on their current bikes than anyone else at this particular track, Joan Mir and Fabio Quatararo have the opportunity for a shock, dark horse upset win over the Ducatis.

Keep your eye on Marc Marquez, the eight-time world champion who has proven himself to be quite a Sunday man, with him qualifying on the fifth row (fourteenth and fifteenth) in the last two races, only to go one and bag a podium come Sunday. An impressive overtaking performance in Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya saw him gain 11 positions while running the soft tyre, an impressive feat. Another rider to look out for is Pedro Acosta, the remarkable rookie currently sitting at an impressive 6th in the championship.

Lastly, the final lap has always been the highlight of Mugello, with passes for the lead and podiums taking place all over the place in the final lap. Danilo Petrucci’s superb win came off a pass on the last lap on his teammate, Andrea Dovizioso, who fell to third in the last lap from the lead, losing out to Marc Marquez back in 2019. With Ducati winning 4 of the last 5 Mugello grand prix, three of them on the bounce thanks to Bagnaia, they will look to turn the hat trick into a quadrate, to help Pecco solidify his world championship charge.

Ducati’s Italian Tribute and Rider Dilemma

The Ducati factory team will run a special Blue livery on Sunday, paying homage to the Italian Sports team. They will run the Italian Sport Blue (Azzurra) on their bikes, suits as well as crew gear.

“The Nazionali Azzurre gives emotions to millions of Italians, and we feel we do the same during race weekends, representing our country on circuits around the world,” said Mauro Grasilli, Director of Marketing and Communications at Ducati.

Meanwhile, the dilemma for 2025 continues for Ducati. Jorge Martin currently leads the championship by 39 points over Francesco. Marc Marquez is two points off the current title in third and the wingman Bastianini in fourth. With Pecco having a contract, the second seat at Ducati is a major force of attraction. Although Enea has been a good rear gunner for Pecco, it seems like his time may come to an end if he does not step up. Jorge and Marc can definitely challenge Pecco even if in the same team.

Although Ducati has said that they will not make a decision in Mugello, this race will be a major factor in determining who gets the second ride at Ducati next year. The potential title fight for next year has the potential to start brewing right here in Mugello.

Weather Report

It is looking like it will rain on Monday and early mornings on Saturday, which may create chaos on Friday and the earlier sessions of Saturday. The rest of Saturday is looking sunny, while there is a slight chance of rain albeit, in the evening on Sunday.

Weekend Schedule

All the sessions are available to watch on Eurosport India and Jio Cinema in India. The detailed schedule and timings in IST can be found below.

MotoGP

MotoGP: Unstoppable Marquez Makes it 93 Wins for #93 in Mugello

Dominant Marc, Vintage Bagnaia and edge of the seat action, MotoGP delivered it all in Mugello.

Published

4 weeks ago

June 27, 2025

Anuj Tripathi

Marc Marquez celebrates on the podium after winning the MotoGP Grand Prix of Mugello

Credits: MotoGP

MotoGP went from Marquez’s backyard in Aragon to Bagnaia’s backyard in Mugello, but the end result was the same: a complete domination by Marc Marquez. This weekend it was made more special as Marquez got his 93rd win in all classes of two-wheeler racing.

93 Wins for #93

Marc Marquez had another dominant weekend in MotoGP, taking yet another Pole, Sprint win, and Grand Prix win at Mugello. After a short winless streak of 4 races, Marc bounced back strong to have 2 dominant weekends in Aragon and in Mugello. In Mugello, however, it was not an easy ride.

During the Sprint race, Marquez had an issue with his bike just as the lights were about to go out, which resulted in Marc dropping places going into Turn 1. But Marc soon made up places, going up to P3 at the start of Lap 3. What commenced was a battle for victory between Marc, Bagnaia and Alex. On lap 4, Marc made the move for the lead, and it was smooth sailing for him afterwards as he converted his 100th GP pole to the sprint win.

MotoGP: Unstoppable Marquez Makes it 93 Wins for #93 in Mugello — Marc Marquez after his sprint win in Mugello. Credits: MotoGP

The GP race on Sunday was a treat to the eyes. The opening laps in Mugello were some of the best we have seen this year in terms of racing. Marc was constantly challenged and overtaken for the lead by his teammate and brother, a proper edge-of-the-seat drama. Ultimately, Marc took the win with his brother following him in P2.

Vintage Bagnaia on Display in Mugello but in Vain

For the first time this year, we saw the Bagnaia we had been expecting to see from the start. When Marquez signed for Ducati, everyone was looking forward to Marquez vs Bagnaia, but that did not happen this year, until Mugello. Pecco was in his vintage mode, taking on Marquez toe to toe and more often than not coming out ahead of his teammate, although eventually it was Marquez who got the better of him. Pecco still had a decent weekend, a P3 in the sprint and narrowly missing out on the podium on Sunday after leading the race early on.

Another Solid Weekend from Alex Marquez

Alex Marquez got his 6th podium of the season and a fourth Marquez 1-2 of the year. Alex did briefly challenge for the win in both races in Mugello, but eventually lost out to Marc, just like everyone else. Currently sitting second in the standings, Alex is 40 points behind his older brother, and there is still a long season to go. Although there have been allegations made after Mugello that Alex does not race his older brother like he races others, if Alex does take on Marc, it will be a championship battle to watch out for.

Di Giannantonio Matches His Best Season in MotoGP in Terms of Podiums

Fabio Di Giannantonio got his second podium of the year, finishing P3 in Mugello, matching his best finish of P3 in Austin earlier this year. The Italian rider had a stellar show on Sunday, charging up to claim the podium, narrowly missing out on P2 as he ran out of laps to chase down Alex. Overall, it is a weekend Diggia will be happy with and will look to build on it for the rest of the season. He currently sits 5th in the standings, only 8 points behind his teammate in fourth.

Up Next: Assen

No time to rest as the paddock moves to TT Circuit Assen for the MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix from 27th to 29th June for the second leg of the double header. Who triumphs in the land of the Dutch? Only one way to find out. Watch all the MotoGP action live in India online on Fancode or on your TVs at Eurosport.

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MotoGP

MotoGP Aragon: Marc Marquez Dominant at His Backyard

Published

1 month ago

June 17, 2025

Anuj Tripathi

Marc Marquez at the MotoGP Grand Prix of Aragon.

Credits: MotoGP

MotoGP made its way to Aragon, a place that is known as Marc Marquez’s backyard. Marquez demonstrated why exactly. A complete dominance from the Spaniard that saw him take the Pole and sprint win on Saturday, and then a win and the fastest lap of the GP on Sunday. Alex Marquez continued to be at the tail of his brother, finishing second, and Francesco Bagnaia scored a P3 on Sunday, a podium that will do a world of good to the confidence of the Italian before we head to his home turf in Mugello.

Marquez Takes his 4th Win of MotoGP 2025

It’s not often you get to see a masterclass live, in Aragon, that is what everyone watching the Aragon GP witnessed. Marc Marquez had a perfect weekend, leading every session and every lap of the race. This win felt a long time coming, as this was Marquez’s first win since Qatar, which was all the way back in April. But before Qatar was Austin, where Marquez made a big mistake that resulted in him retiring from the race, Marc explained how those mistakes start to creep in and build doubts in the head.

“If we want to fight for the Championship, we cannot have a weekend where we repeat mistakes like we did in Austin. The other ones, okay, but Austin was a big mistake and then today I was very focused. With six or seven laps remaining, I started to think about that mistake. I asked myself, ‘how should I manage the situation?’ But then I was looking the lap time and I was riding on low: 47s without full concentration. Then I decided to increase the speed to be focused again.”

MotoGP Aragon: Marc Marquez Dominant at His Backyard — Marquez takes the win in Aragon. Credits: MotoGP

Confidence Boost for Bagnaia Before Mugello

Bagnaia has been struggling with his GP25 from the start of the season, but the last two races have been very miserable. The Italian rider had a retirement and a 16th place in the previous two GPs, even in the sprint, he only had a lonely P6 in the previous one. However, a P3 in Aragon has done a world of good for Bagnaia. In his own words, he has a confidence boost heading to Mugello, a track where he has always been competitive.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Francesco Bagnaia (@pecco63)

Positives for Joan Mir and Honda

It was the first time for Joan Mir to get back-to-back points finishes riding a Honda. A P7 in Aragon was a very positive result for the factory Honda team, their best this season. It was also Joan’s best finish since his P5 finish at the Indian Grand Prix in 2023. After a few hard years, Honda now seems to be getting back to fighting for points more consistently. They would hope to continue this fight and soon move up the ladder.

Can't keep a good Mir down. Bouncing back with a race full of fights!

🅿️7️⃣ "I gave everything, used all the tools I had to battle with these guys" @JoanMirOfficial

📄 https://t.co/TCGhLRPGMo #AragonGP 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/1bASO4NqT5
— Honda HRC Castrol – MotoGP (@HRC_MotoGP) June 8, 2025

Championship Standings

As things stand, Marc currently sits 32 points clear of his brother Alex Marquez at the top of the standings.

📈 @marcmarquez93 extends his lead in the standings after the #AragonGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/AleE8DM0gz
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 8, 2025

Up Next

MotoGP heads to Mugello next from 20-22nd of June for the Round 9 of the world championship.

MotoGP

MotoGP Heads to Marquez’s Backyard in Aragon

MotoGP returns after a weeks break, this time in Marc’s backyard in Aragon. Will we see him return to the top step or will we get another unpredictable winner?

Published

2 months ago

June 6, 2025

Anuj Tripathi

MotoGP Heads to Marquez's Backyard in Aragon

Marc Marquez after winning the Aragon GP in 2024. Credits: MotoGP

The FIM MotoGP 2025 championship takes us to Spain for the Aragon GP, the eighth round of the Championship. Spaniard Marc Marquez, who won the 2024 Aragon GP, is heading back to what people call his backyard, currently leading the championship by 24 points. Marquez, famously known as “el tro de Cervera” (Thunder of Cervera), has won 7 races at the iconic track since its inception, once for Moto 2 and 6 times for Moto GP, including 6 poles.

Marc Marquez Looking to Get Back to the Top Step at his backyard

Marc Marquez last won a Grand Prix back in April in Qatar. Since then, he has finished outside the points once and on the podium twice in the 3 races that followed. Coming to Aragon, he would be looking to return to the top step. This is also Marquez’s spiritual home GP, as turn 10 has also been named after him to suggest his dominance at the track with his 7 wins and 4 consecutive wins in the years 2016, ‘17, ‘18, ‘19.

Marc Marquez at MotoGP GP of the Americas — Image credits: MotoGP

Can Fabio get his first win of the year in Aragon?

Fabio Quartararo is on an insane qualifying run, the Frenchman has scored 3 pole positions in the last 3 rounds. Sadly for him, he has converted 0 of them to race wins, even retiring in the last 2. He comes to Aragon after a heartbreak in Silverstone, where he had to retire from a comfortable lead in the Grand Prix due to a technical issue with his holeshot device. Fabio will be looking to finally get himself on the top step of the podium this weekend.

Luca Marini’s Absence in Aragon

Honda Rider Luca Marini, who crashed and sustained multiple injuries during the testing for 8H of Suzuka and was left in intensive care, will not be returning for the Aragon GP. Honda has also decided not to call in any of their reserve drivers, instead, the team will run only Joan Mir for the Aragon GP.

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A post shared by Luca Marini 10 (@lucamarini10)

Bagnaia continues to struggle

Pecco Bagnaia is yet to match Marc’s pace in the factory Ducati, but for the last 2 GPs, he is not matching his own standards. Bagnaia’s results in the previous 2 GPs are a 16th-place finish in Le Mans and a DNF in Silverstone. Bagnaia has struggled with the GP25 from the start of the year and is yet to find his feeling back with the bike again, as he mentioned to the press earlier. But, Bagnaia is still full of confidence as he mentions 2022 when he was 91 points behind the leader and still won the championship eventually. He would be looking to get back to the front this weekend.

Unpredictable as ever: 5 Different Riders have won the last 5 races

When the season started, everyone thought it would be a walk in the park for Marc Marquez after looking at his utter domination early on this year. But, MotoGP has lived up to its unpredictable nature, and we have seen 5 different riders take the win in the last 5 races. It is also important to note that we have also seen 3 different manufacturers take the win as well, including a satellite Honda, something not a lot of people would have placed their bets on. As we head into Aragon, will we get a 6th different winner?