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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.

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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.

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

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

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.

Magic in Mugello awaits: The 2024 MotoGP Italian Grand Prix Preview
Joan Mir testing his Honda.

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

Magic in Mugello awaits: The 2024 MotoGP Italian Grand Prix Preview
The Ducati riders in the Italian Sport Blue (Azzurra) colors.

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.

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

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.

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

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?

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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.

MotoGP Heads to Marquez's Backyard in Aragon

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.

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.

MotoGP Heads to Marquez's Backyard in Aragon
Image credits: MotoGP

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?

Where to Watch MotoGP in India

You can watch all the action live in India on Fancode or Eurosport. The detailed schedule in IST is given below:

MotoGP Heads to Marquez's Backyard in Aragon

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X/, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

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MotoGP British GP: Bezzecchi Capitalizes as Quatraro’s Search for a Win Continues

Marco Bezzecchi makes the most of Fabio Quartararo’s misfortunes as he takes the win in MotoGP British GP.

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Marco Bezzecchi celebrates after winning the MotoGP British Grand Prix
Credits: MotoGP

Fabio Quartararo did something that many thought would be impossible at the start of the year: he scored a hat-trick of pole positions riding the Factory Yamaha bike. However, he is yet to convert it into a victory. Despite starting 6 races from the front (3 Grand Prix and 3 Sprints), he is yet to stand on the top step of the podium. Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi made the most of Quartararo’s misfortune to take his first win of the season.

Read More: MotoGP 2025: Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone

Hattricks of Poles and a Brace of DNFs for Quartararo

When the season started, anyone, even Fabio for that matter, would not have expected to get 3 back-to-back pole positions on his Factory Yamaha, a bike that has not been the most competitive in the recent past. But to his surprise, and everyone else’s, Fabio put in a storming lap to go 3 tenths clear of the rest of the field and get his third Pole Position of the season. But, as fate would have it, he also scored a back-to-back DNF in the Grand Prix.

In Silverstone, it was looking good for the Frenchman, as he was leading the race ahead of Bezzecchi, but a ride height issue in the middle of the race forced the Yamaha rider to retire from the race. He tried half a lap to fix the issue, but to no success.

Bezzecchi Gets His First Win of The Season

Starting from 11th on the grid, not a lot of people would have had Marco Bezzecchi on their cards to win the British Grand Prix. But the Aprilia rider slowly and steadily picked off riders one by one to climb up to second position, and when Quartararo’s misfortunes hit, Bezzecchi was at the perfect place to make the most of it and cross the finish line in first.

A season with lacklustre results for the Italian driver, this win would do him a world of good. Before this race, his best finish was 6th; now the win has shot him to 7th in the standings.

MotoGP British GP: Bezzecchi Capitalizes as Quatraro's Search for a Win Continues
Marco Bezzecchi wins the British GP. Credits: MotoGP

Another Weekend of Struggle for the Factory Ducati

Riding on a wave of success at the start of the season, the Factory Ducatis have been struggling of late. Marc Marquez is no longer the dominating force, as he has lost out on Pole Position in the last 3 races, and in the most recent one, he wasn’t even on the front row. Marquez has still managed to salvage the Sprint races, winning every single one of them this year except the one on British GP Saturday, where he finished second to his brother Alex Marquez. Meanwhile Francesco Bagnaia crashed out of the race after struggling throughout and dropping down the order before he went down.

Marquez struggled throughout this weekend, this has been a circuit where he does not go well historically either. His qualifying run put him on the second row in P4, Sprint was better as he managed to finish P2. The struggle paused for 2 laps at the start of the main race, where he took the lead of the race, before eventually crashing out of the race. A red flag due the another incident further meant the race would be restarted, but even then Marquez could only manage P3, after he dropped down the order outside the Top 10, then made a recovery ride to finish on the podium.

Back-to-Back Grand Prix Podiums for Zarco and Honda

Johann Zarco has been having a very underrated season this year. The last 2 races specifically, the French rider has managed to put the Honda on the top step of the podium in Le Mans and in second place in Silverstone. Throughout this season, Zarco has only been out of the points in one race. He currently sits fifth in the Riders’ standings with 97 points; for comparison, the next Honda rider is Luca Marini on 38 points in 13th.

MotoGP British GP: Bezzecchi Capitalizes as Quatraro's Search for a Win Continues
Johann Zarco celebrates after finishing P2 in the British GP. Credits: MotoGP

Championship Standings

As things stand, the Marquez brothers still sit at the top of the standings with Marc ahead of Alex by 24 points.

Up Next for MotoGP

After a small break, MotoGP will now head to Aragon for Round 8 of the world championship from 6-8 June.

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/XInstagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

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MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone

Marc Marquez goes in with the largest championship lead so far this season at a track which has historically been a beacon of unpredictability.

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MotoGP at Silverstone in 2024
Credits: MotoGP

The British GP, held at Silverstone since its conception, has historically been one of the most unpredictable races. Just in the past 10 years, 10 different riders have won the race at Silverstone. And the unpredictable British weather plays a large part in this. Heading into one of the most dramatic tracks on the calendar, the riders brace for unpredictable challenges, and unexpected contenders may emerge. Join us as we go over everything you need to know before the lights go off in Britain.

Read More: Johann Zarco takes the home race victory at Le Mans

Marc Márquez seeks to secure sophomore success at Silverstone

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Marc racing at Silverstone last year. Credit: motogp.com

At this point, the preview section regarding Marc is gradually becoming a parody of itself. Marc is undoubtedly the best rider on the grid currently, and he is in his best form. It is undeniable that he will perform well.

However, Silverstone has not been Marc’s strongest suit. He has only managed to win one race here, all the way back in 2014. The closest he has gotten since is getting second place in 2019 in one of the closest races in MotoGP history, where he was barely edged out by Alex Rins on the final turn.

Now, Marc seeks to secure a second victory at this classic circuit. And as long as he manages to keep his motorcycle upright, there is no one who can prevent him. Or is there?

The Silverstone Dark Horses

Silverstone is used to throwing curveballs – once in a blue moon, an incredibly unexpected rider steps up out of nowhere and manages to clench the victory.

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Enea Bastianini during the 2024 British GP. Credit: cyclenews.com

Just last year, as the title fight between Martin and Bagnaia was heating up, Enea Bastianini somehow swooped in and secured his first and only win of the 2024 season. However, now that Bastianini has moved to KTM, who are admittedly trying their best to improve, the chances that Enea could be a contender for the British GP are slim.

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Aleix Espargaro during the 2023 British GP. Credit : motogp.com

Similarly, in 2023, the British GP was won by none other than Aleix Espargaro. In fact, Aleix was one of only two non-Ducati riders to win that season, the other being Alex Rins. Aleix will be making an appearance in 2025 as a wildcard on the Honda. Even though Zarco managed to take the French GP for Honda, Zarco’s victory was by virtue of strategy rather than machinery or skill. Hence, Espargaro being a serious contender for the victory is also a pipe dream, but it is more realistic than Bastianini.

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Rins crossed the finish line barely ahead of Marc. Credit : motorsportmagazine.com

And then we have Alex Rins. The winner of the 2019 British GP. Arguably, the most exciting race in the past decade. Rins, in a display of pure skill, was battling with Márquez up until the very last corner of the very last lap, taking the chequered flag with a lead of mere 0.013 seconds.

However, since then, a lot has changed for Rins. Multiple crashes and injuries, plus moves to inferior teams and unreliable machinery, have left him in a sticky predicament. While he has the skill, he lacks the support from his team or from his own injured body. While Rins has managed to win in a glorious manner in the past, it is nigh impossible that he stands a chance this year.

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Quartararo during the 2021 British GP. Credit : eneos.us

Finally, we have Fabio Quartararo. The 2020 world champion has had his ups and downs over the past few years, but he finally appears to have found his groove, with back-to-back pole positions. Having already won at Silverstone in 2021, all El Diablo has to do is find a way to convert his qualifying speed into race pace, and he could be a very serious contender.

Bagnaia confesses troubles with Ducati machinery

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Bagnaia’s tumble at the French GP sprint. Credit: the-race.com

The 2025 season has been a tragedy so far for two-time world champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia. He is currently trailing 51 points behind the championship leader in third place. After his sudden drop in pace last weekend, Pecco has finally admitted to having troubles with the front end of the bike, quote “It’s true I’ve been struggling with this bike […]”

This should be an early warning to Ducati not to make the same mistakes as those who came before them. Back in the days of Honda/Márquez dominance, Honda was incredibly determined to build the best motorcycle for Márquez. However, their focus on catering to one star rider resulted in them making a motorcycle that could not be operated by anyone besides Márquez. Ultimately, this led to Honda’s downfall. Ducati must take feedback from all their riders, championship leaders or not, to prevent suffering the same fate.

Championship Standings

Following are the championship standings going into the British GP :

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone
Top 10 Rider standings. Credit : @MotoGP on X

Schedule and Where to watch

All MotoGP sessions can be watched in India on Fancode (digital) or on Eurosport (TV broadcast).

Following is the complete schedule of the MotoGP race weekend in IST:

MotoGP 2025 : Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone

Read more posts on MotoGP here.

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

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