Marquez shrugs off bad start for Sprint win at Italy GP
Ducati's polesitter Marc Marquez overcame a botched start to win the Italian Grand Prix sprint ahead of his brother Alex and team mate Francesco Bagnaia to maintain his dominance in the shorter format this season.
It was Marc's eighth sprint victory in nine rounds this season as he extended his lead in the riders' championship to 35 points over second-placed Alex while Bagnaia is now 98 points behind.
Marc had become the first rider to claim 100 career pole positions when he broke the lap record earlier on Saturday but the Spaniard was seen fiddling with a setting near his handlebar just before the lights went out.
He had less than a second to look up and see the lights go out, executing a poor launch off the line as a result and falling outside the top four while Bagnaia moved into the lead on one of his favourite circuits.
"I know what happened but because the launch control was in, then I take off, then I put it in again and then I lost a lot of positions," Marc said.
"But we gave a good show out there. We won the sprint race. That was not the main target. The main target was to try not to lose a lot of points."
Marc recovered by the end of lap one to sit behind Bagnaia and Alex as the three Ducatis went side-by-side heading into turn one to the delight of the roaring crowd before Alex squeezed through unscathed on his Gresini bike to take the lead.
Marc then locked horns with home favourite Bagnaia to overtake him before using his brother's slipstream to take the lead on lap four when going at more than 350 kph.
Once he had clean air in front of him, Marc took complete command of the sprint and set the pace as he slowly extended his lead over Alex to more than a second while Bagnaia desperately held on to third while also receiving track limit warnings.
As Marc took the chequered flag ahead of Alex, Bagnaia managed to keep Maverick Vinales at bay and the KTM rider came fourth while Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 Racing completed the top five.
Australia's Jack Miller (Yamaha) finished 16th, 20.031secs behind winner Marquez, having earlier qualified in 13th place for Sunday's main race.
Ducati's polesitter Marc Marquez overcame a botched start to win the Italian Grand Prix sprint ahead of his brother Alex and team mate Francesco Bagnaia to maintain his dominance in the shorter format this season.
It was Marc's eighth sprint victory in nine rounds this season as he extended his lead in the riders' championship to 35 points over second-placed Alex while Bagnaia is now 98 points behind.
Marc had become the first rider to claim 100 career pole positions when he broke the lap record earlier on Saturday but the Spaniard was seen fiddling with a setting near his handlebar just before the lights went out.
He had less than a second to look up and see the lights go out, executing a poor launch off the line as a result and falling outside the top four while Bagnaia moved into the lead on one of his favourite circuits.
"I know what happened but because the launch control was in, then I take off, then I put it in again and then I lost a lot of positions," Marc said.
"But we gave a good show out there. We won the sprint race. That was not the main target. The main target was to try not to lose a lot of points."
Marc recovered by the end of lap one to sit behind Bagnaia and Alex as the three Ducatis went side-by-side heading into turn one to the delight of the roaring crowd before Alex squeezed through unscathed on his Gresini bike to take the lead.
Marc then locked horns with home favourite Bagnaia to overtake him before using his brother's slipstream to take the lead on lap four when going at more than 350 kph.
Once he had clean air in front of him, Marc took complete command of the sprint and set the pace as he slowly extended his lead over Alex to more than a second while Bagnaia desperately held on to third while also receiving track limit warnings.
As Marc took the chequered flag ahead of Alex, Bagnaia managed to keep Maverick Vinales at bay and the KTM rider came fourth while Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 Racing completed the top five.
Australia's Jack Miller (Yamaha) finished 16th, 20.031secs behind winner Marquez, having earlier qualified in 13th place for Sunday's main race.
Ducati's polesitter Marc Marquez overcame a botched start to win the Italian Grand Prix sprint ahead of his brother Alex and team mate Francesco Bagnaia to maintain his dominance in the shorter format this season.
It was Marc's eighth sprint victory in nine rounds this season as he extended his lead in the riders' championship to 35 points over second-placed Alex while Bagnaia is now 98 points behind.
Marc had become the first rider to claim 100 career pole positions when he broke the lap record earlier on Saturday but the Spaniard was seen fiddling with a setting near his handlebar just before the lights went out.
He had less than a second to look up and see the lights go out, executing a poor launch off the line as a result and falling outside the top four while Bagnaia moved into the lead on one of his favourite circuits.
"I know what happened but because the launch control was in, then I take off, then I put it in again and then I lost a lot of positions," Marc said.
"But we gave a good show out there. We won the sprint race. That was not the main target. The main target was to try not to lose a lot of points."
Marc recovered by the end of lap one to sit behind Bagnaia and Alex as the three Ducatis went side-by-side heading into turn one to the delight of the roaring crowd before Alex squeezed through unscathed on his Gresini bike to take the lead.
Marc then locked horns with home favourite Bagnaia to overtake him before using his brother's slipstream to take the lead on lap four when going at more than 350 kph.
Once he had clean air in front of him, Marc took complete command of the sprint and set the pace as he slowly extended his lead over Alex to more than a second while Bagnaia desperately held on to third while also receiving track limit warnings.
As Marc took the chequered flag ahead of Alex, Bagnaia managed to keep Maverick Vinales at bay and the KTM rider came fourth while Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 Racing completed the top five.
Australia's Jack Miller (Yamaha) finished 16th, 20.031secs behind winner Marquez, having earlier qualified in 13th place for Sunday's main race.
Ducati's polesitter Marc Marquez overcame a botched start to win the Italian Grand Prix sprint ahead of his brother Alex and team mate Francesco Bagnaia to maintain his dominance in the shorter format this season.
It was Marc's eighth sprint victory in nine rounds this season as he extended his lead in the riders' championship to 35 points over second-placed Alex while Bagnaia is now 98 points behind.
Marc had become the first rider to claim 100 career pole positions when he broke the lap record earlier on Saturday but the Spaniard was seen fiddling with a setting near his handlebar just before the lights went out.
He had less than a second to look up and see the lights go out, executing a poor launch off the line as a result and falling outside the top four while Bagnaia moved into the lead on one of his favourite circuits.
"I know what happened but because the launch control was in, then I take off, then I put it in again and then I lost a lot of positions," Marc said.
"But we gave a good show out there. We won the sprint race. That was not the main target. The main target was to try not to lose a lot of points."
Marc recovered by the end of lap one to sit behind Bagnaia and Alex as the three Ducatis went side-by-side heading into turn one to the delight of the roaring crowd before Alex squeezed through unscathed on his Gresini bike to take the lead.
Marc then locked horns with home favourite Bagnaia to overtake him before using his brother's slipstream to take the lead on lap four when going at more than 350 kph.
Once he had clean air in front of him, Marc took complete command of the sprint and set the pace as he slowly extended his lead over Alex to more than a second while Bagnaia desperately held on to third while also receiving track limit warnings.
As Marc took the chequered flag ahead of Alex, Bagnaia managed to keep Maverick Vinales at bay and the KTM rider came fourth while Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 Racing completed the top five.
Australia's Jack Miller (Yamaha) finished 16th, 20.031secs behind winner Marquez, having earlier qualified in 13th place for Sunday's main race.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
15 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
18 in a row for Alcaraz in Queen's Wimbledon statement
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz has edged powerful Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 to claim his second Queen's Club Championship title and send out a powerful statement ahead of his Wimbledon defence. Spaniard Alcaraz, who triumphed at the same venerable London championship a few weeks before claiming his first Wimbledon title in 2023, extended his winning streak to 18 matches but was pushed hard by Lehecka who underlined his own credentials as a rising force. Alcaraz, 22, pounced at 5-5 to break the Lehecka serve and duly bagged the opening set in 45 minutes in Sunday's final. Lehecka, bidding to become the first Czech to win the Queen's title since Ivan Lendl in 1990, continued going toe-to-toe with the five-times grand slam champion and edged the second-set tie-break with some clinical tennis. Alcaraz had more in his locker though and forged 4-1 ahead in the decider as Lehecka's level finally began to drop on a breezy Andy Murray Arena. He then broke the 23-year-old Lehecka's serve again to complete victory, letting out a roar of a delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net. While Alcaraz will be seeded No.2 at Wimbledon behind Jannik Sinner as he bids for a hat-trick of titles there, he will arrive in red-hot form and as overwhelming favourite. He has won 27 of his 28 matches since April, his lone loss coming against Holger Rune in the Barcelona final, and Sunday's win was his fifth title this year. "This is really special this trophy and this tournament for me," Alcaraz said on court as he clutched the huge piece of silverware. "Jiri had an incredible week and his level is very high and it's a nightmare to play against you," he added, to his opponent. Lehecka, whose ball-striking and physique are not dissimilar to Lendl's, beat home favourite Jack Draper in the semi-finals on Saturday and began full of confidence against Alcaraz whom he beat at the start of the year in Doha. With serve dominating on the slick lawn, there was nothing between the players until Lehecka made a couple of errors at 5-5 and Alcaraz needed no second invitation to take the set. The second set followed a similar pattern but it was Lehecka who raised his game in the tiebreak to get a mini-break ahead. Alcaraz replied to win a sensational point at 3-4, sprinting to retrieve a drop shot and then back to chase down a lob. But Lehecka did not flinch and banged down an ace. Alcaraz double-faulted at 5-5 and then Lehecka levelled the final. Lehecka was unable to carry that momentum though and Alcaraz quickly re-established control and surged to victory. "The goal this week was just to compete and have a few matches on the grass and this final was a gift for me," Alcaraz said. "I just enjoyed the moment and the final, I felt like I was in control most of the time." Top seed Carlos Alcaraz has edged powerful Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 to claim his second Queen's Club Championship title and send out a powerful statement ahead of his Wimbledon defence. Spaniard Alcaraz, who triumphed at the same venerable London championship a few weeks before claiming his first Wimbledon title in 2023, extended his winning streak to 18 matches but was pushed hard by Lehecka who underlined his own credentials as a rising force. Alcaraz, 22, pounced at 5-5 to break the Lehecka serve and duly bagged the opening set in 45 minutes in Sunday's final. Lehecka, bidding to become the first Czech to win the Queen's title since Ivan Lendl in 1990, continued going toe-to-toe with the five-times grand slam champion and edged the second-set tie-break with some clinical tennis. Alcaraz had more in his locker though and forged 4-1 ahead in the decider as Lehecka's level finally began to drop on a breezy Andy Murray Arena. He then broke the 23-year-old Lehecka's serve again to complete victory, letting out a roar of a delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net. While Alcaraz will be seeded No.2 at Wimbledon behind Jannik Sinner as he bids for a hat-trick of titles there, he will arrive in red-hot form and as overwhelming favourite. He has won 27 of his 28 matches since April, his lone loss coming against Holger Rune in the Barcelona final, and Sunday's win was his fifth title this year. "This is really special this trophy and this tournament for me," Alcaraz said on court as he clutched the huge piece of silverware. "Jiri had an incredible week and his level is very high and it's a nightmare to play against you," he added, to his opponent. Lehecka, whose ball-striking and physique are not dissimilar to Lendl's, beat home favourite Jack Draper in the semi-finals on Saturday and began full of confidence against Alcaraz whom he beat at the start of the year in Doha. With serve dominating on the slick lawn, there was nothing between the players until Lehecka made a couple of errors at 5-5 and Alcaraz needed no second invitation to take the set. The second set followed a similar pattern but it was Lehecka who raised his game in the tiebreak to get a mini-break ahead. Alcaraz replied to win a sensational point at 3-4, sprinting to retrieve a drop shot and then back to chase down a lob. But Lehecka did not flinch and banged down an ace. Alcaraz double-faulted at 5-5 and then Lehecka levelled the final. Lehecka was unable to carry that momentum though and Alcaraz quickly re-established control and surged to victory. "The goal this week was just to compete and have a few matches on the grass and this final was a gift for me," Alcaraz said. "I just enjoyed the moment and the final, I felt like I was in control most of the time." Top seed Carlos Alcaraz has edged powerful Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 to claim his second Queen's Club Championship title and send out a powerful statement ahead of his Wimbledon defence. Spaniard Alcaraz, who triumphed at the same venerable London championship a few weeks before claiming his first Wimbledon title in 2023, extended his winning streak to 18 matches but was pushed hard by Lehecka who underlined his own credentials as a rising force. Alcaraz, 22, pounced at 5-5 to break the Lehecka serve and duly bagged the opening set in 45 minutes in Sunday's final. Lehecka, bidding to become the first Czech to win the Queen's title since Ivan Lendl in 1990, continued going toe-to-toe with the five-times grand slam champion and edged the second-set tie-break with some clinical tennis. Alcaraz had more in his locker though and forged 4-1 ahead in the decider as Lehecka's level finally began to drop on a breezy Andy Murray Arena. He then broke the 23-year-old Lehecka's serve again to complete victory, letting out a roar of a delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net. While Alcaraz will be seeded No.2 at Wimbledon behind Jannik Sinner as he bids for a hat-trick of titles there, he will arrive in red-hot form and as overwhelming favourite. He has won 27 of his 28 matches since April, his lone loss coming against Holger Rune in the Barcelona final, and Sunday's win was his fifth title this year. "This is really special this trophy and this tournament for me," Alcaraz said on court as he clutched the huge piece of silverware. "Jiri had an incredible week and his level is very high and it's a nightmare to play against you," he added, to his opponent. Lehecka, whose ball-striking and physique are not dissimilar to Lendl's, beat home favourite Jack Draper in the semi-finals on Saturday and began full of confidence against Alcaraz whom he beat at the start of the year in Doha. With serve dominating on the slick lawn, there was nothing between the players until Lehecka made a couple of errors at 5-5 and Alcaraz needed no second invitation to take the set. The second set followed a similar pattern but it was Lehecka who raised his game in the tiebreak to get a mini-break ahead. Alcaraz replied to win a sensational point at 3-4, sprinting to retrieve a drop shot and then back to chase down a lob. But Lehecka did not flinch and banged down an ace. Alcaraz double-faulted at 5-5 and then Lehecka levelled the final. Lehecka was unable to carry that momentum though and Alcaraz quickly re-established control and surged to victory. "The goal this week was just to compete and have a few matches on the grass and this final was a gift for me," Alcaraz said. "I just enjoyed the moment and the final, I felt like I was in control most of the time." Top seed Carlos Alcaraz has edged powerful Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 to claim his second Queen's Club Championship title and send out a powerful statement ahead of his Wimbledon defence. Spaniard Alcaraz, who triumphed at the same venerable London championship a few weeks before claiming his first Wimbledon title in 2023, extended his winning streak to 18 matches but was pushed hard by Lehecka who underlined his own credentials as a rising force. Alcaraz, 22, pounced at 5-5 to break the Lehecka serve and duly bagged the opening set in 45 minutes in Sunday's final. Lehecka, bidding to become the first Czech to win the Queen's title since Ivan Lendl in 1990, continued going toe-to-toe with the five-times grand slam champion and edged the second-set tie-break with some clinical tennis. Alcaraz had more in his locker though and forged 4-1 ahead in the decider as Lehecka's level finally began to drop on a breezy Andy Murray Arena. He then broke the 23-year-old Lehecka's serve again to complete victory, letting out a roar of a delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net. While Alcaraz will be seeded No.2 at Wimbledon behind Jannik Sinner as he bids for a hat-trick of titles there, he will arrive in red-hot form and as overwhelming favourite. He has won 27 of his 28 matches since April, his lone loss coming against Holger Rune in the Barcelona final, and Sunday's win was his fifth title this year. "This is really special this trophy and this tournament for me," Alcaraz said on court as he clutched the huge piece of silverware. "Jiri had an incredible week and his level is very high and it's a nightmare to play against you," he added, to his opponent. Lehecka, whose ball-striking and physique are not dissimilar to Lendl's, beat home favourite Jack Draper in the semi-finals on Saturday and began full of confidence against Alcaraz whom he beat at the start of the year in Doha. With serve dominating on the slick lawn, there was nothing between the players until Lehecka made a couple of errors at 5-5 and Alcaraz needed no second invitation to take the set. The second set followed a similar pattern but it was Lehecka who raised his game in the tiebreak to get a mini-break ahead. Alcaraz replied to win a sensational point at 3-4, sprinting to retrieve a drop shot and then back to chase down a lob. But Lehecka did not flinch and banged down an ace. Alcaraz double-faulted at 5-5 and then Lehecka levelled the final. Lehecka was unable to carry that momentum though and Alcaraz quickly re-established control and surged to victory. "The goal this week was just to compete and have a few matches on the grass and this final was a gift for me," Alcaraz said. "I just enjoyed the moment and the final, I felt like I was in control most of the time."
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
18 in a row for Alcaraz in Queen's Wimbledon statement
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz has edged powerful Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 to claim his second Queen's Club Championship title and send out a powerful statement ahead of his Wimbledon defence. Spaniard Alcaraz, who triumphed at the same venerable London championship a few weeks before claiming his first Wimbledon title in 2023, extended his winning streak to 18 matches but was pushed hard by Lehecka who underlined his own credentials as a rising force. Alcaraz, 22, pounced at 5-5 to break the Lehecka serve and duly bagged the opening set in 45 minutes in Sunday's final. Lehecka, bidding to become the first Czech to win the Queen's title since Ivan Lendl in 1990, continued going toe-to-toe with the five-times grand slam champion and edged the second-set tie-break with some clinical tennis. Alcaraz had more in his locker though and forged 4-1 ahead in the decider as Lehecka's level finally began to drop on a breezy Andy Murray Arena. He then broke the 23-year-old Lehecka's serve again to complete victory, letting out a roar of a delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net. While Alcaraz will be seeded No.2 at Wimbledon behind Jannik Sinner as he bids for a hat-trick of titles there, he will arrive in red-hot form and as overwhelming favourite. He has won 27 of his 28 matches since April, his lone loss coming against Holger Rune in the Barcelona final, and Sunday's win was his fifth title this year. "This is really special this trophy and this tournament for me," Alcaraz said on court as he clutched the huge piece of silverware. "Jiri had an incredible week and his level is very high and it's a nightmare to play against you," he added, to his opponent. Lehecka, whose ball-striking and physique are not dissimilar to Lendl's, beat home favourite Jack Draper in the semi-finals on Saturday and began full of confidence against Alcaraz whom he beat at the start of the year in Doha. With serve dominating on the slick lawn, there was nothing between the players until Lehecka made a couple of errors at 5-5 and Alcaraz needed no second invitation to take the set. The second set followed a similar pattern but it was Lehecka who raised his game in the tiebreak to get a mini-break ahead. Alcaraz replied to win a sensational point at 3-4, sprinting to retrieve a drop shot and then back to chase down a lob. But Lehecka did not flinch and banged down an ace. Alcaraz double-faulted at 5-5 and then Lehecka levelled the final. Lehecka was unable to carry that momentum though and Alcaraz quickly re-established control and surged to victory. "The goal this week was just to compete and have a few matches on the grass and this final was a gift for me," Alcaraz said. "I just enjoyed the moment and the final, I felt like I was in control most of the time."
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
93 not out for 93: MotoGP king Marquez wins in Italy
Ducati's Marc Marquez has won the Italian Grand Prix after a dogfight for podium places at the Mugello Circuit, taking the chequered flag ahead of his brother Alex to maintain his iron grip on the riders' championship. Gresini Racing's Alex briefly led Sunday's race early on before Marc took control, while Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 Racing claimed third place after snatching the final podium place from his Italian compatriot Francesco Bagnaia. Bagnaia also led the race in the initial stages but the Italian, who had won the last three races at Mugello, could only finish fourth in front of his home fans. Marc's victory was also the 93rd win of his career across all classes, matching his motorcycle number, and the Spaniard celebrated by planting a Ducati flag in front of the home fans who once saw him as an opponent when he was with Honda. "Amazing feeling... three Ducatis on the podium, to win here in the red," said Marc, who now leads Alex by 40 points while Bagnaia is 110 points back in third. "I already understood this morning that was super special for them, even for me, because I feel part of them. Super happy. "We managed the race... I was calm and then when the tyres dropped a bit, I started to give everything. Happy to take the 37 points in this amazing weekend." Fresh from claiming his historic 100th career pole with a blistering lap record and Saturday's unlikely sprint victory, Marc found himself locked in a fraternal battle with Alex -- a running theme this season. The opening laps unfolded as a masterclass in close-quarter racing between the two factory Ducati machines -- their special Italian Renaissance livery flashing through Mugello's sweeping turns -- while Alex stayed on their tail. The crowd erupted when Bagnaia briefly snatched the lead from Marc after turn one but what followed was high-speed drama as they traded positions, occasionally making heart-stopping contact with each other. Disaster nearly struck when Bagnaia, pushing his bike to the limit, touched Marc's rear tyre as he was forced to brake hard and surrender his position to Alex. Fans in the grandstand witnessed a spectacular moment when all three riders thundered into turn one abreast, a three-wide gamble that saw Alex briefly seize control, drop to third on the brakes and then reclaim the lead moments later on the exit. But Marc eventually broke free, leaving brother Alex to doggedly defend second position against a relentless Bagnaia. However, the Italian did not have the late-race pace to catch up and he was soon forced to defend the final podium place, with Di Giannantonio looking to upstage his compatriot. With two laps to go, Di Giannantonio made his move on turn seven as he squeezed past the twice champion and raced away to claim his first podium finish at Mugello. Ducati's Marc Marquez has won the Italian Grand Prix after a dogfight for podium places at the Mugello Circuit, taking the chequered flag ahead of his brother Alex to maintain his iron grip on the riders' championship. Gresini Racing's Alex briefly led Sunday's race early on before Marc took control, while Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 Racing claimed third place after snatching the final podium place from his Italian compatriot Francesco Bagnaia. Bagnaia also led the race in the initial stages but the Italian, who had won the last three races at Mugello, could only finish fourth in front of his home fans. Marc's victory was also the 93rd win of his career across all classes, matching his motorcycle number, and the Spaniard celebrated by planting a Ducati flag in front of the home fans who once saw him as an opponent when he was with Honda. "Amazing feeling... three Ducatis on the podium, to win here in the red," said Marc, who now leads Alex by 40 points while Bagnaia is 110 points back in third. "I already understood this morning that was super special for them, even for me, because I feel part of them. Super happy. "We managed the race... I was calm and then when the tyres dropped a bit, I started to give everything. Happy to take the 37 points in this amazing weekend." Fresh from claiming his historic 100th career pole with a blistering lap record and Saturday's unlikely sprint victory, Marc found himself locked in a fraternal battle with Alex -- a running theme this season. The opening laps unfolded as a masterclass in close-quarter racing between the two factory Ducati machines -- their special Italian Renaissance livery flashing through Mugello's sweeping turns -- while Alex stayed on their tail. The crowd erupted when Bagnaia briefly snatched the lead from Marc after turn one but what followed was high-speed drama as they traded positions, occasionally making heart-stopping contact with each other. Disaster nearly struck when Bagnaia, pushing his bike to the limit, touched Marc's rear tyre as he was forced to brake hard and surrender his position to Alex. Fans in the grandstand witnessed a spectacular moment when all three riders thundered into turn one abreast, a three-wide gamble that saw Alex briefly seize control, drop to third on the brakes and then reclaim the lead moments later on the exit. But Marc eventually broke free, leaving brother Alex to doggedly defend second position against a relentless Bagnaia. However, the Italian did not have the late-race pace to catch up and he was soon forced to defend the final podium place, with Di Giannantonio looking to upstage his compatriot. With two laps to go, Di Giannantonio made his move on turn seven as he squeezed past the twice champion and raced away to claim his first podium finish at Mugello. Ducati's Marc Marquez has won the Italian Grand Prix after a dogfight for podium places at the Mugello Circuit, taking the chequered flag ahead of his brother Alex to maintain his iron grip on the riders' championship. Gresini Racing's Alex briefly led Sunday's race early on before Marc took control, while Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 Racing claimed third place after snatching the final podium place from his Italian compatriot Francesco Bagnaia. Bagnaia also led the race in the initial stages but the Italian, who had won the last three races at Mugello, could only finish fourth in front of his home fans. Marc's victory was also the 93rd win of his career across all classes, matching his motorcycle number, and the Spaniard celebrated by planting a Ducati flag in front of the home fans who once saw him as an opponent when he was with Honda. "Amazing feeling... three Ducatis on the podium, to win here in the red," said Marc, who now leads Alex by 40 points while Bagnaia is 110 points back in third. "I already understood this morning that was super special for them, even for me, because I feel part of them. Super happy. "We managed the race... I was calm and then when the tyres dropped a bit, I started to give everything. Happy to take the 37 points in this amazing weekend." Fresh from claiming his historic 100th career pole with a blistering lap record and Saturday's unlikely sprint victory, Marc found himself locked in a fraternal battle with Alex -- a running theme this season. The opening laps unfolded as a masterclass in close-quarter racing between the two factory Ducati machines -- their special Italian Renaissance livery flashing through Mugello's sweeping turns -- while Alex stayed on their tail. The crowd erupted when Bagnaia briefly snatched the lead from Marc after turn one but what followed was high-speed drama as they traded positions, occasionally making heart-stopping contact with each other. Disaster nearly struck when Bagnaia, pushing his bike to the limit, touched Marc's rear tyre as he was forced to brake hard and surrender his position to Alex. Fans in the grandstand witnessed a spectacular moment when all three riders thundered into turn one abreast, a three-wide gamble that saw Alex briefly seize control, drop to third on the brakes and then reclaim the lead moments later on the exit. But Marc eventually broke free, leaving brother Alex to doggedly defend second position against a relentless Bagnaia. However, the Italian did not have the late-race pace to catch up and he was soon forced to defend the final podium place, with Di Giannantonio looking to upstage his compatriot. With two laps to go, Di Giannantonio made his move on turn seven as he squeezed past the twice champion and raced away to claim his first podium finish at Mugello. Ducati's Marc Marquez has won the Italian Grand Prix after a dogfight for podium places at the Mugello Circuit, taking the chequered flag ahead of his brother Alex to maintain his iron grip on the riders' championship. Gresini Racing's Alex briefly led Sunday's race early on before Marc took control, while Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 Racing claimed third place after snatching the final podium place from his Italian compatriot Francesco Bagnaia. Bagnaia also led the race in the initial stages but the Italian, who had won the last three races at Mugello, could only finish fourth in front of his home fans. Marc's victory was also the 93rd win of his career across all classes, matching his motorcycle number, and the Spaniard celebrated by planting a Ducati flag in front of the home fans who once saw him as an opponent when he was with Honda. "Amazing feeling... three Ducatis on the podium, to win here in the red," said Marc, who now leads Alex by 40 points while Bagnaia is 110 points back in third. "I already understood this morning that was super special for them, even for me, because I feel part of them. Super happy. "We managed the race... I was calm and then when the tyres dropped a bit, I started to give everything. Happy to take the 37 points in this amazing weekend." Fresh from claiming his historic 100th career pole with a blistering lap record and Saturday's unlikely sprint victory, Marc found himself locked in a fraternal battle with Alex -- a running theme this season. The opening laps unfolded as a masterclass in close-quarter racing between the two factory Ducati machines -- their special Italian Renaissance livery flashing through Mugello's sweeping turns -- while Alex stayed on their tail. The crowd erupted when Bagnaia briefly snatched the lead from Marc after turn one but what followed was high-speed drama as they traded positions, occasionally making heart-stopping contact with each other. Disaster nearly struck when Bagnaia, pushing his bike to the limit, touched Marc's rear tyre as he was forced to brake hard and surrender his position to Alex. Fans in the grandstand witnessed a spectacular moment when all three riders thundered into turn one abreast, a three-wide gamble that saw Alex briefly seize control, drop to third on the brakes and then reclaim the lead moments later on the exit. But Marc eventually broke free, leaving brother Alex to doggedly defend second position against a relentless Bagnaia. However, the Italian did not have the late-race pace to catch up and he was soon forced to defend the final podium place, with Di Giannantonio looking to upstage his compatriot. With two laps to go, Di Giannantonio made his move on turn seven as he squeezed past the twice champion and raced away to claim his first podium finish at Mugello.
