2017 MotoGP Italian Grand Prix Race Results From Mugello

Italian rider, Italian bike, Italian GP…and the Italian flag flew high over the podium at Mugello, as Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso took the win today, the first for Ducati at Mugello since 2009. Dovi crossed the finish line by over a second ahead of points leader Maverick Viñales of the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team. An impressive home podium was also earned by Danilo Petrucci who took the Octo Pramac Racing Ducati to a P3 finish.

Home hero Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) shot off the line for the lead from P2 on the grid, ahead of teammate and polesitter Viñales while Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) made a charge from seventh to fight off Dovizioso for third.

Lorenzo used the speed of the Ducati to take the lead for the first time in red, dueling with former teammate Rossi before the Italian took it back. The next lap proved almost a replay as Lorenzo and The Doctor found themselves sharing the front of the race for the first time this season.

Then it was DesmoDovi on the move past his teammate after Viñales had gone through on Rossi, the Championship leader taking the Doctor as the trio began to break away from Lorenzo - with Petrucci on the chase.

Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) had an incredible start from P16 after having suffered with illness throughout the weekend, moving up into seventh, as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) suffered a different fate and got a ride through for a jump start.

Petrucci caught the group before too long as Dovizioso took over at the front, and the Pramac rider then pounced on Viñales after a small mistake to follow DesmoDovi. Then it was holding station as the gaps grew and then shrunk, before the factory Ducati in the lead gained a small advantage, and every member of the Borgo Panigale team held their breath as Viñales took over in second with only a few laps remaining and the Championship leader with his head down.

Closing in and then falling back, the pendulum swung between the two until the last lap. DesmoDovi kept it inch-perfect around every corner to take his third-ever Grand Prix victory, and the first for a red machine at Mugello since Casey Stoner won in 2009.

Viñales took second to increase his Championship lead once again, with Petrucci putting in the dry-weather ride of his life to complete the podium after staying clear of Rossi over the last couple of laps. The Doctor, who suffered a motocross crash in training the week before the event, pushed hard through the pain barrier at home and just missed the podium but took good points – as always, putting on a great show.

Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) took a big scalp as he caught and passed reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to complete the top five, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) coming home in P7 behind Marquez.

Lorenzo, after his early duel for the lead, suffered grip issues later in the race and crossed the line in eighth, beating Ducati test rider Michele Pirro over the line. Iannone’s heroics following his illness saw him complete the top 10 at home.

The late drama a little further off the front saw a tough day for Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) conclude in a crash as the Baby Samurai slid out, unfortunately collecting LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow on the final lap.

Tito Rabat (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took P11, with the top fifteen completed by Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Racing), Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing) and Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS).