MotoGP Mugello: Race preview

Add legend, myth, fable and the world’s fastest motorcycle racing championship and you get the recipe for spectacle with MotoGP at Mugello.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mugello. That’s it, that’s the introduction. Or it could be, with the Italian venue so steeped in character, legend and myth – in the best way – that barely a word need be written. And yet, there is plenty to say as the FIM MotoGP World Championship heads for Tuscany and the rolling hills of the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, so let’s say it.

Starting in Beast mode would be where Le Mans left off, with Gresini Racing’s Enea Bastianini coming into his first home race of the season as a three-time winner, serious title contender and an extremely fast MotoGP rider. Home glory would be something even more special, and with the form seen at Le Mans it’s hard to find a reason to rule him out… and Ducati have seen plenty of recent glory on the hallowed ground of Mugello.

Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia will be well aware of that and, despite crashing out at Le Mans, was fast once again. Too fast for everyone except Bastianini. So was it Pecco under pressure? A freak fall? A mistake that looked incredibly unlikely after his performance in Jerez? We’ll start to find out at Mugello. Teammate Jack Miller, meanwhile, arrives from another podium just not the top step this time around, and he’ll want to keep reasserting his authority as a surefire contender at the front – with some bad luck and a tougher start to the season seemingly behind him.

At Pramac Racing, there are two sides to the coin. Johann Zarco put in a solid ride on home ground, whereas Jorge Martin suffered another DNF in a difficult 2022 run, the Spaniard still suffering from the after effects of his big crash