Starting in pole but victim of an electronic problem at the start, Marc Marquez won the Sprint race for the Italian Grand Prix. Johann Zarco has dropped while Fabio Quartararo lost seven places over the race.
Marc Marquez has honored his 100th pole all categories combined! The Spanish pilot won his eighth sprint race of the season this Saturday in Mugello under a threatening sky but a track which remained dry, and he thus accentuates his lead in the championship. And yet, this Sprint race had not started in the best way for the Ducati driver.
While the red lights were going to go out, the Poleman was still tinkering with his handlebars, probably the button of the system which blocks the motorcycle regime during the starting procedure. The Spaniard then lost several places and Francesco Bagnaia, to the delight of the tifosi, found himself in the lead, in front of Alex Marquez and Fabio Quartararo. But the championship leader quickly resumed third place, and the Ducati trio broke away from the competition. The three men tackled in the second round, and it was Alex Marquez who came out in mind.
But Bagnaia then fell in rhythm and let the Marquez brothers are struggling. Marc finally took the best on Alex in the third round and kept the head of the race until the end. He won the Damieurs flag, deployed by the former Ballon d’Or Fabio Cannavaro, with a second and a half ahead of his brother and two and a half on Bagnaia.
Zarco falls, Quartararo tumbles
On the French side, this sprint race will not stay in the Annals. Starting 14th, Johann Zarco saw his sprint ending from the first turn when Brad Binder, hit by Fabio Di Giannantonio, came to hit him and have him drop. The first round had also marked the end of Pedro Acosta’s race, who left alone.
As for Fabio Quartararo, third in the first round, he then experienced a slow descent into hell, being doubled in turn by Maverick Vinales, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Franco Morbidelli, Marco Bezzecchi, Raul Fernandez and Fermin Aldeguer, to finish tenth, at the door. Hopefully this is better for the French on Sunday during the Grand Prix.
