Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo dominated the Italian Grand Prix to close the gap on championship-leading team-mate Valentino Rossi to six points with his third MotoGP victory in a row yesterday.
Ducati’s Andrea Iannone was second, a career best after starting on pole position for the first time, while veteran great Rossi delighted his home crowd by climbing from eighth place on the grid to the podium.
Rossi now has 118 points to Lorenzo’s 112.
Spain’s double world champion Marc Marquez crashed his Honda six laps from the finish after climbing from 13th, his worst ever qualifying performance, to second in the space of two laps.
Marquez is now fifth overall with 69 points.
“Three in a row. I think a few times in MotoGP I made three in a row but now the goal is to make four,” said Lorenzo, who took the lead on the opening lap and stayed there to the chequered flag.
“It’s going to be difficult but we’re going to try.”
Iannone appeared to make a slight jump start but gained no advantage, with Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso leading Lorenzo into the first corner while Marquez roared up to fourth.
Two laps later and Marquez was on Lorenzo’s tail but hopes of a great battle faded as the older Spaniard pulled away and the champion was reeled in by the chasing Ducatis.
“As always I tried to put my pace in the race.
“Today the pace was a little bit slow but I could keep it high to give me the chance to go away,” said Lorenzo, on the podium for the 88th time in his career.
Behind him Rossi, the 36-year-old nine times world champion in all categories, was making his move after dropping to 10th at the start.
Marquez’s crash opened the door to the Italian and he slotted into third place to chase Iannone to the flag.
“It was a very difficult race,” said Rossi, as a sea of Italian fans invaded the track, climbing fences and flooding the pit straight at the end of the race.
“But at the end to stand here on the podium in Mugello in front of all the crowd is anyway a great result.”
The next race, round seven of the championship, is in Barcelona on June 14.
In Moto3, Miguel Oliveira be-came the first Portuguese rider to win a grand prix while Spain’s Tito Rabat took the Moto2 race for his first victory of the season.
Top positions
1. Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 118 pts; 2. Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 112; 3. Dovizioso (Italy) Ducati 83; 4. Iannone (Italy) Ducati 81; 5. Marquez (Spain) Honda 69; 6. Smith (Britain) Yamaha 57; 7. Crutchlow (Britain) Honda 47; 8. Pol Espargaro (Spain) Yamaha 45; 9. Vinales (Spain) Suzuki 36; 10. Petrucci (Italy) Ducati 32.