Repsol Honda Team endure trying Italian GP race day
Tenth place for Marc Marquez in the 23-lap race was the only reward for the Repsol Honda Tam after three intense days of work in Mugello, Pol Espargaro crashing out of the race early.
Stable weather returned to the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley for race day once the overnight rain had dried. There were then no signs of the forecasted rain as the grid lined up for the 23-lap race. A great start aboard the RC213V saw Marc Marquez challenge the top five from 11th on the grid in the early stages as he pushed to stay with the leaders. Consistent pace in the high 1’47s to low 1’48s saw him defend his position as best he could, working to stay inside the top ten throughout the race. Crossing the line in 10th place after overtaking Fabio Di Giannantonio, Marquez and the Repsol Honda Team leave Italy with six more points.
Marc Marquez will now prepare for the fourth surgery on his right humerus, flying to the United States on Tuesday and therefore missing the Catalan Grand Prix.
It was a disappointing day for Pol Espargaro who crashed at Turn 9 after dropping back early in the race. He was unharmed in the fall. A poor launch off the line led to Espargaro losing contact with the group ahead and was then unable to settle into his rhythm with the constant battling.
Elsewhere, Ai Ogura moved to become joint leader of the Moto2 World Championship standings after a spirited ride to third place.
The Catalan Grand Prix in Barcelona is the next challenge for the Repsol Honda Team as they leave Italy and immediately head towards round nine. Pol Espargaro will be hoping to return to his early season form in front of his home fans.
See you soon Marc.
Marc Marquez
“It was a tough race, like we were expecting. I gave everything in the first seven laps to see if I had the speed of the front riders and our pace wasn’t bad but then I started to struggle physically. I kept calm, I was riding with a comfortable rhythm, and I worked on understanding where we were losing compared to other bikes. The target was to give constructive comments to the team, and we achieved it. Now we have the most important ‘race’ of the season next week. It was difficult to concentrate because I know that next week is very important for my career, but I am proud to have done this race. I look forward to seeing everyone again soon.”
Pol Espargaro
“After the crash I am OK, it was a stupid mistake. I lost a lot of positions at the start and then I was fighting a lot with everyone in the first laps, so I lost more time. I was overtaking riders, they were overtaking me, I was struggling to get into the rhythm even though I knew I could be faster. When I was really trying, I then lost the front and fell, that’s it. Crashing at the start of a race is the most disappointing. Now we head to Barcelona and we pick ourselves up and go again – this is what we must do. I want to wish Marc all the best with what he now faces, he is always a great reference and rival to have.”
Gran Premio d'Italia Oakley Race Results
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Points | Team | Constructor | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bagnaia Francesco | 62 | ITA | 25 | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati | 41'18.923 |
| 2 | Quartararo Fabio | 20 | FRA | 20 | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 0.635 |
| 3 | Espargaro Aleix | 41 | SPA | 16 | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia | 1.983 |
| 4 | Zarco Johann | 5 | FRA | 13 | Pramac Racing | Ducati | 2.590 |
| 5 | Bezzecchi Marco | 73 | ITA | 11 | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati | 3.067 |
| 6 | Marini Luca | 10 | ITA | 10 | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati | 3.875 |
| 7 | Binder Brad | 33 | RSA | 9 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 4.067 |
| 8 | Nakagami Takaaki | 30 | JPN | 8 | LCR Honda | Honda | 10.944 |
| 9 | Oliveira Miguel | 88 | POR | 7 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 11.256 |
| 10 | Marquez Marc | 93 | SPA | 6 | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 11.800 |
| 11 | Di Giannantonio Fabio | 49 | ITA | 5 | Team Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati | 12.916 |
| 12 | Vinales Maverick | 12 | SPA | 4 | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia | 12.917 |
| 13 | Martin Jorge | 89 | SPA | 3 | Pramac Racing | Ducati | 17.240 |
| 14 | Marquez Alex | 73 | SPA | 2 | LCR Honda | Honda | 17.568 |
| 15 | Miller Jack | 43 | AUS | 1 | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati | 17.687 |
| 16 | Binder Darryn | 40 | RSA | 0 | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha | 20.265 |
| 17 | Morbidelli Franco | 21 | ITA | 0 | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 20.296 |
| 18 | Pirro Michele | ITA | 0 | 21.305 | |||
| 19 | Gardner Remy | AUS | 0 | 30.548 | |||
| 20 | Dovizioso Andrea | 4 | ITA | 0 | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha | 31.011 |
| 21 | Fernandez Raul | SPA | 0 | 42.723 | |||
| 22 | Savadori Lorenzo | 32 | ITA | 0 | Aprilia Racing Test Team | Aprilia | 1 Lap |
| 23 | Bastianini Enea | 23 | ITA | DNF | Team Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati | DNF |
| 24 | Rins Alex | 42 | SPA | DNF | Team Suzuki Ecstar | Suzuki | DNF |
| 25 | Mir Joan | 36 | SPA | DNF | Team Suzuki Ecstar | Suzuki | DNF |
| 26 | Espargaro Pol | 44 | SPA | DNF | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | DNF |
Rider standings
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Points | Team | Constructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quartararo Fabio | 20 | FRA | 122 | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha |
| 2 | Espargaro Aleix | 41 | SPA | 114 | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia |
| 3 | Bastianini Enea | 23 | ITA | 94 | Team Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati |
| 4 | Bagnaia Francesco | 62 | ITA | 81 | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati |
| 5 | Zarco Johann | 5 | FRA | 75 | Pramac Racing | Ducati |
| 6 | Rins Alex | 42 | SPA | 69 | Team Suzuki Ecstar | Suzuki |
| 7 | Binder Brad | 33 | RSA | 65 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM |
| 8 | Miller Jack | 43 | AUS | 63 | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati |
| 9 | Marquez Marc | 93 | SPA | 60 | Repsol Honda Team | Honda |
| 10 | Mir Joan | 36 | SPA | 56 | Team Suzuki Ecstar | Suzuki |
| 11 | Oliveira Miguel | 88 | POR | 50 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM |
| 12 | Espargaro Pol | 44 | SPA | 40 | Repsol Honda Team | Honda |
| 13 | Nakagami Takaaki | 30 | JPN | 38 | LCR Honda | Honda |
| 14 | Vinales Maverick | 12 | SPA | 37 | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia |
| 15 | Martin Jorge | 89 | SPA | 31 | Pramac Racing | Ducati |
| 16 | Marini Luca | 10 | ITA | 31 | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati |
| 17 | Bezzecchi Marco | 73 | ITA | 30 | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati |
| 18 | Marquez Alex | 73 | SPA | 20 | LCR Honda | Honda |
| 19 | Morbidelli Franco | 21 | ITA | 19 | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha |
| 20 | Dovizioso Andrea | 4 | ITA | 8 | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha |
| 21 | Di Giannantonio Fabio | 49 | ITA | 8 | Team Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati |
| 22 | Binder Darryn | 40 | RSA | 6 | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha |
| 23 | Gardner Remy | AUS | 3 | |||
| 24 | Fernandez Raul | SPA | 0 | |||
| 25 | Pirro Michele | ITA | 0 | |||
| 26 | Savadori Lorenzo | 32 | ITA | 0 | Aprilia Racing Test Team | Aprilia |
| 27 | Bradl Stefan | 6 | GER | 0 | HRC Test Team | Honda |
Location Information
Located 30km north-east of Florence in the beautiful countryside of Tuscany, Mugello is a modern circuit with excellent facilities. Bought by Ferrari back in 1988, the 5.245km track has been renovated to a high standard and has a growing reputation as one of the world’s most up-to-date, scenic and safest… read more.
| Length | 5.245 kilometres / 3.259 miles |
| Width | 14 metres |
| Left corners | 6 |
| Right corners | 9 |
| Longest straight | 1.141 kilometres / 0.709 miles |
| Constructed | 1974 |
Mugello Circuit, Scarperia, Florence, Italy - View in Google Maps
Records
| Pole Position | 1m 44.855s (180 km/h) Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati, 2023) |
| Race Lap | 1m 46.588s (177.1 km/h) Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati, 2022) |
| Race Time | 41m16.344s (175.300km/h) Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha, 2021) |
| 2023 Race Winner | Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) |
| 2023 Sprint Race Winner | Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) |
