Valentino Rossi sent the capacity Mugello crowd into raptures by claiming pole position for tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix. The home favourite set the fastest ever two-wheeled lap of Mugello to edge out Ducati’s Jorge Lorenzo, securing his first pole position for 26 races and first on home soil since 2016.
Yamaha’s day had got off to a mixed start with Maverick Vinales knocked out of the top ten late in final practice. The Spaniard salvaged the situation in Q1 though, joining Jack Miller in the top two, and earning himself a spot in the pole position shootout.
Marc Marquez had broken the circuit record in FP3 and the reigning champion laid down a sensational early marker, setting a 1:46.454, but Friday pacesetter Andrea Iannone edged ahead by a tenth of a second before the riders regrouped in the pits. Crucially, neither would improve on their second runs, opening the door for their rivals.
The moment thousands of Italians in the grandstands had waited for came with two minutes remaining as Rossi set a 1:46.208, a tenth ahead of Iannone, while an error at the final corner ruled out any possibility of Marquez responding with the front end of the Honda giving way. Lorenzo slotted in second with a 1:46.243 while Vinales made full use of his reprieve in Q1, knocking Iannone off the front row.
Danilo Petrucci, who matched Rossi’s pole time three quarters of the way around his lap, snatched fifth from Marquez with Andrea Dovizioso forced to settle for seventh on the second factory Ducati. Cal Crutchlow starts eighth ahead of Johann Zarco, whose front-row streak finally came to an end, with Alex Rins rounding out the top ten.
2018 Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley: (Qualifying)
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