MUGELLO: MotoGP world cha­m­pionship leader Fabio Quarta­raro won the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, a race overshadowed by news of the death of Swiss Moto3 rider Jason Dupasquier following a crash in qualifying at the Mugello Circuit.

Yamaha’s pole-sitter Quartararo finished ahead of Miguel Oliveira and Joan Mir to extend his lead over Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia, who crashed out of the race in the early stages along with six-time cha­mpion Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda.

Quartararo now has 105 points after three race wins in 2021, with French compatriot Johann Zarco —who finished fourth— climbing to second place in the riders’ standings with 81 points, two ahead of Italian Bagnaia.

The day began on a sombre note when the Prustel GP team said the 19-year-old Dupasquier, who was rushed to hospital after a crash at turn nine involving three bikes in qualifying on Saturday, had died.

Prustel GP opted not to compete in the Moto3 race Dupasquier had been hoping to ride in.

The sixth leg of the season was preceded by a minute’s silence for Dupasquier — the sport’s first fatality since Luis Salom died in practice at the Catalonia Moto2 Grand Prix in Barcelona in 2016.

“Strange day, honestly a lot of emotion before the race,” said Quartararo, who shed tears and pointed at the sky after crossing the finish line and later waved the Swiss flag in honour of Dupasquier.

“It’s not a great feeling, you achieve a win but we lose one of our friends. To start the race after that one minute of silence was really difficult. Every time at turn nine I was thinking of Jason, and this win was for him.”

In a dramatic finish, Oliveira dropped to third place after stewards penalised him a spot for exc­eeding track limits but he rec­lai­med his position after defending champion Mir was pushed down a spot for the same infraction.

The championship will resume at the Catalan Grand Prix in Bar­celona next weekend.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2021