MUGELLO: Marc Marquez won the Italian MotoGP on Sunday to complete a perfect weekend at Mugello and continue his bid for a seventh elite world title.

The Ducati rider came through a brilliant early battle with his brother Alex, in second, and team-mate Francesco Bagnaia to extend his championship lead over his sibling to 40 points after also winning Saturday’s sprint race.

The 32-year-old started on pole but didn’t have it all his own way, not securing first place until lap nine as he, Alex Marquez and Bagnaia exchanged the lead with some thrilling riding.

But he claimed his fifth win from nine Grands Prix in what has been a dream first campaign with Ducati’s factory team, and his first victory at Mugello since 2014.

“I already understand this morning that it was super special for them (Ducati), even for me because I feel part of them, and yes super happy,” he said.

“We managed the race in the beginning, Pecco and Alex, they know that a few times I’m struggling a bit then they attack me.

“I was calm and then when the tyres dropped a bit I started to give everything, and yeah happy to take the 37 points in this amazing weekend.”

Marc Marquez has now won the sprint and main race at the Thailand, Argentina, Qatar, Aragon and Italian MotoGPs so far in 2025.

TITLE CHARGE

He is already red-hot favourite to draw level with great rival Valentino Rossi on seven world crowns, and move one behind all-time record winner Giacomo Agostini.

That would be a bitter pill to swallow for retired Rossi who has openly called Marquez a “dirty” rider who actively worked to stop him from winning what would have been his eighth world title a decade ago.

Italian motorcycling fans still blame Marquez for crashing into Rossi in that year’s penu­ltimate Malaysian Moto­GP, even though their hero was the one punished by having to start the final race of 2015 at the back of the grid, virtually guaranteeing Lorenzo the title.

Marc Marquez was loudly booed by a significant portion of the Mugello crowd after Saturday’s sprint race to the point that team manager Davide Tardozzi stormed over to the stands to tell fans to “shut up”.

But on Sunday the local supporters cheered him on the podium after he pulled even further away from local hero Bagnaia, a two-time world champion who is now 110 points off the pace in the standings after finishing fourth.

“I gave everything, I always give everything. But I finished fourth at home. I did everything that I could,” said Bagnaia.

Bagnaia had won the previous three races at his home track of Mugello but ended up losing a podium place to Fabio Di Giannantonio, who rides for Ducati satellite team VR46 Racing, with two laps remaining.

It was a frustrating day on home soil for Bagnaia, and the latest disappointing result in a season in which he has been eclipsed by Marc Marquez.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2025