Bagnaia outruns Quartararo to win MotoGP Italian Grind Prix
Ducati Lenovo's Francesco Bagnaia celebrates winning Italian GP, Tuscany, Italy, May 29, 2022. (Reuters Photo)


Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia held off a spirited challenge from reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo of Yamaha to win the Italian Grand Prix in front of his home fans at the Mugello Circuit on Sunday.

Bagnaia started fifth on the grid and, with 15 laps to go, overtook Marco Bezzechi of Mooney VR46 Racing Team in the first spot with a brilliant move heading into Turn 1.

The Italian held on to his lead for the rest of the race, securing his second win of the season after the Spanish Grand Prix.

"It's incredible I'm really happy to have won at home in front of our fans, it's really great," Bagnaia told Sky Sport Italia.

Frenchman Quartararo applied constant pressure on Bagnaia and did an outstanding job to finish second after starting sixth, while Aprilia Racing's Aleix Espargaro came third.

Quartararo, however, extended his lead at the top of the championship standings.

His overall lead over Aleix Espargaro is now 16 points after the Spanish rider finished third behind the Yamaha man.

Bagnaia trails France's Quartararo by 41 points after his second win over the season.

Quartararo called Sunday's race "the best of my career" after he rose from sixth on the grid to finish behind Bagnaia.

"I told myself 'you have nothing to lose' ... I'm super happy to have raced as best as I can," he told Sky.

Six-time champion Marc Marquez finished 10th in his last race before going under the knife to solve problems with his right arm after fracturing it nearly two years ago.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, who stunned the field with his first-ever MotoGP pole, couldn't repeat Saturday's heroics and finished back in 11th, some 12 seconds behind his countryman and namesake Bagnaia.

Di Giannantonio lost the race lead to Luca Marini in the fourth corner of the race, and soon after fellow rookie Marco Bezzecchi was also past him and then into the lead.

Bagnaia had dropped back a few places at the start of the race but made his move on lap nine when after having already surged past Di Giannantonio, Quartararo and Marini, he overtook Bezzecchi early in the ninth lap.

From there he comfortably held off the competition to bounce back from not finishing at Le Mans a fortnight ago.

Spaniard Pedro Acosta became the youngest rider to win a Moto2 race, The KTM rider stormed to victory aged 18 years and four days.

Last season Acosta was the youngest ever rider to win the Moto3 championship and looks like a serious prospect.