MotoGP Grand Prix Italy: Marco Bezzecchi claims emotional home win for Aprilia at Mugello

The Italian fans at Mugello were on their feet celebrating after an Italian rider, on an Italian bike, claimed victory at Grand Prix Italy

Marco Bezzecchi took the victory on his factory Aprilia, ahead of his Spanish teammate and championship rival Jorge Martin in second place. Third went to another Italian, as Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia held off Aprilia's Trackhouse Japanese rider Ai Ogura on the last lap to secure the final step on the podium.

Bagnaia initially took the lead ahead of Bezzecchi as he rolled back the years to his championship-winning form. But, as the race started to unfold, it became clear that Bezzecchi was biding his time, and when he eventually made the pass, the Aprilia man took off into the distance to eventually win the race by 3.5 seconds.

Martin caught and passed Bagnaia before consolidating his position for second, but Bagnaia came under pressure on the last lap, as a hard-charging Ogura reeled in the Ducati and passed him on the penultimate corner. Fortunately for Bagnaia, Ogura went wide, allowing him to slip back up the inside and hold him off down the start-finish straight to claim third.

For Aprilia, it was a near-perfect weekend, with the manufacturer claiming the victory in the Sprint race (through Trackhouse MotoGP's Raul Fernandez), and the main Grand Prix race (with Bezzecchi's factory Aprilia).

Aprilia also came away from Mugello with two new records after both Bezzecchi and Martin set a new top speed record of 229 miles per hour during the weekend, while Bezzecchi also broke the all-time lap record in qualifying.

With an Italian claiming the race victory, and three Italian bikes on the podium, it was cause for wild celebration in the stands, as a record 173,000 fans hailed a great afternoon for Italian racing at "The University of Speed."

After a weekend to remember for Aprilia, team boss Paolo Bonoria visited the TNT Sports MotoGP team in pit lane to discuss their success, and hinted that our very own Suzi Perry – who told Bonorio earlier this weekend she thought he could be in for a big weekend with Aprilia – could have had some sort of influence on their form...

TNT Sports commentator Gavin Emmett explains the gravity of Marco Bezzecchi's victory at Mugello as the Aprilia racer gets a rapturous reception after winning the Italian Grand Prix.

For an Italian racer on an Italian bike, winning the Italian Grand Prix is a dream, and that dream became a reality for Marco Bezzecchi at Mugello today.

Speaking in parc ferme after his victory, he could barely put his emotions into words.

"I feel unbelievable," he said.

"It's something that I was dreaming since when I was a kid. To achieve this dream is amazing."

Bezzecchi then asked to speak to the fans in his native Italian, as he told them, "Mugello, thank you, thank you! Thank you from my heart. You have been amazing. I gave everything today."

Jorge Martin took two second-place finishes from Mugello this weekend as he followed up his second in the Sprint with second in today's Grand Prix.

But, despite a solid points haul overall, and despite saying all the right things in his post-race interview, he cut a slightly disappointed figure as he spoke in parc ferme after the race.

"I'm very happy, you know? The team worked in an amazing way during all the weekend," he said.

"I was trying to get back that confidence, but you know, I quite struggled this weekend. We need to continue working, but I have to be really grateful to Aprilia for the job.

"Marco today was impressive. Congrats to him, because winning for sure in Mugello for him is special. But yeah, I think we have to continue the inspiration."

Ducati's Pecco Bagnaia had to hold off a hard-charging Ai Ogura on the last lap to secure third place, and a podium spot for his team, at the Italian Grand Prix, and after the race, a clearly exhausted Italian revealed he left it all on the track in his desire to secure that podium finish on home soil.

"I just give everything for the crowd here," he said.

"It was really tough, because in the last laps I was struggling a lot with the rear grip, and I saw that the Aprilias and Bezzecchi were doing a fantastic job, and I just tried to leave no space for Ai (Ogura).

"But, thanks to everyone (and) thanks to my team that did a fantastic job. We really deserve this kind of result."

An Italian wins the Italian Grand Prix on an Italian bike, and the fans at Mugello are over the moon.

1. Marco Bezzecchi - Aprilia Racing - 40:57.34

2. Jorge Martin - Aprilia Racing - +3.559

3. Francesco Bagnaia - Ducati Lenovo Team - +5.098 

4. Ai Ogura - Trackhouse MotoGP Team - +5.132

5. Fabio Di Giannantonio - Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team - +5.453

6. Pedro Acosta - Red Bull KTM Factory Racing - +7.467

7. Marc Marquez - Ducati Lenovo Team - +10.762

8. Raul Fernandez - Trackhouse MotoGP Team - +13.380

9. Fermin Aldeguer - BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP - +14.644

10. Diogo Moreira - Pro Honda LCR - +21.366

Marco Bezzecchi claims a dominant victory to win the Italian Grand Prix for Aprilia.

Jorge Martin finishes a strong second to give the factory Aprilia a dream day at Mugello.

Third place goes to Pecco Bagnaia, just! Ai Ogura caught him, and even passed him in the penultimate corner, but went wide and allowed the Ducati man to slip past and hold on for third.

Only a mistake or a bike failure can stop Marco Bezzecchi now.

He's three seconds clear of Jorge Martin with three laps to go.

Martin is two seconds clear of Pecco Bagnaia.

Bagnaia is 1.5 seconds clear of a hard-charging Ai Ogura, who is likely to run out of laps before he catches the Ducati.

Relive the moment when Marco Bezzecchi surged past Pecco Bagnaia to take charge of the Italian Grand Prix.

It hasn't been Fabio Di Giannantonio's best race. He's been mired in the midfield, and hasn't been able to mount a challenge to the leaders.

But he's in the four-bike scrap for fourth, and he's just stuffed his bike into a non-existent gap to aggressively pass Marc Marquez.

The pair have had history on track before, and clearly Diggia had no intention of giving Marquez an easy ride.

Marco Bezzecchi is leading, and has extended his advantage to 2.3 seconds.

The big question now is whether Jorge Martin has been preserving his tyres for a late charge. Because if he has, now might be the time to put the hammer down.

We have five laps to go at Mugello, and Aprilia are dominating out front.

While the Aprilias look set to fight it out for the race win, there's a back-and-forth scrap for fourth, as Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta duke it out around this Mugello circuit.

The pair have swapped places several times, and at the time of writing, Acosta is ahead.

But, by the time you read this, they might have swapped places again. It's been that sort of battle.

Once he caught Bagnaia, Martin wasted absolutely no time at all in getting his Aprilia past and into second place.

He slipstreams past the Ducati and wins the late-braking battle going into Turn 1.

It's an Aprilia 1-2 at the front of the Italian Grand Prix.