MotoGP Grand Prix Italy Sprint: Raul Fernandez claims maiden win at Mugello

After a record-breaking qualifying session from the factory Aprilia team, it was the satellite Trackhouse Aprilia squad that was left celebrating victory in the Sprint race at Mugello after Raul Fernandez rode a near-perfect race to claim victory.

Marc Marquez got the best launch from the start and dived up the inside to lead into Turn 1, but Fernandez managed to squeeze past him in the very next corner to take the lead, and he wasn't headed for the rest of the race as he pulled a gap, then controlled the pace to earn a huge win for himself, and his team.

Second place went to championship-chasing Jorge Martin, who forced his way past Marquez to take second on the opening lap, but was unable to close the gap sufficiently to mount a serious challenge to Fernandez out front.

Only a brief mistake from the leader offered a glimpse of a chance for Martin, as Fernandez missed his braking point and went wide to bring the gap down to half a second. But Fernandez quickly regained his composure and started to pull clear again to put the seal on a decisive victory.

Third place went to VR46 racer Fabio Di Giannantonio, who fought through to third early on, then maintained his spot in a relatively lonely race to secure a podium finish on home soil.

Raul Fernandez struggled to put his Sprint win at Mugello into words when he was interviewed in parc ferme after his dominant victory.

"I feel super happy. I don't really have the words," he admitted.

"But anyway, thanks to the team, I think since Jerez, we are making a good job, and yeah, today and yesterday we went well. I felt the pace (was there), I felt comfortable with the bike also, and I tried.

"Thanks to the team. It is also really nice to see all the good people here, because it's the first time that they, they are using this (Gulf Oil) livery in Europe with MotoGP, so thanks to them. And tomorrow we will try again."

Discretion was the better part of valour for the usually hard-charging Jorge Martin, who realised that he was risking a crash by pushing the limits in pursuit of eventual race-winner Raul Fernandez.

Martin declared himself satisfied with his second-place finish, and he paid tribute to his team, as well as offering his congratulations to their sister team at Trackhouse, who claimed the victory.

"My team did an amazing job," he said after the Sprint race.

"Our target is always to improve ourselves. Yesterday was tough, but we knew that our potential is always the podium, you know? We always try to fight for the podium, and this was my target.

"Today, I felt great. When I was closing the gap to Raul was becoming a bit more difficult, but finally I thought the points were more important than a crash.

"So, yeah, I did my best. Raul was impressive. I have to congratulate the Trackhouse (team) for the for the work, and Aprilia is improving a lot, so we have to be really grateful."

VR46 racer Fabio Di Giannantonio fought his way to third in the early laps and consolidated his position to make sure he finished on the podium in the Sprint at Mugello.

"I'm super happy (for more) than the result," he explained.

"The third place is amazing, but I'm happy because we did an incredible first lap, super aggressive, super clean, precise, and we're again on the podium.

"It is super important to me to be on the podium in front of my own crowd. So, grazie!"

2. Jorge Martin - Aprilia Racing - +1.289

3. Fabio Di Giannantonio - Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team - +3.287

4. Marco Bezzecchi - Aprilia Racing - +4.481

5. Marc Marquez - Ducati Lenovo Team - +9.055

6. Fermin Aldeguer - BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP - +9.758

7. Pecco Bagnaia - Ducati Lenovo Team - +10.983

8. Ai Ogura - Trackhouse MotoGP Team - +11.411

9. Pedro Acosta - Red Bull KTM Factory Racing - +11.809

10. Diogo Moreira - Pro Honda LCR - +12.932

The Trackhouse Aprilia team are going wild in the garage as Raul Fernandez crosses the line to win the Tissot Sprint at Mugello.

He holds off the charge of Jorge Martin on the factory Aprilia, with the VR46 Ducati of Fabio Di Giannantonio taking third.

Raul Fernandez has recovered well from that moment earlier in the race, and seems to have control over the gap to the chasing Jorge Martin in second.

The Trackhouse rider is looking good to claim his first-ever Sprint race victory as he heads into the last lap.

After a great qualifying, and an even better start, Diogo Moreira is starting to get eaten up by the chasing pack.

He's now down to 10th.

The leader is feeling the pressure a little out front as he misses his braking point and goes wide. He manages to regain composure to get back on the racing line, but the damage is done. The gap to Martin is down to just half a second.

Could there be late drama here? You know Martin won't sit and settle for second.

Marc Marquez gets past Diogo Moreira heading into Turn 1 to take fifth.

He was a little hot going into Turn 1, but Moreira's attempt to defend meant he went wide, as well. But Marquez got his pass done before the corner, and managed to make it stick. He's now off in pursuit of Marco Bezzecchi in fourth.

Here's a replay of the race start, as Marc Marquez stole a march on the field to lead into Turn 1.

The KTM of Enea Bastiani goes bouncing through the kitty litter after "The Beast" loses the front end heading into Turn 10.

Rider seems OK. The bike, not so much.

Raul Fernandez continues to lead, and Jorge Martin is having to work pretty hard to stay with him. There's a 0.6-second gap between the pair, and Martin won't want it to get any bigger than that.

Meanwhile. Di Giannantonio is starting to chip away at the gap to Martin, and has shaved two tenths off it already.

Fabio Di Giannantonio knows he needs to get moving, and he puts a great pass on Moreira to take third. Now he needs to make up the 1.5-second gap to Martin in second.

This wasn't in the script! Fernandez is out front on the Trackhouse Aprilia, with factory Aprilia of Jorge Martin in hot pursuit. In third, it's Brazil's Diogo Moreira.

If there's to be an Italian winner of this sprint, someone needs to get a move on. Fabio Di Giannantonio is leading the charge, in fourth, but the leading duo are already starting to pull a gap.

What a start! Marc Marquez gets the holeshot from the second row and heads into Turn 1 ahead, but he's promptly duffed up in the very next corner by Raul Fernandez, then shoved out of the way by Jorge Martin.

The gloves are off already at Mugello!

The final countdown is ticking as the riders make their final checks on the grid before heading off on their warm-up lap for the 11-lap Sprint. 

Then it’ll be lights out and GO at Mugello!

They call Mugello "The University of Speed" and the circuit has certainly lived up to that billing already this weekend.

The Italian team has set two new records already this weekend, with Jorge Martin blasting past the speed trap at a mind-blowing 326.6km/h (229mph). That matches the sort of speeds we saw last weekend at the Indianapolis 500. For context, that speed equates to travelling the length of a football pitch in just ONE SECOND. Mind-blowing.

While Martin was setting a new bar for speed on a racing motorcycle, his teammate Marco Bezzecchi set a brand new all-time lap record in qualifying.

The pace is red-hot in Tuscany, and the factory Aprilia team is leading the way on home soil.

Marco Bezzecchi smashed the all-time lap record at Mugello with a stunning lap to tale pole position for today’s Sprint and tomorrow’s Grand Prix.

The Aprilia ace set a pace that nobody could match as he registered a lap of 1:43.921, the first time anyone had dipped under the 1:44 barrier at the lightning-fast circuit.

Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez took second place, with Bezecchi’s teammate Jorge Martin completing a front-row lockout for Aprilia on home soil.

Heading up Row 2, mere days after being cleared to race following foot and shoulder surgery, is Marc Marquez.

1. Marco Bezzecchi - Aprilia Racing - 1:43.921

2. Raul Fernandez - Trackhouse MotoGP Team - +0.224

3. Jorge Martin - Aprilia Racing - +0.363

4. Marc Marquez - Ducati Lenovo Team - +0.373

5. Fermin Aldeguer - BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP - +0.392

6. Francesco Bagnaia - Ducati Lenovo Team - +0.561

7. Fabio Di Giannantonio - Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team - +0.577

8. Diogo Moreira - Pro Honda LCR - +0.713

9. Franco Morbidelli - Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team - +0.734

10. Pedro Acosta - Red Bull KTM Factory Racing - +0.789

11. Enea Bastianini - Red Bull KTM Tech3 - +0.942

12. Alex Rins - Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team - +1.128

TNT Sports MotoGP analyst Neil Hodgson thinks that Ducati Lenovo rider Marc Marquez could be back to his best if he is really at full fitness after his recent surgery.

Check out Hodgy’s latest TNT Sports MotoGP column here: