Looking for the favourites for the 6th round of MotoGP in Italy
While Valentino Rossi encouraged his fans about his future, his compatriots in particular long to see him finally successful on the Yamaha again. The old master still spoke on an Indonesian channel about round 9 in Assen as a point of decision. At the same time, the Italian made the promise that he would do everything to be there next season at the premiere in Mandalika on the island of Lombok. Nobody expects the Yamaha icon to increase his record of 7 victories at the Autodromo di Mugello next Sunday. Even a podium would be a sensation for him and therefore, to the regret of his still huge fan base, the favourites have to be determined differently.
The Ducatis – on paper, as usual, way ahead?
It is always amusing how supposed experts and even those who are referred to as these speak of routes. Paolo Ciabatti is such a joker using the example of his testimony before the double race in Qatar in 2021, when he spoke into the microphone of a “Ducati route” at Losail. Even then, Yamaha had totalled as many victories in MotoGP as Honda and Ducati together and now there are even two more. It sounds similar again from everywhere in front of Mugello and there the situation is exactly like in Losail, since the introduction of the four-stroke engine in the premier class. Yamaha have won ten victories since 2002, while Ducati and Honda riders have only managed four each. A long straight has not automatically turned a Ducati into a top favourite for years.
The driver balance sheet at Ducati – grim for Miller and Pecco
Starting with the Reds works team, the record for “Jack Ass” is simply catastrophic. In the last 5 races of MotoGP, the Australian fell four times and only saw the chequered flag on P15 once. His Italian team-mate, on the other hand, only drove one Grand Prix in the top class at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, and he didn’t even see the chequered flag. At the 2019 Italian GP, first “Morbido”, then Rossi, Syahrin, Bagnaia crashed on lap 11 and a little later as the last of the five crash pilots Miller 8 laps before the end. Johann Zarco won a Moto2 race there in 2016. In MotoGP, he drove into the top ten twice on the “B-Yamaha” with a 7th place as the best result, while on the KTM 2019 he had no chance. On paper this makes the French a huge favourite among Ducati drivers.
Yamaha and Honda – the real favourites?
Unless Suzuki finally achieves the breakthrough, at least because of their strengths, Yamaha and Honda should be among the favourites for the Italian Grand Prix. How little Marc Marquez’s cautious comments regarding his alleged handicap are worth was just as evident in Portugal as when he was alone in the lead at Le Mans before he fell. His words therefore have just as little meaning as if a Brad Binder is currently publicly dreaming of the Mugello podium. Much more important is real performance and the Honda has been one of the very best there for years and even in Spielberg with the highest percentage of full throttle it is no different. Just like Yamaha and without Quartararo’s physical problems, everything looked like a fourth win in a row up to Jerez for the brand with the crossed tuning forks in the logo. Together with the Frenchman, Maverick Viñales and the Honda drivers must therefore also be taken into account.
World Championship stand in all classes before the 6th round at Mugello
The provisional combined calendar with a lot of overlap
>WSBK Estoril and MotoGP Mugello preview: see separate report on this page.
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