Fabio di Giannantonio topped the MotoGP Italian Grand Prix practice on Friday at Mugello, posting a 1:44.808 lap that left Francesco Bagnaia just 0.091 seconds behind.
Ducati takes a clean sweep of the Italian top three
After establishing a strong pace early in the hour‑long session, Di Giannantonio improved on his FP1 best by nearly half a second and held the lead despite a flurry of one‑minute improvements from his fellow Ducati riders. Bagnaia, who had set the fastest time of the opening practice (1:45.697 on soft rear tyre), reclaimed second place with a 1:44.899, while teammate Enea Bastianini completed the podium, finishing 0.103 seconds off the leader’s time.
Franco Morbidelli, another VR46 rider, secured fourth and fellow Italian Fermin Aldeguer claimed fifth, keeping the top five positions firmly in Italian hands. Marc Marquez rounded out the leading Ducati trio in sixth, establishing a dominant presence for the Italian marque.
Red‑flag interruptions and key incidents
The session’s rhythm was broken twice. First, Fabio Quartararo lost front‑end grip in Turn 4, sliding onto the gravel before re‑entering the track, prompting a brief red flag while marshals cleared debris. Shortly after, Brad Binder’s KTM stalled exiting the pit lane with twelve minutes left, forcing officials to halt the running again.
Both stoppages were short, allowing Ducati’s riders to unleash a rapid succession of faster laps in the final minutes, ultimately cementing their lock‑step finish.
Full classification highlights
Beyond the Italian trio, the top ten featured a mix of manufacturers: Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) posted the fastest Aprilia lap in seventh, Jorge Martin (Aprilia) followed in eighth, Yamaha’s Alex Rins recovered to ninth, and LCR Honda’s Diogo Moreira finished tenth. Trackhouse’s Ai Ogura and Raul Fernández occupied eleventh and twelfth, while Red Bull KTM’s Pedro Acosta managed thirteenth after a late off‑track excursion.
Neither factory KTM rider advanced to Q2, with Acosta and Binder placed 13th and 18th respectively. Replacement riders Michele Pirro and Cal Crutchlow closed the field in 21st and 22nd, underscoring the depth of the competition as the weekend heads toward qualifying.
Di Giannantonio’s swift lap not only set the day’s benchmark but also signaled Ducati’s intent to dominate the home race, leaving the championship battle wide open for the remaining MotoGP rounds.
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