Di Giannantonio Takes Stunning Maiden MotoGP Pole At Mugello
Calum Gill 14:31 28/05/2022
Rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio took an incredible Mugello MotoGP pole on Gresini’s year-old Ducati, at the end of a crazy damp session punctuated by a vicious crash for Marc Márquez.
It’s a 1-2 on the grid for rookies on 2021 Ducatis, with VR46 rider Marco Bezzecchi second to Di Giannantonio and his team-mate Luca Marini making it two VR46s bikes on a mad front row in MotoGP’s first Italian Grand Prix since team boss Valentino Rossi’s retirement. Qualifying had started damp, largely dried out, and then become wetter amid lightning during the break between Q1 and Q2. As everyone still set off on slicks, Márquez only reached the second corner on his out-lap before having a ferocious high-side that unfolded in a strangely confined space. Both Márquez and his Honda landed heavily on the asphalt, with the wrecked bike catching fire and prompting a long red flag. Heavier rain held off during that time but the track remained tricky when Q2 finally got going properly with everyone again using slicks.
Di Giannantonio had already been a surprising Q1 pacesetter and was then the man to beat throughout most of Q2. It looked like normal service might be resumed when he was shoved down to eighth late on, but he bounced back to first place not once but twice.
His final 01:46.156 lap beat Bezzecchi by 0.088 seconds. It was only the second time Di Giannantonio has reached Q2, with 11th having been his previous MotoGP qualifying best. Behind Bezzecchi and Marini’s VR46 bikes, Johann Zarco and Francesco Bagnaia completed an all-Ducati top five. Fabio Quartararo was best of the rest for Yamaha in sixth, with Aleix Espargaró’s Aprilia and the Hondas of Takaaki Nakagami and Pol Espargaró on row three. Gresini’s usual hero Enea Bastianini was only 10th this time ahead of Jorge Martín.
Márquez limited his running in Q2 after his huge crash, only taking 12th on his spare bike. Q1 had begun with everyone on wets, but when Brad Binder threw on slicks and went three seconds faster than the rest it prompted a mad scramble for dry tyres. With the skies still extremely dark and rain falling on parts of the track, there was a period when it appeared Binder had timed his run perfectly before conditions worsened again. As it turned out, everyone managed to get clear - if dicey - laps on slicks through to the chequered flag. Jack Miller was knocked out of the Q2 transfer places by Di Giannantonio and Márquez as they towed along behind his Ducati, leaving him 13th on the grid.
Ducati’s wildcard Michele Pirro - on a machine backed by Ducati World Superbike sponsors Aruba.it - lines up just behind him, with Binder ending up 16th behind KTM team-mate Miguel Oliveira. Suzuki came out worst of all: Joan Mir and Álex Rins never looked like getting into the top two in Q1 and will start down in 17th and 21st. Franco Morbidelli is only 23rd on the second works Yamaha, with Maverick Viñales’ Aprilia next to him. 2017 Mugello winner Andrea Dovizioso will start from last place on the RNF Yamaha.
