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MotoGP, Viñales-Rossi, Yamaha one-two in qualifying, Dovizioso 3rd

Pirro surprises with fourth best time ahead of the Hondas ridden by Pedrosa and Marquez, Lorenzo, Bautista and Petrucci on the third row, no Q2 for Iannone

MotoGP: Viñales-Rossi, Yamaha one-two in qualifying, Dovizioso 3rd

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Last year, pole position went up in smoke for him just as it was getting good, because Rossi used the slipstream to take the first spot on the grid. This time, no one was able to rain on his parade. Maverick Viñales rode his Yamaha to the front of the pack at Mugello, just as he did two weeks ago in the Le Mans qualifiers. The Spaniard once again demonstrated that he has no limits, stopping the clock at 1’46”575 with a soft tyre: “It is always nice to take pole position here in Italy – the current Championship leader commented – Unfortunately, the crash yesterday conditioned my performance, but in qualifying I gave one hundred percent. I can say that I am ready for the race.”

Alongside him will be Valentino, beaten by just over two tenths (+0.239). The Doctor, victim of a crash in the afternoon free practice session, was hovering around ninth place just a few minutes from the end, but then he moved up through the ranks on his last attempt, arriving behind his teammate: “I managed to improve physically – he said – I feel less out of breath and the pain has gone down as well. I made a good step forward with the bike – he added – but we are all close. It’s a pity about the crash in FP4. It shook my confidence.”

Rounding out the front row is Andrea Dovizioso’s Ducati, just 21 thousandths slower than the number 46 Yamaha. The Borgo Panigale standard-bearer confirmed his performance from yesterday “I liked my performance – he commented laughing – I had to work hard to do this time, putting together aggressiveness and smooth riding. I don’t think we are in a bad position in terms of pace.”

Danilo Petrucci would have been on the front row, but Race Direction relegated him to the ninth spot on the grid after he went outside the track limits on turn 5. It was a true shocker for the Pramac rider who will start from the third row behind Jorge Lorenzo and Alvaro Bautista, separated by just 15 thousandths. The Majorcan implemented a different strategy than the others, going out immediately to turn three fast laps to take advantage of the open track. It was not enough to keep number 99 on the front two rows, where instead we find Michele Pirro.

The rider from Puglia surprised yet again. For him, Mugello holds no secrets and the 43 thousandths of a second behind Dovizioso are a clear demonstration of this. The number 51 rider is ahead of the Honda duo made up of Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez. The five-time world champion was unlucky, slowed by Zarco in his path on the final flying lap. The French rider, faster than all the rest in Q1 ahead of Petrucci, filed away the session with the eleventh best time ahead of Aleix Espargaró’s Aprilia, once again in the gravel after his crash this morning. Andrea Iannone was unable to go through to Q2.  

Translated by Jonathan Blosser
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