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The Mugello race Sunday had all the flavour of history with Dovizioso, Pasini and Migno on the top step of the podium. We see the smiles of the Italians, but also the disappointment of Lorenzo and especially of Honda, protagonist of a performance above expectations. There is also a bit of a sour look on Valentino Rossi’s face because he also wanted to be on that podium.
Here is what happened in the Italian Grand Prix according to the attentive eye of our Carlo Pernat.
Where should we begin, Carlo? First of all, we can definitely say that we really had fun!
“What can we say? After 2008, this Italian hat trick is great, achieved in front of 160 thousand spectators, almost a record number. I think that at Mugello the victory was more Dovi’s than Ducati’s. This year, the Red was inferior compared with 2016 in terms of speed. I don’t think they have that great advantage on the straight like they did last year. An example is Viñales, who did not lose that much ground and stayed rather close with his Yamaha.”
Dovizioso was simply perfect.
“Andrea really rode well, doing an intelligent race. Vale was not in tip-top shape, nor was the Honda with the tyres, but Dovi’s race was definitely one of the best of his life.”
Now he is second in the championship standings. It is reasonable to think about the World Title?
“It could be. It’s a surprise. If the bike were to hold up, he has all his papers in order to stay with the best through the end of the Championship and even contend for the nicest World Title of his entire career.”
What would you say about Petrucci?
“Fabulous. I’ve never seen him so strong on a dry track. In the qualifiers he had already shown that he was competitive, plus he managed to beat Rossi. This race could be a turning point for him and he has the right vehicle to do well.”
On the other hand, we expected something much different from Lorenzo and Iannone.
“Unfortunately, in the change of bikes both of them lost something. At Mugello it is unthinkable to see Jorge so far from the front and the same is true for Andrea. If they could go back, I don’t know if Suzuki and Ducati would make the same choice.”
Viñales is always there at the front.
“Maverick is a rider with experience. It seems like he has been racing for years in MotoGP. He showed that he knows how to settle and manage the race, plus he has no weak points. I think this is the main problem for his adversaries. He also has great confidence in his bike. It is easier for him to lose than for the others to gain.”
A final comment on Honda. Can we define it as a meltdown?
“They took a hard blow, as if the crashes by Pedrosa and Cal weren’t enough. Mugello was the worst GP of the season. They need to wake up, because Marc is at risk of not being able to salvage this Championship.”
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