Italy’s Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia on a Ducati Desmosedici GP23 and Marco Bezzecchi on a Desmosedici GP22 aimed to reveal the true potential of their teams along Mugello’s long straight, as the Grand Grand Prix arrives in Tuscany. This event marks the sixth scoring round of the special world championship, with Bagnaia leading Bezzecchi by a single point, 94 to 93. The 1,141-meter Mugello straight gives the factory-backed GP23 a clear edge, leveraging its highway-like pace on one of the circuit’s defining features.
With only five races completed, Ducati riders occupy five of the top six spots in the MotoGP standings, underscoring the efficiency and sheer horsepower of Italian machines. Watchful eyes will focus on Bagnaia, Bezzecchi, Jorge Martín, Johann Zarco, and Luca Marini as they compete for the podium in Tuscany. Attention will also turn to KTM, where Brad Binder, third in the title race, and Jack Miller, eighth overall, could surprise on Mugello’s demanding layout.
KTM has made a noticeable leap forward in performance, and Mugello’s distinctive contours, shaped by the surrounding Tuscan peaks and the track’s varied corners, will test engineers and riders alike. Beyond Ducati and KTM, Aprilia could play a significant role, as Noale’s squad brings extensive track data and experience. Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales may join the fight for victory or at least a place on the podium.
Thus far, the positive momentum from Italy has centered on the front-runners, while Yamaha and Honda faces a return to form or a push forward to maintain championship momentum. Fabio Quartararo, the 2021 MotoGP world champion from France, and Italian Franco Morbidelli of Yamaha, along with Spaniards Marc Márquez and Joan Mir for Honda, are all chasing stronger results to stay in contention for the title.
Quartararo appears to have the most potential among Yamaha riders, but more development from the Iwata factory is needed to move beyond the ninth place he currently holds in the interim standings. Similarly, Márquez and Mir must extract more from their Honda machines to reclaim leading positions without compromising rider safety, a balance Honda has long pursued in pursuit of past glory in the world championship.
At the moment, the best-placed Honda rider is Spaniard Alex Rins, who earned victory at Austin but has since endured a spell of inconsistent results in Spain and France. He sits in tenth, followed by Aleix Espargaró and Alex Márquez as they race with their updated machinery. Gresini’s Ducati Desmosedici GP22 challenges Lucio Cecchinello’s Honda RC 213V as the bike Rins inherits, highlighting the ongoing competition between teams for speed and reliability.
Spaniard Augusto Fernández, aboard a Gas Gas RC 16, continues his rookie year development with Tech3, a squad that also fields Pol Espargaró, who remains sidelined by injury and is temporarily replaced by Jonas Folger. Espargaró is working toward a Mugello return, even as a persistent vertebral edema limits his progress. Also in the mix is Raúl Fernández, who is adapting to the new Aprilia RS-GP as he chases stronger performances in the series.