Mugello dream: Bezzecchi unstoppable, Aprilia 1-2
The home favourite triumphs in front of his own crowd at the 2026 Italian GP. Bagnaia holds off Ogura’s final charge by just 34 thousandths.
An Italian, in Italy, on an Italian bike. Marco Bezzecchi gave Mugello one of the most thrilling Sundays in years, taking his first win at the Italian Grand Prix. For the #72 of the Aprilia Racing team it is the finest victory of his career, in front of a record crowd that flooded the Tuscan hills.
The Noale marque also had a double to celebrate, thanks to Jorge Martin‘s second place. Aprilia sealed a 1-2 that will go down in history, and in its home Grand Prix. Francesco Bagnaia, the leading Ducati rider, completed the podium in a nail-biting finish, holding off Ogura‘s desperate attack by just 34 thousandths at the line.
The race
Starting from pole, Bezzecchi briefly handed the lead to Martin at the first corner, after Raul Fernandez ran wide and compromised his own race. The lead change came quickly, though, at the fourth corner of the opening lap.
The picture livened up with Bagnaia, who produced a blistering charge to second and then to the front on the third lap, at San Donato. “Pecco”, a three-time winner at Mugello, led with authority for almost half the race, with Bezzecchi glued to his rear wheel and Martin just over a second behind.
The decisive moment came ten laps from the end: Bezzecchi attacked Bagnaia at Turn 1, taking the lead with a clean, definitive move. On the following lap Martin also passed the Ducati rider, dropping him to third. From there Bezzecchi never looked back, steadily building his advantage to the flag.
A nail-biting finish for third
If the win was a solo ride, the battle for the podium kept 90,000 spectators on the edge of their seats to the very last metre. Ogura, who started from 13th, carved his way through the field, getting past Acosta with contact at the first corner four laps from home. On the final lap the Japanese rider gradually closed the gap to Bagnaia, down to 0.7s at the last sector. At Bucine, Ogura went through, but Bagnaia responded instantly with a lightning counter-move, retaking the position by 34 thousandths. One of the most spectacular race finishes in years.
Riders’ championship: Bezzecchi extends his lead
With this win, Bezzecchi strengthens his championship lead to 17 points over Martin. Aprilia’s double at Mugello is also a statement of intent from the Noale marque in its direct fight with Ducati: the two title contenders are now team-mates, and every Grand Prix inevitably becomes an internal battle too.
Next stop: Hungarian GP at Balaton Park
The championship doesn’t stop. Already this weekend, from 5 to 7 June, MotoGP heads to the Balaton Park Circuit for the Hungarian Grand Prix. A modern track that rewards bikes with good aerodynamic balance — characteristics that could once again favour Aprilia. The race is scheduled for Sunday 7 June at 2:00 pm CET, with the Sprint on Saturday at 3:00 pm.
Article by Thomas Pettenò
