MotoGP: Ducati Team Will Stop Quartararo At Mugello

Fabio Quartararo (Twitter @fabioQ20)

JAKARTA - Fabio Quartararo may secure pole position for the fourth time in a row this season, but Ducati's motorbike rivals will be looking to disrupt the Yamaha rider's rhythm from the start of the Italian GP on Sunday.

The French rider broke Mugello's lap record by scoring the best time of 1:45,187 for pole position at Mugello, breaking the previous record set by Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia in FP3.

Bagnaia had to settle for finishing P2 after 0.230 seconds adrift of Quartararo, while Johann Zarco claimed P3 took advantage of the slipstream behind Bagnaia's bike on the last lap to secure the last spot in the front row.

"Starting from the front row is always the best thing", Bagnaia said after qualifying as reported by Antara from the official MotoGP website.

"Our bike's starting gear always works very well and we will try to push from the start if the conditions are good because it looks like it could be wet, it could be colder, we'll see. I think we are very ready for tomorrow".

Quartararo will also use the start device from Yamaha to help him advance after the red light goes out, but Bagnaia is optimistic that Ducati's starting device is better.

And as has been proven in a number of previous races, darting from a standstill at the start is not Yamaha's main strength.

"I will try to get past Fabio at the start and I think our starting device is better".

"It looks like this weekend will be tougher than Portimao, but this time we are starting from the front so we will be very much looking forward to tomorrow".

Meanwhile, the Pramac Racing Team rider Zarco is on the second Ducati motorbike starting from the front row and intending to disrupt the rhythm of his compatriots and rivals from the start.

💪 @FabioQ20 leads after the early exchanges!@AleixEspargaro is right in touch though on the Aprilia! 👏 #ItalianGP 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/BWlyl2CKOi

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) May 29, 2021

"The first row with Ducati is important because Fabio is very strong this weekend and like the other Ducati riders if we can race well and stay in front I think we have a chance for the podium or the championship", said Zarco.

Despite achieving positive results in qualifying, Zarco was hampered by the ability to turn his Desmosedici GP motorcycle in the free practice session.

The Frenchman said the problem had not been sufficiently resolved.

"We obviously have an engine that is our strength, and at Mugello, that helps a lot. In terms of pace in the race, it's easier to turn that will help a lot".

Jack Miller, having won at Jerez and Le Mans, will be eyeing a hat-trick at Mugello from fifth on the third Ducati bike in the front two rows.

Mugello is one of the most physically demanding circuits with a highly technical layout and a 1.1 km straight track that allows the riders to reach a top speed of up to 356.7 kph (Andrea Dovizioso, 2019).

Quartararo arrived at Mugello as the leader of the drivers' standings with a one-point advantage over Bagnaia after five races.

While Ducati is looking to win a fourth successive home circuit as Jack Miller, Francesco Bagnaia and Johann Zarco hope to follow in the footsteps of Danilo Petrucci, Jorge Lorenzo, Andrea Dovizioso, and Casey Stoner, who have won the Italian Grand Prix on a Desmosedici bike.