A track more fitting for Petrucci’s maiden win in MotoGP does not exist.
He rejoiced his first victory on home soil with an Italian crowd that were as jubilant as Petrucci’s Ducati factory garage team.
Six years ago, Petrucci considered quitting professional Grand Prix racing.
The young boy from Terni had given MotoGP everything he had, but could not manage to get a competitive ride.
He rode an Ioda for three years, a bike not competitive compared to the likes of Honda, Ducati, Yamaha, and Suzuki.
Petrucci started to lose hope.
It was not until 2015, when Pramac Ducati offered Petrucci a seat, that his confidence in the sport was relit.
The Mugello GP presented the best race of the season so far.
Petrucci snatched the lead from Marc Marquez on Lap 18, pushing the Spaniard to fifth position.
From there, it was a game of tag with the first five positions continually changing between Petrucci, Marquez, Andrea Dovizioso, Alex Rins and even Australian Jack Miller, who eventually fell.
Crowd favourite Valentino Rossi, who had trouble all race weekend, did not finish.
It is the first time he has retired in a race since Japan 2017, leaving the Mugello crowd shattered when he crashed out.
The final laps of the race not only had the riders on the edge of their seats, but viewers too.
On the final lap, Petrucci lost his lead on the 1.14-kilometre Mugello straight after Marquez used the slipstream to pull to first.
The 28-year-old Petrucci ripped past Marquez and Dovizioso mid final lap, managing to hold Marquez off and cross the finish line five hundredths of a second in front of the Spaniard.
“It’s unbelievable … And in the best place in the world [to win], in my home,” Petrucci said after the race.
“I cannot explain the feeling!”
It is Petrucci’s first year riding for the Ducati factory team, who now have three wins in a row at the Mugello Circuit.
Catch the next round of MotoGP on June 16, 2019, for the Catalunya GP.
Italian GP Race Results
- Petrucci (ITA) - Ducati
- Marquez (SPA) - Repsol Honda
- Dovizioso (ITA) – Ducati
- Rins (SPA) - Suzuki Ecstar
- Nakagami (JPN) - LCR Honda
- Vinales (SPA) - Monster Yamaha
- Pirro (ITA) - Ducati
- Crutchlow (GBR) - LCR Honda
- Pol Espargaro (SPA) – Red Bull KTM Factory
- Quartararo (FRA) - Petronas Yamaha
- Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Factory Aprilia Gresini
- Mir (SPA) - Suzuki Ecstar
- Lorenzo (SPA) - Repsol Honda
- Abraham (CZE) - Reale Avintia Ducati
- Iannone (ITA) - Factory Aprilia Gresini
- Oliveira (POR) - Red Bull KTM Tech3
- Zarco (FRA) - Red Bull KTM Factory
DID NOT FINISH
Miller (AUS) - Pramac Ducati
Bagnaia (ITA) - Pramac Ducati
Morbidelli (ITA) - Petronas Yamaha
Rossi (ITA) - Monster Yamaha
Syahrin (MAL) - Red Bull KTM Tech3
Rabat (SPA) - Reale Avintia Ducati
