Marco Bezzecchi
The Italian Grand Prix is one of the mainstays on the MotoGP calendar and has seen its fair share of great moments over the years.
Luckily for the locals there have been a lot of Italian riders win the race, while it has taken place at some of the most iconic race tracks across both the premier 500cc class and MotoGP.
Monza, Imola, and Mugello have all hosted rounds since the 1960s, with some of MotoGP’s best riders taking victory at the Italian Grand Prix.
With that in mind, MotoGP News has taken a look at some of the best moments from the race over the years.
1966 – Giacomo Agostini wins first 500cc title at Monza
Giacomo Agostini has won the Italian GP more than any rider, taking 13 victories across both the 500cc and 350cc class.
Regarded as one of the best MotoGP riders of all time, Agostini kickstarted his win record on home turf in 1966 when he won at Monza, taking his first 500cc title in the process.
His win meant he sealed the championship at the final round of the season, clocking up 36 points and beating British rider Mike Hailwood in the process.
1996 – Mick Doohan fends off Alex Criville at Imola
Mick Doohan and Alex Criville’s rivalry is one of the biggest in MotoGP’s history during the 500cc days, and the 1996 season was no exception.
At the Italian round that took place in Imola, Doohan finished 0.104s ahead of Criville to take his third victory of the season and what would be one of eight on the way to his second 500cc title in his career.
2004 – Valentino Rossi beats Sete Gibernau
Valentino Rossi was the master of Mugello with seven Italian Grand Prix victories in MotoGP to his name, and the 2004 edition was one of his finest.
In the wet conditions, the race effectively turned into a sprint event with only six laps on the board, as the riders battled the sodden track on slick tyres.
Rossi was not in the fight for the lead, but in the final three laps, he pulled off an astonishing comeback ride on his Yamaha. Troy Bayliss called Rossi a ‘maniac’ for what he did, having passed him and Sete Gibernau on the penultimate lap to win the race.
2016 – Jorge Lorenzo snatches win from Marc Marquez
Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo pulled off an impressive battle for the win in 2016, with the pair crossing the line separated by just 0.019s.
It was a titanic battle between the pair through the winding roads of the Mugello circuit, with Lorenzo prevailing after a last-lap overtake on Marquez.
Home favourite Valentino Rossi started from pole but suffered from a race-ending engine breakdown, which massively impacted his chances of taking an eighth title.
2019 – Danilo Petrucci wins at home
Ducati will always want to win their home race, and where better to achieve that than at Mugello with an Italian rider?
After a great start from third on the grid for Danilo Petrucci, a brilliant battle between the popular Italian rider and teammate Andrea Dovizioso ensued, with Alex Rins and Marquez also getting in on the action.
Petrucci was being chased by the pair in the final laps of the race, and would hang on to the win by just 0.043s at the line from Marquez.
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
