VOLUME 58 ISSUE 22 JUNE 2, 2021 P83
Eventually, Quartararo broke
the slipstream of Zarco heading
into lap five after making good
progress on the twisty part of
the circuit, and from there, the
Yamaha star was able to edge
clear of Zarco in second place.
By lap 11 his lead was up to 2.7
seconds over second place
Zarco, who had Oliveira clinging
onto his tailpipes. Comfortably
lapping in the 1:47s, Quartararo
was in a league of his own at
Mugello and took a third win of
the season by 2.5 seconds.
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE,
MOTOGP
F
abio Quartararo claimed an
emotional 2021 Italian Mo-
toGP race win at Mugello
just hours after the news filtered
through of Moto3 rider Jason
Dupasquier's passing (See In
The Wind).
Quartararo dedicated his
victory to the fallen 19-year-old
Swiss, who passed away due to
injuries sustained in a multi-bike
crash in Moto3 Qualifying 2.
Quartararo's win came after
he pulled clear of compatriot
Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati),
the latter submitting to attacks
from Miguel Oliveira, and Suzuki
pair Joan Mir and Alex Rins.
Quartararo's new front start
device worked wonders off the
line as the polesitter managed
to keep Ducati's Francesco
Bagnaia at bay until the braking
zone, when the Italian dived up
the inside of the Frenchman to
lead. Pecco then led the way as
the riders settled into the race,
but the Ducati rider tucked the
front at turn nine on lap two—Ba-
gnaia's race over. Quartararo
was handed the lead, as com-
patriot Zarco (Pramac Racing)
frustrated El Diablo in the early
laps by utilizing his Ducati grunt
on the front straight.
The riders assemble before the
start of the MotoGP race to pay
tribute to fallen comrade, Jason
Dupasquier. Some, including
Francesco Bagnaia, Danilo
Petrucci and Aleix Espargaro, did
not want the race to go ahead.
