DUCATI Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia of Italy rides during a practice session ahead of the Italian MotoGP on Friday.—AFP
DUCATI Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia of Italy rides during a practice session ahead of the Italian MotoGP on Friday.—AFP

MUGELLO: World champion Francesco Bagnaia topped the timesheets after Friday’s practice at the Italian MotoGP.

Bagnaia, on a factory Ducati, arrived in Mugello for this sixth round of the season nursing an ankle injury suffered in a last time out crash in France.

Despite walking with the aid of a crutch once on the bike he proved he is the man to beat in both Saturday’s sprint and Sunday’s main event.

His quickest lap in the afternoon session was six hundredths of a second faster than Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati-VR46), who is just one point behind Bagnaia in the overall standings.

The Honda LCR team’s Spanish rider Alex Rins was placed third ahead of the KTM of South African Brad Binder.

Marc Marquez hit the deck but the six-time champion rushed back to his factory Honda garage to jump on a replacement bike and post the eighth best time.

There was disappointment for 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo who could only muster the 16th best time on his Yamaha and must finish in the top two in the first qualifying session on Saturday to go through to the second qualifying session and a shot at pole.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

Solidarity with Palestine
Updated 29 Nov, 2024

Solidarity with Palestine

The wretched of the earth see in the Palestinian struggle against Israel a mirror of themselves.
Little relief for public
29 Nov, 2024

Little relief for public

INFLATION, the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services over a given period of time, has receded...
Right to education
29 Nov, 2024

Right to education

IT is troubling to learn that over 16,500 students of the University of Karachi (KU) have defaulted on fee payments...
A hasty retreat
Updated 28 Nov, 2024

A hasty retreat

Govt should not extend its campaign of violence against PTI and its leaders, thinking it now has the upper hand. Enough is enough.
Lebanon truce
28 Nov, 2024

Lebanon truce

WILL it hold? That is the question many in the Middle East and beyond will be asking after a 60-day ceasefire ...
MDR anomaly removed
28 Nov, 2024

MDR anomaly removed

THE State Bank’s decision to remove its minimum deposit rate requirement for conventional banks on deposits from...