MotoGP: Lorenzo takes first Ducati win as Marquez crashes

Jorge Lorenzo has blown the 2018 MotoGP championship wide open by taking his first win since switching from Yamaha to Ducati at today’s Italian Grand Prix. The five-time world champion put on an old school display of his race-controlling skills to lead from start to finish at Mugello, eventually taking the win by over six seconds from teammate Andrea Dovizioso.

Speaking afterwards, Lorenzo said: “I’m very happy! Yesterday I said that winning at Mugello with Ducati was a dream for me and today this dream has come true. It is one of the most special victories of my entire career, probably equal to the first victory in 125 in 2003 and that of 2008 in MotoGP. I’m really excited and happy for the team, because it was great to get this victory on the Ducati home track after a very busy weekend.

“This morning I realized that we could do it and, even though I was worried about the performance of the tires, I decided to push immediately, as is my style, and everything went perfectly. I cannot ask for more and we will have to celebrate this great success. It was a long time since I could not win and I did it my way.”

But while second place might help make amends for Dovizioso’s crash last time out in Le Mans, it was a disaster this time round for his championship rival, as Marquez succumbed to the pressure and fell out of the battle for the podium.

Valentino Rossi finally took the final podium spot in third, winning a race-long battle with Andrea Iannone, Alex Rins and Cal Crutchlow. Danilo Petrucci, Maverick Viñales, Alvaro Bautista rounded out the top ten.