JAMES TOSELAND’S INSIDER INSIGHTS: 11th June 2019

ITALIAN AUTODROMO DI MUGELLO

What an amphitheatre this track is! 

If you are a bike fan looking for tracks for your bucket list and you haven’t yet been then make sure you visit this one! 
It’s such a beautiful circuit.  Carved out of the rolling hills of Florence, it’s one of the most amazing tracks to ride and to watch!

Moto 3

The passionate Italian fans were treated early on Sunday morning when a young Italian secured his first ever Grand Prix victory and kicked off the Italian festivities! Tony Arbolino is just 18 years old and he’s been climbing the ranks slowly but surely over the past few years and what a place to find your best form. 

It wasn’t easy for Tony though. Seven riders crossed the finish line within less than half a second to end another epic Moto 3 race! 

After John McPhee’s amazing victory last time out in Le Mans, he was right at the sharp end again and was very unlucky not to finish on the podium once more. It looks like John has got a good setup now and I hope this form can carry on for the rest of the season. 

Even though Aron Canet finished at the back of the leading group in 7th, he still leads the championship. It’s only a 3 point lead though so the championship is wide open and I can’t wait to see the youngsters do battle again at the next round in Catalunya! 

Moto 2

The pace of the Moto 2 riders at Mugello highlighted the strength of the new Triumph engine this year! Mugello saw the Moto 2 bikes go over 300KPH for the very first time in its history on Friday. 

Marcel Schrotter smashed the old lap record to secure pole position and the race record was blown out of the arena! 

The only thing more impressive than Triumph horse power at the weekend was Alex Marquez. He took back-to-back victories with his win in Mugello and it wasn’t just any kind of victory, he dominated. 

The change to Triumph power this year looks like it’s given Alex a package that could finally promote him into the big league with his brother Marc! 

Racing is all about timing. If Moto 2 had stayed with Honda power then Alex may have never been able to show this kind of potential to the top teams in MotoGP. The switch to Triumph this year looks so much more suited to Alex’s riding style and he now looks like he’s a champion of the future. I couldn’t have said that with the way he rode the Honda. What a difference a year makes. 

Luca Marini scored his first podium of the season and the ever consistent Thomas Luthi was 3rd. Only 4 points cover the top 3 now with Lorenzo Baldassarri still leading after finishing 4th at the weekend. 

With the long straight at Catalunya, don’t be surprised if many more records get smashed next time out! Can’t wait!

MotoGP 

Alex Marquez spoiled the Italian party for a short while on Sunday but Danilo Petrucci was going to finish the day in the best way imaginable to all Italian motorcycle fans watching trackside! 

I have watched Danilo develop for many years now. All the way back to the European Supersport 600 days when I was still racing!

He is one of the nicest guys you’ll meet in the paddock and I was absolutely made up for him on Sunday. To take any victory in MotoGP is the pinnacle of any rider’s career and to do this at your home race, in front of your home fans must have been unbelievable for him. He very much deserved it after all these years of hard work. 

It was a Ducati sandwich across the line with a Marc Marquez filling! What a race it was and I was glued to the screen from the lights going out! 

It already looks like a two horse race for the championship with Marc and Dovi but the amount of riders that are capable of a podium makes the racing very exciting to watch. 
Marc Marquez, Andrea Dovizioso, Danilo Petrucci, Alex Rins, Valentino Rossi, Cal Crutchlow, Jack Miller, Maverick Vinales, Fabio Quartararo, Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Lorenzo and Takaaki Nakagami are all riders with the pace to finish on the podium this year! 

To have 12 riders with this kind of pace means that even if Marc Marquez wins another championship this season, the racing is going to be unpredictably amazing! 

Ducati won last year in Catalunya and Marc will remember that. It won’t be an easy weekend for him with the power of that Ducati down that long start and finish straight but I know the Ducati boys won’t dare to look behind! The Ant will be right there I’m sure! 

So looking forward to the next race in Spain! 
Catch up soon! 
JT.