Fabio Di Giannantonio dominates a chaotic Friday at Mugello

Fabio Di Giannantonio is the man to beat at Mugello. The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team rider swept both sessions on Friday, setting a blistering 1:44.808 to end the day on top. It was a beautiful display of form on home soil, leaving him 0.091s clear of Francesco Bagnaia of the Ducati Lenovo Team, while Enea Bastianini rounded out the top three for Red Bull KTM Tech3, just 0.012s further back.

It was a messy, wild day of action defined by two red flags. The first was triggered by a crash for Fabio Quartararo at Turn 4, while the second stoppage was required to recover Brad Binder’s broken Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine from the pit lane exit. Amidst the chaos, the late time-attack phase proved unforgiving. While Marc Marquez managed a solid P6, Pedro Acosta struggled to find his rhythm and, after a mistake on his final lap, ended his day in P13. That result forces the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider into Q1, a tough break for the championship contender.

Ultimately, the Italian crowd had plenty to cheer for. With Franco Morbidelli taking P4 and Fermin Aldeguer in P5, the top five was dominated by local talent. It is a stunning start to the weekend, and with the field this tight, tomorrow’s sprint is going to be an absolute thriller.