Winners and Losers: MotoGP 2026 Italian Grand Prix

Written by Isha Reshmi Mohan, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri

The Italian Grand Prix concluded with Italian bikes and riders up front, putting on a spectacle for the home fans. Here are the winners and losers from the weekend gone by in Mugello.

Winner: Marco Bezzecchi

Marco Bezzecchi wins the Italian Grand Prix | Credit: Aprilia 

Aprilia had never won at Mugello until now, and an Italian rider made it happen on home soil right from pole position. Although Francesco Bagnaia briefly took the front spot, Marco Bezzecchi reclaimed it on lap 14, making the outcome feel completely inevitable. 

With that performance, the Italian finally secured a milestone maiden win on home turf and marked a historic first for the manufacturer as well.

Winner: Francesco Bagnaia

Bagnaia finishes third at the Italian Grand Prix | Credit: Ducati Press

Given his progress from last season, Bagnaia fared significantly better at Mugello and even briefly took the top spot from Bezzecchi, leading a race for the first time since Sepang 2025. He put on a great show for the Italian crowd during that battle for the lead.

After losing the top spot on lap 14, it did not take too long for Jorge Martín to pass him as well, but the Ducati man still managed to secure a podium finish at home, a huge positive at this stage of the championship.

Winner: Ai Ogura

Ogura finished fourth at the Italian Grand Prix | Credit: MotoGP Press

As usual, Ogura quietly made progress until his move for fourth place on Acosta, resulting in contact that will most definitely lead to a discussion after the race. He was even close to clinching a podium spot from Bagnaia right until the very end.

Winner: Italian Fans

The fans were given an Italian manufacturer lockout and a battle of Italian riders up front for the win, alongside a battle from the Spanish riders for fourth.

No major injuries were reported during the weekend, a big win following the last few weekends, and this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix set an event record, to top it off. As always, the fans brought a solid atmosphere to Mugello.

Loser: Pedro Acosta

Acosta at Mugello | Credit: Rob Gray via KTM Press 

Acosta will always get the credit he deserves for pushing his KTM to the maximum and fighting for spots until the very end. This time, he went head-to-head for fourth place for the majority of the race with rumoured future teammate Marc Marquez, before Marquez eventually dropped to seventh place. It was a titanic battle, which also included Fermin Aldeguer and Ogura at various points.

Unfortunately, a mid-corner clash with the latter caught Acosta off guard and opened the door for both the Japanese rider and Fabio di Giannantonio to slice through, dropping the KTM man to sixth just ahead of Marc Marquez with five laps to go.

Loser: Raúl Fernández

Fernandez at the Italian Grand Prix | Credit: MotoGP Press

Fernández ran wide in the first corner after starting second, dropping down to 17th for the first part of the race, before ultimately finishing ninth. The team couldn't recreate the high of the sprint victory, making it unfortunate not to secure another Aprilia lockout.

Loser: Fabio Di Giannantonio

Di Giannantonio at the Italian Grand Prix | Credit: MotoGP Press

Fabio Di Giannantonio, compared to the races seen so far, didn’t find himself on the podium on home soil, but it still doesn’t take away from getting his points for the championship as he doesn’t budge from his third-place spot. 

He couldn't fight his way far enough ahead to match the podium finish he secured in Saturday's sprint.

Don’t miss the next race at the Balaton Park for the Hungarian Grand Prix on June 7th at 1pm BST!