The Italian Grand Prix, which finds its audience for the first time in three years, will also be an opportunity for tifosi to salute national legend Valentino Rossi, retired since the end of 2021.

The "Doctor", converted into a car driver (GT category) after his nine world championship titles in all categories, will see his number 46 officially withdrawn on Saturday noon from the numbers assigned in the championship.

The Italian succession is doing quite well, in particular thanks to the good start to the season of Enea Bastianini, 24 years old.

The "Bestia" ("the beast") is the only driver to have won more than one GP this season in competition that is more open than ever - five different winners in seven races.

On his Ducati-Gresini, he won his third victory of the year ten days ago, all in control after starting in fifth position.

Here he is well established in third place in the World Championship (94 pts), only eight lengths behind the defending champion and leader Quartararo (Yamaha / 102 pts).

Bathed to "redeem"

"At Mugello, although I feel very good there, I haven't had the pleasure of getting on the podium yet. Who knows if it's not the right year", announces the greedy Bastianini.

Enea Bastianini celebrates his victory at the MotoGP French Grand Prix, at Le Mans, on May 15, 2022 JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER AFP / Archives

He will find against him another Italian, revengeful and determined to shine at home, in the person of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), 25 years old.

In line with a disappointing season, "Pecco", announced as one of the contenders for the world crown, finished the race "irritated" again at Le Mans after losing the front and crashing while, starting from pole, he was battling for victory with Bastianini.

"You can make mistakes... I had time to learn from them, and Mugello is probably the best place to bounce back," he said at a press conference on Thursday.

What he remembered from Le Mans?

"That sometimes you have to stay calm in certain situations..."

Fabio Quartaro hopes to continue to make the 5.2 km of Mugello his garden, a route where he won last year after falling the day before in qualifying, in a heavy atmosphere after the death of the Swiss Moto3 pilot Jason Dupasquier, who died at 19 on race day.

Only 20 races

"El Diablo" is aiming for its second victory of 2022 to regain confidence in this up and down season, with a delicate start on the fast circuits, a jump with a victory in Portugal and a good regularity since, on the winding tracks, but without victory.

The limits of his Yamaha in top speed frustrate the Frenchman, who will be further penalized in the long straight line of more than a kilometer of the Tuscan circuit.

"What I can do is give my best. But I'm confident it's one of my favorite tracks, even if it can be difficult when you're in a bad position," said the 23-year-old from Nice, whose the first place in the championship is under the pressing threat of the Spaniard Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), back to four lengths after his 3rd place at Le Mans.

"There are thirteen races left, it's still very long, there is no particular pressure", assures the Frenchman.

Francesco Bagnaia gets up after his fall during the MotoGP French Grand Prix at Le Mans on May 15, 2022 JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER AFP / Archives

The season has been reduced to 20 Grand Prix instead of 21, with the postponement to 2023 of the Finnish round (initially scheduled for July), due to the approval of the circuit and the geopolitical situation in the region.

If Espargaro is delighted with a "bigger summer break" between Assen (June 26) and Great Britain (August 7), Quartararo assures that this will not change anything in his program: "I will continue to train as if there was Finland and then I'll take my break".

© 2022 AFP