Classics: Top 3 Italian GPs

Ahead of the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM relive all of the action from three of the best premier class races to take place at Mugello.

2014 - Marc Marquez travelled to Mugello having won the opening five races of the season and leading the championship by 47 points from his teammate Dani Pedrosa. His sensational start to the year meant that his rivals knew they had to try everything in an effort to bring an end to his winning streak. Jorge Lorenzo had won the previous three Italian GPs but had endured his worst start to a premier class season so far in his career. His teammate Valentino Rossi had not finished on the podium at Mugello since 2009 and the Italian fans were desperate for their talisman to return to the rostrum.

Marquez would start from pole alongside Andrea Iannone and Lorenzo, while Rossi would have his work cut out after only managing to qualify in tenth.

2009 - Valentino Rossi arrived at the 2009 Italian GP as the undisputed ‘King of Mugello’, with the Italian having won the previous seven races at his home grand prix. That season though, his young teammate Jorge Lorenzo (66pts) was leading the championship after winning his second race of the season at Le Mans by one point, with both Rossi and Casey Stoner tied on 65 points.

Come race day the heavens opened in the morning, but a drying track led to one of the most exciting flag to flag races witnessed in the World Championship. Could Rossi maintain his winning streak on home soil? Could Lorenzo extend his lead in the championship? Or would Stoner take his second win of the season?

2006 - The 2006 season was one of the most dramatic witnessed in the history of MotoGP™ and the Italian Grand Prix was no exception. Nicky Hayden (83pts) led the standings coming into the fifth round of the season at Mugello by four points, despite not having won a race, from Marco Melandri (79pts) and Loris Capirossi (79pts). Valentino Rossi, looking to defend his title, had endured his worst start to a premier class season since his debut year. The Italian had won in Qatar, but that was his only trip to the podium in five races that year and two retirements at Shanghai and Le Mans saw him down in tenth with just 40 points.

What followed was an incredible three-way scrap between Rossi on the Yamaha, the Ducati of Loris Capirossi, and Hayden on the Honda, with just 0.735s separating the trio as they crossed the line…but who would come out on top?