Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Álex Márquez consolidated his third place in the Moto2 standings with a superbly judged podium finish at Mugello today.

Márquez was part of a breathtaking final lap at the Italian Grand Prix to finish in third, just 0.136s out of first place taken by home favourite Mattia Pasini.

Márquez, Pasini and Tom Lüthi had staged an absorbing three-way battle for the victory for most of the 21-lap race run in cool and overcast conditions.

The trio took turns at the front but it was Pasini who surged from third on the final lap to take the win ahead of Lüthi and Márquez.

The Spanish rider had conserved his rear tyre for the late race contest but admitted his final lap was perhaps a little too conservative.

However the podium is the perfect platform for Márquez for next Sunday’s Catalunya Grand Prix in Barcelona.

Italian rider Franco Morbidelli maintained his championship points lead with a calculated ride that secured him a comfortable fourth place.

Under intense pressure to win at home Morbidelli focussed on his campaign to win the Moto2 world title and took a sensible approach to score valuable points.

He rode patiently in fourth place for most of the race just behind the frantic fight staged by the leading trio.

Morbidelli and Márquez had qualified 1-2 on the grid but today’s result ended a five race winning streak by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS in Moto2.

After six races Morbidelli leads the championship on 113 points with Márquez third on 78.

Álex Márquez: 3rd
“The last lap was incredible and I pushed as hard as I could but maybe I thought too much about it. I saved my tyres for the final lap but in the end it was not enough, Pasini had unbelievable rhythm for the whole race. I’m happy to be on the podium in Italy and score some very important points for the championship and now we go to my home race in Barcelona.”

Franco Morbidelli: 4th
“I had to be intelligent today because I didn’t have the best pace. The front guys were faster than me so I had to focus on getting points for the championship. The good thing is that the next race in Barcelona is only a week away so I’m looking forward to improving our set-up and having the pace to challenge for the win there.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“The most important thing at Mugello is to finish on the podium, it can be a tricky race in Moto2 with all the slip-streaming on the final lap. Álex was in the fight for the victory the whole race and I am very happy he finished on the podium. And Franco maintains his championship lead with a sensible ride into fourth. Our winning streak may have ended but we leave Mugello with a smile on our faces.”