2026 Grand Prix of Italy Round 9 MXGP 2026 Qualifying Race

• Simone Mancini 4th in EMX250 heat one

• Calvin Vlaanderen just misses the top 10 in MXGP qualifying

The Motocross Grand Prix of Italy, the ninth round of the MXGP season, marks the return of the FIM Motocross World Championship to Montevarchi, on the historic Miravalle track, twenty years after the last Grand Prix. The completely revamped and modernized track features a hard, rocky soil, with the surface made dusty by the strong sun, with scorching temperatures throughout the day.

In MXGP, Calvin Vlaanderen started the day positively with the eighth fastest time in free practice, marking the Dutchman's first experience with the renovated Italian track. Ninth at the end of the timed session, the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team rider got off to a good start in qualifying and moved up to seventh place on his Desmo450 MX bike. Eighth after six laps, Calvin suffered a harmless crash that pushed him down to eleventh, where he finished Saturday's race.

Third at the end of MX2 free practice, home hero Ferruccio Zanchi, living just half an hour from the Montevarchi circuit, confirmed his good feeling with the track, posting the seventh fastest time in the timed session. However, a technical issue prevented the Beddini Racing Ducati Factory MX2 Team rider from starting the qualifying race, forcing him to line up last at the starting gate for tomorrow's two motos.

In EMX250, Simone Mancini posted the sixth fastest time in the morning free practice session and qualified with the third-fastest time in the subsequent timed practice sessions. At the start of the first heat, the Italian rider, who struggled from the starting gate, was 10th and mounted a solid comeback, posting excellent lap times that vaulted him to fourth place overall. The second moto of the EMX250 will take place, as usual, on Sunday morning.