Mattia Pasini has become the fifth different winner from five 250cc races this year after a thrilling victory over countryman Marco Simoncelli in Sunday's wet Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.

After a wet MotoGP warm-up and dry 125cc race, heavy rain returned with a vengeance as the 250cc field assembled on the grid meaning the second wet 250cc grand prix in succession.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, reigning world champion and Le Mans winner Simoncelli repeated his wet weather heroics, rocketing into an early lead and holding a three-second advantage by the end of the opening lap.

The Metis Gilera rider's advantage reached seven seconds by lap 3 of 21, before countryman Pasini began clawing his way towards the #58 - and towing championship leader Alvaro Bautista with him.

Bautista pulled out and passed Pasini's pink Toth Aprilia for second place on lap seven and continued closing fast on Simoncelli, now only 3.5sec ahead.

Within one lap that deficit had dropped to just 1.2sec, with Pasini keeping pace in third. Simoncelli reluctantly surrendered the lead on lap ten, but was able to tuck in between Bautista and Pasini.

But not for long.

Simoncelli made a highly questionable move inside Bautista into a left hand turn on the very next lap, pushing them both off track and through the gravel. The pair rejoined in second (Simoncelli) and third (Bautista) but with Pasini now over five seconds clear. The incident will be investigated by race direction.

Bautista came off worst, rejoining five seconds behind Simoncelli, but the Spaniard - fuelled by anger - caught back up to Simoncelli, who was in turn edging ever closer to Pasini.

With four laps to go Bautista was in Simoncelli's wheeltracks but the Italian held firm and a near highside by the #19 was enough to leave watching Aspar Aprilia team manager Jorge Martinez pleading with his star rider to take it easy.