BARCELONA:
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo has sprinkled yet more magic over the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya as he cruised to an inch-perfect victory in the Monster Energy Catalan Grand Prix. The Frenchman put to bed the nightmare of 2021 by easing to his second premier class victory at the venue, cashing in on his closest Championship rivals’ despair to extend his title lead. Prima Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco completed the podium after profiting from a mind-blowing blunder by poleman Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) after the Spaniard celebrated a lap too early and threw away a secure second place.
The Grand Prix of Catalunya had barely got underway when the drama of the highest order struck at the first corner. Espargaro and Quartararo got away cleanly from the front row of the grid, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) aiming to settle in third spot. Behind him, LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami was trying to edge past his sparring partner from one week ago, Alex Rins, before the Japanese rider’s front-end folded and he wiped out the Team Suzuki Ecstar man. Nakagami’s head collided with the rear wheel of Bagnaia, which sent the Italian tumbling into the gravel trap as well. From the delight of Mugello to the despair of Catalunya, Bagnaia’s title bid had taken a huge dent.
Quartararo avoided the chaos to hit the front, and quickly began stretching out a lead. By the end of the opening lap, he was nearly a second clear of the rest – nobody was able to live with El Diablo. Further back, Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir had made a dynamite start to find himself inside the top five, making up a sensational eleven places. Three laps had ticked by when Espargaro’s dream home win was pulled further from his grasp when Martin managed to squeeze his way through on the Aprilia man.
Mooney VR46 Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi was unable to build on last weekend’s career-best finish when he crashed out of 12th at Turn 10. Then yet more title drama struck when Enea Bastianini hit the deck for the second time in a week. The former title leader was under mounting pressure from Aprilia Racing’s Maverick Viñales before he then cracked under said pressure with a costly error at Turn 5. On the same lap things got worse for Gresini Racing when Fabio Di Giannantonio crashed out as well, the Italian’s race coming to an end at Turn 13.