MotoGP Round 6 | Di Giannantonio wins. The VR46 rider was joined on the podium by Joan Mir and Fermin Aldeguer but a post-race tyre pressure penalty for the 2020 Champ meant Francesco Bagnaia was promoted to the rostrum. Report: BikeReview/MotoGP Press

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
MotoGP

0.269s and counting, all five manufacturers and eight different teams got through to Q2 after a frantic flurry of action, where everyone was chasing Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #37). The #37 took KTM to top honours with teammate Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #33) in third, both split by last year’s Catalan GP winner Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #73). From his double at Le Mans, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing #89) found himself in Q1 after crashing late on and finishing P17.

Read our other race news here…

Barcelona delivered again, with a mixed-up order making for a mouthwatering prospect ahead of MotoGP’s Tissot Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix. Having dominated Friday, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) put in a stellar showing to bag his first pole since the Japanese GP in 2024, and he was joined by Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #21) and Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) on the front row. Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing #72) crashed at Turn 2, leaving him 12th on the grid.

Moto2

P1 in FP1, P1 in Practice. That was a pretty decent day at the office for Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team #13) in Barcelona. Second place was Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP #81) and third was Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2 #21). Technical problems arose for David Alonso (CFMOTO Impulse Aspar Team #80), which meant the Colombian faced Q1 for the second weekend in succession.

 

 

A 1:41.076 all-time Moto2 lap record in Barcelona from Friday pacesetter Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team) made sure the Italian clinched his first pole position since the 2024 Austrian GP. 0.262s was the gap to Collin Veijer in second (Red Bull KTM Ajo #95), the Dutchman securing an important front row before he took a Long Lap penalty on Sunday, with Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP #18) – the World Championship leader – completing the top three.

Moto3

It had been a decade since a Malaysian rider topped the timesheets in any session in Moto3. and then, two P1s came along at once. Hakin Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI #13) topped not just FP1 but Practice as well, as he was the rider to beat going into Saturday.

Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3 #73) took pole in Barcelona after a stunning late dash for the top, putting in a 1’46.679 to edge out David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP #64) by just 0.005. Rookie Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo #51) completed the front row.

 

 

Saturday
Tissot Sprint

Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) edged out Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) by just 0.041s in the closest Tissot Sprint finish ever, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #49) only 0.4s off victory in Barcelona.

Acosta grabbed the holeshot ahead of Marquez, while early drama saw Brad Binder and Joan Mir crash out after contact at Turn 1, with the incident ruled a racing accident. Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR #5) made a fast start, briefly running second, while Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team #25) charged into the top positions.

The race then took another twist when Jorge Martin crashed out of the top-five fight at Turn 10 on Lap 3, marking his fourth fall of the weekend.

At the front, Alex Marquez took the lead into Turn 1 before Fernandez briefly moved into P2. Acosta reclaimed second with four laps remaining and began hunting down Marquez. Di Giannantonio also joined the battle after passing Fernandez on Lap 11.

On the final lap, Acosta piled on the pressure but couldn’t find a way through, allowing Alex Marquez to hold on for a home Sprint victory by less than a tenth. Di Giannantonio completed the podium in third, ahead of Fernandez in P4 and Zarco in P5.

“I struggled a little bit with the front tyre at the end, maybe pushed a little bit too much in the beginning, so I need to improve for tomorrow in that management of the front tyre. But today, victory was so important, and I was able to fly again and catch again the flow here in Barcelona,” Marquez explained.

Tissot Sprint Race Results

  1. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati
  2. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM (+0.041s)
  3. Fabio Di Giannantonio Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+0.457s)
  4. Raul Fernandez Trackhouse Aprilia (+2.928s)
  5. Johann Zarco Castrol Honda LCR (+4.764s)

Sunday
MotoGP

Fabio Di Giannantonio claimed his first MotoGP win since 2023 with a dramatic victory at the Catalan Grand Prix, leading home Joan Mir and Fermin Aldeguer on the road. However, a post-race tyre pressure penalty for Mir promoted Francesco Bagnaia to P3 and elevated Aldeguer to second.

The race was overshadowed by major crashes involving Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco, both of whom were caught up in separate red-flag incidents. Marquez later confirmed a broken collarbone and small C7 vertebra fracture, while Zarco suffered a minor leg fracture and knee ligament damage.

At the original start, Pedro Acosta grabbed the holeshot ahead of Alex Marquez, with early battles involving Raul Fernandez, Jorge Martin and Zarco. Fernandez briefly took the lead from Acosta on Lap 5 before Acosta reclaimed P1 on Lap 9, as Marquez joined the fight at the front.

Disaster struck on Lap 12 when Acosta suffered a technical issue exiting Turn 9. Alex Marquez had nowhere to go and collided with the KTM, triggering a huge crash that scattered debris across the circuit. Di Giannantonio and Zarco were also caught up but returned for the restart.

The first 13-lap restart barely lasted a corner after Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol #10), Bagnaia and Zarco crashed at Turn 1, bringing out another red flag.

In the second restart, Acosta again led early from Mir and Bagnaia, while Martin and Fernandez collided at Turn 5 and dropped to the back. Di Giannantonio steadily climbed through the order, passing Bagnaia and then Mir before taking the lead from Acosta at Turn 10 with three laps remaining.

The Italian quickly built a gap as Mir, Aldeguer and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team #79) closed in on Acosta. On the final lap, Mir and Aldeguer passed the KTM rider before contact with Ogura at the final corner sent Acosta crashing out and ending his podium hopes.

Di Giannantonio secured his first win in VR46 colours and first victory since the 2023 Qatar GP, while Mir’s tyre pressure penalty reshuffled the podium to Aldeguer P2 and Bagnaia P3. Ogura also received a three-second penalty for the last-corner incident, dropping him to P8.

“I’m so happy, but I was really worried about all the riders who crashed. Today has not been an easy day for everybody. I really hope that Alex is fine. We know that our sport is amazing, we try to give an amazing show, but also we are humans and we are in danger, so I really hope that everybody is safe. I’m really happy with myself and the team, they did an amazing job and we were looking for it [victory] for a long time, so we must be proud,” Di Giannantonio reflected.

MotoGP Race Results

  1. Fabio Di Giannantonio Pertamina VR46 Ducati
  2. Fermin Aldeguer BK8 Gresini Ducati (+1.466s)
  3. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo (+4.320s)
  4. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing (+4.679s)
  5. Fabio Quartararo Monster Yamaha (+4.876s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points

  1. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing – 142
  2. Jorge Martin Aprilia Racing – 127
  3. Fabio di Giannantonio Pertamina VR46 Ducati – 116
  4. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM – 92
  5. Ai Ogura Trackhouse Aprilia – 77

Moto2

Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) extended his Moto2 World Championship lead after holding off a late charge from Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team) in a thrilling Catalan GP battle decided by just a couple of tenths. Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 #28) rounded out a strong home podium after climbing from P11 on the grid.

Vietti led early from Gonzalez after the holeshot fight, while Collin Veijer dropped from P2 to P10 and Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – El Motorista – MSI #4) moved into P3 ahead of Guevara and David Alonso. Further back, Alonso Lopez, Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team #96) and Senna Agius fought through the field.

Guevara soon passed Lopez for P4 as Agius and Alonso also advanced, with Vietti beginning to edge clear at the front. By Lap 10, Vietti led Gonzalez by 0.7s, with Ortola in P3 and Guevara closing in behind.

Mid-race, Vietti’s advantage briefly grew before Gonzalez began to reel him back in, while Ortola dropped out of contention for victory. With five laps remaining, Gonzalez was firmly on Vietti’s tail, setting up a final-lap showdown.

With three laps to go, Gonzalez made his move at Turn 1 to take the lead, as Vietti attempted to respond in the closing stages. The Italian stayed close but couldn’t find a way back through.

On the final lap, Gonzalez defended from Vietti through the final corners to secure victory by just 0.2s, taking a crucial win in the title fight. Guevara closed in late to secure P3 ahead of Ortola, as Holgado finished P5 after a strong ride.

Moto2 Race Results

  1. Manuel Gonzalez LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP
  2. Celestino Vietti Beta Tools SpeedRS Team (+0.203s)
  3. Izan Guevara BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 (+4.205s)
  4. Ivan Ortola QJMOTOR – Bordoy – MSI (K+6.338s)
  5. Daniel Holgado CFMOTO Impulse Aspar Team (+7.971s)

Moto2 Championship Points

  1. Manuel Gonzalez Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP – 104.5
  2. Izan Guevara BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 – 86
  3. Celestino Vietti HDR SpeedRS Team – 73
  4. Senna Agius LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP – 65
  5. David Alonso CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team – 58

Moto3

Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team #28) made it three wins in a row and stretched his championship lead to 64 points after six Grands Prix, holding off a last-corner attack from David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) to win the Catalan GP. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo #83) surged from 13th on the grid to snatch second at the line, demoting Muñoz to third.

Polesitter Brian Uriarte led early from the holeshot as Quiles battled in a large lead group also featuring Hakim Danish, David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP #22), Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing #31), Jesus Rios (Rivacold Snipers Team #54), Valentin Perrone and Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia #9), with constant slipstream battles reshuffling positions.

At half distance, Uriarte briefly returned to the front while Muñoz and Fernandez engaged in a fierce duel as a second group led by Marco Morelli (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team #97) and Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse #67) closed in from behind.

With four laps to go, Quiles struck to take the lead and immediately came under pressure from Almansa, Danish, Uriarte and Muñoz. Drama struck when Rios crashed at Turn 10 on the penultimate lap, thinning the lead group ahead of a frantic final lap.

Quiles led into the final lap and defended through Turns 5 and 10 before Muñoz launched a last-corner attack, briefly taking P1 before running wide with a front-end moment. That allowed Quiles to power back through for victory on the line, completing a hat-trick of wins.

Carpe completed the podium in second ahead of Muñoz in third, with Uriarte finishing P4, Almansa P5 and Morelli P6 following an admirable recovery.

Moto3 Race Results

  1. Maximo Quiles CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team
  2. Alvaro Carpe Red Bull KTM Ajo (+0.094s)
  3. David Munoz Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (+0.098s)
  4. Brian Uriarte Red Bull KTM Ajo (+0.128s)
  5. David Almansa Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (+0.552s)

Moto3 Championship Points

  1. Maximo Quiles CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team – 140
  2. Adrian Fernandez Leopard Racing – 76
  3. Alvaro Carpe Red Bull KTM Ajo – 73
  4. Marco Morelli CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team – 58
  5. Veda Pratama Honda Team Asia – 58

How Did the Aussies Do?

Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP #43) continued the encouraging momentum shown by Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP in recent races by qualifying directly for Q2 with ninth place. Unfortunately, he was unable to carry that pace into the Sprint or main race, finishing 16th in the Sprint before a penalty in the Grand Prix left him 15th and claiming a single championship point.

Starting from the fourth row of the grid at the Catalan GP, Senna Agius battled to a very respectable 10th despite suffering a rear tyre issue in the latter stages of the race.

Breathing life into his weekend with a solid P8 in qualifying, Joel Kelso (GRYD – MLav Racing #66) appeared well placed to enjoy a strong race. But struggles with the bike ensured the best he could muster was 18th.

 

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