MotoGP News: Quartararo comes out on top as Catalonia rocks the Championship

Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) bounced back in serious style in the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, the Frenchman picking his way to the front to pull away initially before just holding off a charge from Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir. Mir took yet another podium though, and his Team Suzuki Ecstar teammate Alex Rins sliced through from P13 to third to make it two Suzukis on the podium for the first time since 2007.

That was as drama ripped through the title fight just behind, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) down and out early on after he got collected by Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) in a domino effect Turn 1 shuffle, and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) dropping down to P15 before recovering to ninth.

Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was lightning off the line and grabbed the holeshot, with Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) propelling himself from fourth to second as Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Quartararo dropped a couple of places. The huge drama then hit early doors at Turn 2: Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) almost went down – and pulled off an amazing save – but it was just in front of Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing). Petrux clipped Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). and, reacting, Zarco tucked the front. On the outside of the dominoes lay Dovizioso, and the (former) Championship leader and Zarco were down and out.

Back up at the front it was a little less dramatic as Rossi got the better of first Quartararo and then Miller, before the Australian was then wide to allow Quartararo through too, making it a Yamaha 1-2-3 at the end of the opening lap. Mir was holding off teammate Rins for P5 as both Suzukis had made good starts, Rins especially so, whereas Viñales got an awful start and shuffle at Turn 1, down in P15.

It didn’t take long for the top five to start pulling clear of the chasing pack, with Pol Espargaro getting the better of Rins for P6 and Mir then last man half in touch with the front in the early stages. The gap to the number 36 was a second on Lap 3 and up to two a couple of laps later though, with the top five all equally split on the road. Quartararo had Rossi firmly in his sights, however, and the 21-year-old homed in on the ‘Doctor’, making a pass stick at Turn 1 to make it a Petronas 1-2. Miller was sticking with the three Yamahas in fourth as Mir dropped back slightly, but it was early, early doors… and much was yet to come.

By Lap 8, Quartararo was hounding teammate and race leader Morbidelli, with Rossi and Miller waiting in the wings. ‘El Diablo’ then snatched the lead into Turn 1 at the beginning of Lap 9, and a fastest lap of the race came in for the number 20. Morbidelli and Rossi were keeping him honest though and then set slightly quicker lap times on Lap 10, with nothing to choose between the YZR-M1 trio. Miller was 0.7 seconds off the podium at that point, with Mir 1.2 behind Miller.

With 14 to go, there was just 0.8 covering the leading three, but Morbidelli was then nearly down at Turn 1 a lap later. The Italian was out of shape into the braking zone and ran wide, then nearly tucking the front, just saving it. Rossi was through on his protégé with the number 21 slotting back into third, and Miller now also seeming to struggle in the fight to keep Mir at bay. Quartararo was just 0.7 ahead of the number 46 up front too, although that then went up to 0.9s on the 15th lap of 24, with the tension palpable in Barcelona.

On Lap 16, that tension broke with more drama at Turn 2. On for his second podium of the season and 200th premier class rostrum on his 350th premier class start, Rossi slid out of contention as he tipped into the left-hander. Rider ok, but a big chance gone. That left Quartararo with a three-second lead over his teammate, which seemed like some solid breathing pace. But after a Turn 10 mistake from Miller, Mir was up to third and smelt blood as that now foreboding late-race pace for the Suzuki man was coming to the fore again. With seven to go, Mir was just half a second off Morbidelli.

Suzuki late race pace was coming on strong for Rins, too. With five to go, the number 42 was all over the back of Miller in the fight for fourth, with Mir unable to get within striking distance of Morbidelli for the time being. Quartararo seemed safe in P1, his lead up to 3.3, but Rins then pounced on Miller at Turn 10; the two Suzukis on a charge.

Quartararo’s lead was 2.8 with four to go and at the end of Lap 21, the gap was down to just 2.5 – Mir seven tenths quicker than the race leader, and the lead Suzuki man now right on Morbidelli. Onto the penultimate lap, Mir struck for second, and that wasn’t the last of Morbidelli’s worries as Rins homed in as well. The Suzukis were swarming and Mir was immediately off into the distance from the number 21 Petronas Yamaha, with Rins then up the inside of Morbidelli at Turn 10 as well, making it two Suzukis in the top three for the first time since Misano 2007.

Was that all she wrote? Quartararo’s lead was 1.8, but Mir was flying. Halfway round the last lap the Mayorcan was just 1.4 off, and the tenths kept evaporating from Quartararo’s advantage. In the final sector, it was almost equidistant from the Frenchman to Mir to Rins, and the number 20 seemed to almost be looking over his shoulder. Having pushed so hard so early, there wasn’t enough grip left for pushing late to make up much ground…

Round the final corner though, the Frenchman stood firm. An emotional victory ultimately just a second ahead of Mir sees him take back the Championship lead, and get back on the top step for the first time since Jerez. Mir taking yet another rostrum, however, moves him up to second overall – just eight points back and the man on consistent form, Jaws music and all. What would one more lap have meant between the two now at the top? Rins, meanwhile, gained an impressive ten places to take third and his first podium since his stunning win at Silverstone last year, making it a real milestone day for Suzuki with both Hamamatsu machines on the podium for the first time in 13 years.

Morbidelli slipped to P4 after the Suzuki late charge, but he’s now just seven behind Dovizioso on the standings. Miller managed to hold off teammate Bagnaia on the last lap to claim a top five, making it strong rides for both Pramac Racing riders in Barcelona after Ducati looked to be on the back foot on Friday. Nakagami was just a tenth behind the two as the Japanese rider keeps up his run of finishing in the top 10 in every race this season – the only rider to do so – with Petrucci eighth for his second best result of 2020.

Viñales’ difficult day at the office after the ground lost at Turn 1 saw the number 12 only able to push back through to ninth, although that is some points at least. The Yamaha rider is now 18 adrift of Quartararo heading to the French GP though, and he’ll want to hit back quickly at a venue he’s reigned before. Battered and bruised Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) gritted his teeth for a great top 10 ride, the Brit less than a second away from Viñales.

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was the top Austrian machine in P11 for some more solid points towards Rookie of the Year. Teammate Pol Espargaro crashed out, as did Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Miguel Oliveira. Oliveira’s teammate Iker Lecuona was P14, behind Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and an unexpectedly tough race for Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) as the rookie took P13. Tito Rabat (Esponsorama Racing) completed the points.

That’s it for a dramatic, pivotal and, at times, chaotic Catalan GP. It’s advantage Quartararo as we head for his home turf at Le Mans, and the Sarthe venue has hosted plenty of Yamaha glory before. Will we see more in two weeks? Mir will be keen to make sure we don’t, still hunting for that first win, as Viñales and Dovizioso now face an uphill battle to get back up there. Come back for more spectacular MotoGP™ in two weeks!

MotoGP results (full results here)
1 Fabio Quartararo* – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha 40:33.176
2 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +0.928
3 Alex Rins – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +1.898

Fabio Quartararo: “Honestly it was a difficult race, I made a great start then I was fourth, Jack made a mistake and I knew that was the perfect time to overtake! When I took the lead, and Franco stayed some laps behind, our pace was really fast and I think at that moment it was way too fast to keep the tyre fresh to the end. At the end I was three seconds slower but it’s not because I was in control! I was pushing at my maximum, and unfortunately it’s difficult to understand because the two guys here were much faster than me at the end but I think it was so important to make the first half of the race in the best conditions. We can be happy with our job today after five races of tough times. We learned many things but today it’s good to be back on the podium!”

Moto2
Sky Racing Team VR46’s Luca Marini produced some Montmelo magic to see off the hard-charging Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) in the closing stages of the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, taking what could turn out to be a vital victory in his quest to be crowned Moto2™ World Champion in 2020. Lowes was forced to settle for second, with the podium completed by Fabio Di Giannantonio (HDR Heidrun Speed Up) as the Italian was back on the rostrum for the first time this year.

Marini would take the holeshot from pole position, with Di Giannantonio diving past his teammate Jorge Navarro (HDR Heidrun Speed Up) to take second into the opening corner. Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team), meanwhile, was already inside the top five and trying to help his own Championship cause after starting from tenth on the grid, left with some Sunday work to do.

At the end of Lap 1, Lowes attacked Bastianini to take fifth, with the Italian slipping further back four corners later when Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) found a way through as well. At the front, meanwhile, the leading trio were already showing that they had the pace to break away with a gap starting to form from Navarro back to Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) in fourth.

A lap later Lowes was aggressive again as he lunged past Bezzecchi, but he couldn’t get the bike stopped and allowed the Italian back through. The Brit got the job done moments later though, putting in the fastest lap of the race as he started to close in on the three men ahead. It didn’t take long for the six-wheeler at the front to become an eight-wheeler, and once on the scene Lowes caught and then passed Navarro in one fell swoop to take third.

The front trio were locked together, but Marini seemed a threat to breakaway and Lowes was next looking for a way through on ‘Diggia’. The Brit then got totally out of shape into Turn 10 trying to get past, keeping it together but sending the pair of them wide. Was this the chance for Marini to bolt at the front? The Italian had just over a second in hand as they came across the line to complete Lap 8, but Lowes was unperturbed and he then dispatched the Speed Up ahead before setting another fastest lap. That put him within a second, but Marini remained in his rhythm…

Lowes was too though. Churning through the deficit to tag back onto the Sky Racing Team VR46 machine in the lead, the Brit looking threatening as he hovered in Marini’s shadow. By seven to go, Lowes decided the time was now as an inch-perfect attack into the opening corner saw him take the lead. Marini wouldn’t allow him to escape, however, and as the laps ticked by, the Italian continued to apply the pressure.

Marini waited for the penultimate lap to pounce, and pounce he did. A carbon copy of the move that saw him lose the lead then saw the Italian regain it at Turn 1 as he sliced back through, hammer down immediately as the last few kilometers ticked on. Lowes tried to stay with him, but the Brit was then too hot into Turn 6 and lost ground, left watching Marini escape just enough to secure the win.

That third win of the year for Marini could prove to be his most pivotal yet, as his World Championship lead stretches out to twenty points. Lowes’ four-year wait for an intermediate class win continues, but another podium finish made for some solid points to gain ground on Bezzecchi in the title fight. Di Giannantonio, meanwhile, managed to keep himself in some clear air to take his first podium of the season after what’s been a difficult start to the year.

The good news continued for HDR Heidrun Speed Up in fourth. After a near race-long battle with Joe Roberts, Navarro finally got the better of the American on the final lap to take fourth place. Roberts completed the top five, with Bastianini forced to settle for sixth as his Championship hopes got a slight dent, and the same could be said for Bezzecchi as he came across the line in seventh, ending a run of three podium finishes.

Inde Aspar Team Moto2’s Aron Canet was up there challenging for one before a late mistake saw him drop back to eighth, with Marcos Ramirez (Tennor American Racing) and Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) rounding out the top ten.

Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) crashed out of contention for a solid finish, as did Xavi Vierge (EG 0,0 Marc VDS). Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) was also forced out of the top six fight with a mechanical problem, the Brit on song but short on luck in Barcelona, as was the returning Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as he retired from the race.

Moto2 results (Full results here)
1 Luca Marini – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex 38:11.103
2 Sam Lowes – EG 0,0 Marc VDS – Kalex +0.981
3 Fabio Di Giannantonio – HDR Heidrun Speed Up – Speed Up +4.399

Luca Marini: “It was a very good weekend because starting from Friday the feeling was great with the bike, it wasn’t easy and I didn’t expect it because compared to Misano it’s a totally different track but we made the right changes on the bike for here. The race was nice, with the low temperatures it was easy to push every lap, I also tried to manage the rear tyre a bit because I knew that was important, we worked a lot on the engine braking all weekend to try and save the tyre. Sam was so fast, I was worried when he overtook me because I was struggling a bit with the rear tyre, but when he overtook me I tried to push a litlte bit more, fortunately I had something more at the end and I could overtake him again. It was important for me to win this race because the feeling on the bike was very good and when I didn’t win in Misano I was a bit angry because there the feeling was great too, and I said… here I need to win!”

Moto3
Darryn Binder (CIP – Green Power) is a Grand Prix winner! The South African came out on top in another classic Moto3™ melee in Barcelona, escaping the clutches of Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) on the last lap to take his first victory. There was drama for the title fight further back though as John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) crashed out and collected former Championship leader Albert Arenas (Gaviota Aspar Tea, Moto3) and the ‘former’ gives a clue there as to what happened: Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia), although only taking P11 faced with an open goal, is the new man in the lead.

Polesitter Arbolino launched perfectly as the lights went out and despite a huge run down into Turn 1, the Italian held off the fast-starting Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) and Arenas for the holeshot. Ogura made a storming start from P24 on Lap 1 too, up to P14 in what felt like the blink of an eye.

Arbolino led the opening couple of laps but it was slipstream city down the front straight and Arenas, Binder and McPhee were all up there fighting for the lead or close to it. On the long run down into Turn 1 for Lap 5, the top 19 were split by just 2.3 seconds.

Next time around was when the drama hit for the World Championship. Heading into Turn 4, McPhee was up the inside of Arenas as the pair sat P2 and P3, but the British rider then tucked the front as he was in slightly too hot… going down and collecting Arenas. Suddenly, it was an open goal for many and none more so than Ogura, who was immediately told via his pit board that both of his closest Championship rivals were out.

That left Arbolino leading Binder as a lead group of six formed, with Rodrigo, Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0), Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) and Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) ahead of the second group by a second. That gap was quickly being bridged by Foggia and Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) though as the duo were over half a second quicker than the guys ahead. Ogura was at the back of that group too, progress somewhat stalled.

Sure enough, it became a freight train once again. It was a 22-wheel fight as Binder retook the lead into Turn 1, with the South African, Masia and Foggia seeming to take turns. By five to go it was a Leopard 1-2 at the front ahead of Arbolino, Garcia and Rodrigo, and with two to go, Foggia was looking very strong at the front. Masia had dropped to fifth after Binder made a move stick at Turn 4, before the Spaniard then also got crossed up into the Turn 4 braking zone, just about keeping it on the asphalt but podium hopes gone…

Over the line for the final lap, it was Foggia who led and, crucially, the Italian also led into Turn 1. The first passing opportunity had been and gone for second-placed Binder, but opportunity knocked at Turn 5 and the South African was up the inside. A clean, slick move as Foggia lost two places in one corner, Arbolino also slicing through. Turn 10 then reared its head and we’ve seen drama there before, but Binder was solid and held P1. That meant, unless Arbolino could channel his inner 2009 Valentino Rossi, the race was pretty much done. Ultimately, Binder was fast through the final sector and kept it pinned to perfection, crossing the line ahead for his first Grand Prix win. Arbolino thought about a final corner move but was forced to settle for second and a third podium of the season, with Foggia losing out on a potential second win but the Italian happy to return to the podium for the first time since the Czech GP.

Garcia took P4 and his best result of the season, and right behind him there was another Spaniard picking up their best result of the year so far: Alonso Lopez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team). It was a great ride from the Husqvarna rider to finish just three tenths from victory in his first top 10 of the campaign, which was also best finish since his podium in Thailand last year.

Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) backed up his Emilia Romagna GP victory with a solid P6, the Italian benefitting from two last lap penalties imposed on Masia and Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46). The two exceeded track limits at Turn 9 and were each handed a one-place penalty, seeing Fenati finish ahead of both and making it P7 for Masia, P8 for Vietti. Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Rodrigo completed the top 10, with Ogura having to settle for P11 but making some small gains… and taking over as Championship leader.

The Japanese rider now leads the way by three points heading to Le Mans, with 28 points separating Ogura from fifth place Vietti heading to the second of three triple-headers. Thankfully, McPhee and Arenas were both ok – although somewhat miffed – after the Turn 4 crash, and it’s game on in the lightweight class!

Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Jose Julian Garcia (SIC58 Squadra Corse) crashed together at Turn 4, riders ok, with Carlos Tatay (Reale Avintia Moto3) and Andrea Migno (SKY Racing Team VR46) forced to retire. Davide Pizzoli (BOE Skull Rider Facile Energy) also crashed – rider ok.

Moto3 results (Full results here)
1 Darryn Binder – CIP – Green Power – KTM 38:32.507
2 Tony Arbolino – Rivacold Snipers Team – Honda +0.103
3 Dennis Foggia – Leopard Racing – Honda +0.157

Darryn Binder: “I’m super happy, this weekend I’ve felt strong all weekend and I managed to qualify semi decent for a change so I didn’t have as much work to do in the race. It proved in my favour because in Misano I got to the front but I ended up making a mistake in both races. But today I got to the front and was still able to be strong at the end. I’m so happy to finally win my first race. Too stoked!”