MotoGP Round Six Report | Bagnaia banishes Barcelona demons In Dominant Comeback!

MotoGP Round Six Report | Bagnaia banishes Barcelona demons. After a Saturday to forget, it was a Sunday to remember for Francesco Bagnaia as he hit back to outpace Martin – with Marc Marquez charging up the order to make it a familiar top three. Report: Ed Stratmann/MotoGP

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
MotoGP
Practice at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya definitely didn’t disappoint, setting the stage up for an interesting super Saturday. 2023 Barcelona winner Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was back on top and with a new lap record ahead of two RC16s on the chase as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) ended the session second and third, respectively.

Check out our previous MotoGP reports here…

The fairytale continued for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). After announcing he’ll bow out at the end of the season and going fastest on Friday, he followed it up with pole position. Reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) banked second on the grid by just 0.031s, with a P3 for Raul Fernandez confirmed just following the session after his best lap was reinstated to give both the #25 and Trackhouse Racing their maiden front row.

Moto2
Friday in Moto2™ ended in some wildcard glory, with Jorge Navarro (KLINT Forward Factory Team) taking to the top and with a new lap record. Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) was second quickest, with replacement rider Daniel Muñoz (Pertamina Mandalika GAS UP Team) taking third fresh from doing the double at the venue in the Moto2™ European Championship last weekend, where Navarro also stood on the podium.

Moto2™ World Championship leader Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) confirmed he’d start from pole position after setting a brilliant 1:41.894 in the opening stages of qualifying. The #3 was 0.240s clear of Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors SpeedUp), who pushed hard on his final run but was unable to match the pace of Garcia. Rounding off the front row after battling through Q1 was Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – just a further 0.048s slower than Aldeguer.

Moto3
CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team’s David Alonso ended Friday at the top of the standings, fastest in the morning and afternoon. The #80 put in an impressive 12 lap run at the start of P1 and then stamped some authority back on the session on his final exit. He closed the day 0.158s clear of Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) finding a heap of time on Friday afternoon to end P1 in third.

Pole position then went the way of Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) after a brilliant final flying lap and a stunning final sector. Ortola took his first pole by a mere 0.019s from Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), who looked confident throughout the whole session, setting a good time early on and then leaving it late to exit pitlane on his final run. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) would start from third, setting a strong time late in the session.

Check out the full Practice and Qualifying results here…

Saturday
Tissot Sprint
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) took victory in a dramatic Tissot Sprint at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, keeping it faultless to the flag as not one, not two, but three different leaders slid out. As the lights went out, Bagnaia took the holeshot from second on the grid, with Acosta slicing up to head the chase.

It didn’t take long for Acosta to attack for the lead, but it likewise didn’t take long for Bagnaia to hit back. Raul Fernandez was harrying them though, and as Acosta attacked into Turn 1 on Lap 3 and took it back, the Trackhouse machine lined up the reigning Champion at Turn 3.

Then it was all change in glorious, but relatively clean havoc at the front, with Raul Fernandez emerging as the race leader after barging past Acosta. The Trackhouse machine was absolutely flying as Binder and the rookie duelled just behind him, both for the position and some extra RC16 glory. Once Acosta made it stick at Turn 1, Fernandez was already eight tenths clear. But suddenly, it then all came apart for the Trackhouse rider as he slid out at Turn 10, rider ok but head in hands.

From there, Binder vs Acosta looked like it would light up the battle for the lead, but the 33 got the upper hand and started to build a gap – leaving Bagnaia to wrestle with Acosta instead. Soon enough though the second race leader to slide out became Binder, the front end of the KTM saying goodbye at Turn 5.

That left the lead as a fight between Bagnaia and Acosta. Turn 1 was the battle ground and the rookie pulled what was fast-becoming his Barcelona signature move, but the #1 was quick to find an answer up the curb on the inside of Turn 3. From there Bagnaia started to build a gap, and Espargaro was on the march, next to test out Acosta’s defences, finding a way through to take up the chase on the reigning Champion.

That left the master and the apprentice locked in battle over third. And this time, in a beautiful reverse of that statement Turn 1 move the #31 has been revelling in, it was Acosta under attack as the #93 sailed into the corner side by side with the rookie, taking over in third.

The final drama was dealt on the last lap. Seeming like he had it in his pocket, Bagnaia then suddenly slid out at Turn 5, seeing what could have been a key haul of points disappear in the gravel trap as Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) suffered a tougher Sprint outside podium contention. Espargaro swept through for the spoils, in just enough clear air to ensure he held on for that fairytale win.

Marquez held off Acosta round the final sector too, and what could have been a key title swing proved much less as Martin’s drama-free Sprint saw him take P4 despite not having initially had the pace for it. Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) made a solid comeback from outside the top ten on the grid to complete the top five.

“Incredible. The last two days have been amazing, like a fairytale,” Espargaro insisted. “The race was very tough; the track was super slippery and I lost the front a couple of times. Pecco [Bagnaia] was doing great as well, but he was risking it. So my goal was to push him until the last corner and it worked.”

Tissot Sprint Race Results

Aleix Espargaro Aprilia Racing
Marc Marquez Gresini Ducati (+0.892s)
Pedro Acosta Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 (+1.169s)
Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati (+2.147s)
Enea Bastianini Ducati Lenovo (+2.980s)

Sunday
MotoGP
After missing an open goal win on Saturday, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) came out swinging on Sunday. The reigning Champion needed to make a statement and take some serious points, and that he did on both counts.

From the outset, it was a showdown on the brakes into T1 but Bagnaia just held on for the holeshot ahead of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3). Martin got a good start this time round, taking over in fourth, with polesitter Espargaro the main party losing out.

Into Turn 10 on Lap 1, the first big move was executed as Martin made an absolute lunge on Binder, but he got the job done and cleanly enough.

Acosta’s first attack came at Turn 10 after a couple of laps staring at the rear of the Ducati, but Bagnaia kept it tight to immediately take it back. Acosta’s foot was even off the peg. That closed everything up again, with Martin then right on their heels and Binder not too far behind either. Turn 10 staged another one next time round, this time for Championship leader Martin on the rookie.

Meanwhile, the squabble behind was heating up. Bagnaia had some breathing space in third but Binder, Espargaro and Raul Fernandez were locked together. After stalking his prey for a while, Espargaro then was able to just nudge ahead into Turn 1, before Raul Fernandez attacked the KTM into Turn 3. Aggressive but clean, Binder was pushed back to sixth.

However, that soon became fifth as big drama hit for Acosta. After lighting it up there earlier, it all came apart for the rookie at Turn 10 as he slid off, leaving Martin just over a second clear in the lead and Bagnaia now the rider on the chase. From there, the chess match began.

Lap after lap, the gap was coming down as the #1 chipped away. And once he was there, Bagnaia wasted absolutely no time in making his attack.

With six laps to go, the reigning Champion made his move – and at exactly the place he let big spoils go begging in the Tissot Sprint: Turn 5. No drama, no contact, and nothing Martin could do, the roles were now reversed.

The relentless pace from the #1 continued, however, and the battle of the laptimes was slipping from Martin’s grasp. Unable to keep up, Martin started to fade, leaving Bagnaia with the same task as Saturday: keep it upright to the flag. This time, it was a faultless performance as the Ducati Lenovo rider cut the gap back to 39 points and Martin, this time round, had to settle for second.

Meanwhile, Marc Marquez was now on the tailpipes of Espargaro. The #93 pulled a carbon copy of the move the Aprilia rider put on Binder a few laps before and was into third – now he just had to hold onto it. After announcing his retirement at the end of 2024 just ahead of the event and taking pole and the Sprint win, the incentive was even bigger than normal for the #41 to make an attack. And he clawed his way onto the back of the Gresini by the final lap. But there was no way through that would have allowed both to finish, so it came down to the final drag to the line – with Marquez just staying ahead for that podium from P14 on the grid.

Espargaro took fourth to complete an incredible weekend on home turf, with a late charge from Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) seeing the Italian just pip Raul Fernandez to fifth.

“Honestly, I was angry about yesterday knowing I had the potential to win,” Bagnaia said. “When I saw riders struggling with the front today I started to push more.”

MotoGP Race Results

Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo
Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati (+1.740s)
Marc Marquez Gresini Ducati (+10.491s)
Aleix Espargaro Aprilia Racing (+10.543s)
Fabio Di Giannantonio VR46 Ducati (+15.441s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points

Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati – 155
Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo – 116
Marc Marquez Gresini Ducati – 114
Enea Bastianini Ducati Lenovo – 94
Maverick Viñales Aprilia Racing – 87

Moto2
There was a twist in the tale for Moto2™, and after showing some searing pace once at the front, Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) left Barcelona victorious for the first time since the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix. Ogura charged through the field from 10th managing to get the better of teammate Sergio Garcia in the closing laps, making it another MT Helmets – MSI one-two. Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) was overcome with joy after picking up his first podium of the year in what has so far been a difficult season. And the twist? Initial leader Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) got a Long Lap for track limits and then crashed out as he entered the LLP loop.

Once the lights went out, it was a flying start from Garcia as he converted his pole position into the race lead at Turn 1. Teammate Ogura rocketed from 10th on the grid and somehow snuck up into the top three as they reached the end of the straight.

Back at the front, it didn’t take Aldeguer long to steal away the race lead. He dived to the inside of his fellow Boscoscuro rider Garcia at Turn 10 on Lap 3, and then set about putting the hammer down as he asked questions of the Moto2™ sophomore. Pushing hard, Aldeguer did manage to make a gap before Garcia started to close him back in, and then the LLP for track limits added the first twist for the #54.

As they crossed the line to start lap 15, Garcia was nearly in a position to pounce. But he didn’t need to. Entering the long lap penalty loop at Turn 1, Aldeguer tucked the front on the brakes as he desperately tried to lose as little time as possible but in the end he lost all chance of victory.

Garcia was promoted to the lead but then just as he could breathe a sigh of relief, a second threat quickly became very visible. Ogura had sneakily taken two seconds out of his teammate in three laps.

The pivotal moment came at Turn 1 on Lap 18 as Ogura slipstreamed past Garcia and from there rode home to a clear victory in the end by almost four seconds. Amazingly, that’s Ogura’s first win since he won in his homeland of Japan back in 2022. The final laps of held breath turned to elation at the chequered flag as the MT Helmets – MSI squad secured a brilliant Barcelona one-two. Dixon in third was delighted to be back on the podium after a torrid start to 2024.

Jeremy Alcoba (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team) took a fine fourth as he just edged out a brilliant performance from Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) who took fifth after serving a long lap penalty on the way too.

Moto2 Race Results

Ai Ogura MT Helmets – MSI
Sergio Garcia MT Helmets – MSI (+3.816s)
Jake Dixon CFMoto Inde Aspar Team (+9.186s)
Jeremy Alcoba Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team (+12.241s)
Senna Agius Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (+12.593s)

Check out the full Moto2 race results here…

Moto2 Championship Points

Sergio Garcia MT Helmets – MSI – 109
Joe Roberts OnlyFans American Racing Team – 89
Ai Ogura MT Helmets – MSI – 88
Fermin Aldeguer Beta Tools Speed Up – 63
Alonso Lopez Beta Tools Speed Up – 62

Moto3
David Alonso (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team) played his cards to perfection, pouncing when it counted and then upping the pace to hold off the chasing pack to the flag. The victory, his fourth of the season, also makes him the new Moto3™ World Championship leader. Just behind, Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) converted his maiden pole into a podium in P2, with Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) back on the box in third.

After a scrappy start with many almost on the grass, Ortola emerged with a few bike lengths lead in the first half of the first lap – but Dani Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), up from P9 on the grid, was soon reeling him in. David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) did the Rossi-Razgatlioglu move on Holgado at the end of the lap to take over in second, but by the time they got into Turn 1, things were shaken up. Ortola led Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), but the Japanese rider then got the notification to serve his double Long Lap given on Saturday, and Muñoz his single LLP. The race was on to move back through.

The freight train rolled on at the front with Ortola, Veijer and Holgado leading the way, but by six or seven to go, Alonso was starting to get busy. Over the line as the final five laps began, the Colombian was trying to stretch the group out from the front – with Ortola, Veijer and Holgado just about hanging in there as a gap started to grow behind the top four.

As the laps ticked on though, the picture changed again. Holgado was fading slightly into the clutches of Rueda and Muñoz, and once Rueda was past the Championship leader, he was able to claw back onto the leading trio. As the last lap began, it was once again a quartet, this time with Rueda in the ranks. The first move came from the number 99, getting past Veijer at Turn 4. But that would prove the last, with the pace so hot and the limit so close for each that no door was left open and no sensible chance possible.

Alonso crossed the line a quarter of a second clear to take the Championship lead, with Ortola denied a home win but taking another podium as he builds some momentum after some bad luck and trouble earlier in the season. Rueda, after an even tougher start to 2024 with appendicitis and a couple of on track dramas, took a second podium of the season and his third in Grand Prix racing after an impressive late attack.

Veijer was just too far back to slipstream it and claimed fourth, with Muñoz completing the top five despite that LLP. Holgado, meanwhile, faded to sixth and lost the points lead, with him now 14 points off Alonso.

Moto3 Race Results