The French world champion flew over the event on Sunday at the Montmelo circuit.
Fabio Quartararo won the Catalan Moto GP Grand Prix on Sunday. Author of a superb start, the French driver, reigning world champion, flew over the event on the Montmelo circuit to win his 2e race this season after its success in Portugal at the end of April.
Espargaro’s incredible blunder
Thanks to this victory, the Yamaha rider from Nice, who has just extended his contract with the Japanese team, increases his lead in the World Championship standings (147 pts) over his runner-up Aleix Espargaro (125 pts), author of a terrible blunder when his 2nd place was almost assured. The Spaniard indeed believed that the race was over when there was one lap to go. He finally finished 5th in front of his public. His mistake made the business of the other Frenchman Johann Zarco (Ducati), 3rd behind his teammate Jorge Martin.
“At first I thought he had a mechanical problem, but then I realized he was waving to the audience.“Said the Frenchman on arrival, who thought he would fail at the foot of the podium in front of many French supporters who came to Spain this weekend.
In front, the reigning world champion, who started in third position on the grid in the Catalan furnace, made an excellent start and took the lead in the race from the first laps. He then gradually widened the gap to win by more than 6 seconds.
Among the other headliners, the Italians Enea Bastianini (Ducati-Gresini) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), 3rd and 4th in the championship before the Catalan round, had to retire after falling. If Bastianini retains his rank, this abandonment is a blow for Bagnaia, now relegated to 5th place, ten points behind Zarco, past fourth with a total of 91 points, only three points behind Bastianini. The next round, the German Grand Prix, is scheduled for June 19.