French rider Fabio Quartararo, aboard a Yamaha, claimed victory this Sunday at the Catalan Grand Prix, the ninth round of the Motorcycle World Championship. The win tightened his overall lead after a critical error by the Spaniard who crossed the finish line under different circumstances. Alex Espargaró, riding an Aprilia, faded on the final lap as he struggled with a late-race issue, leaving the door open for others to surge forward in Montmeló.
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Quartararo secures podium in Catalonia as Espargaró falters
With the checkered flag in sight, Quartararo crossed in second but the Granollers-born rider stood out, staying in the frame as news spread that there would be one more lap to race. He responded decisively, rebounding to finish fifth after a misstep, and later left the box visibly emotional. The biggest winners of the day were Jorge Martín on a Ducati, who built on Quartararo’s pace to claim second place ahead of Aleix Espargaró, while Johann Zarco also landed an unexpected podium for Ducati. Quartararo celebrated a third victory at Montmeló and affirmed his strong performance in Barcelona.
Espargaró extended his championship lead by earning nine points, reaching 147, with Catalan close behind at 125. In the wider ranking, Enea Bastianini and Francesco Bagnaia, both Ducati riders, did not finish due to crashes, reshaping the fight for the title. The impact of Quartararo’s performance echoed beyond the moment, underscoring the French rider’s influence in the race and his ongoing challenge for the overall crown.
Espargaró’s advantage at the start didn’t last. The Granollers rider watched as Quartararo surged ahead and Jorge Martín closed the gap. Early in the race, Nakagami moved past Álex Rins, who had earlier overtaken Bagnaia and then clashed with the pack. Inside the pit box, tension rose as Rins voiced his frustration, remarking that Nakagami was the strongest, a jab echoed by the energy of the race day.
More riders faced trouble in the first phase. Marco Bezzecchi, Stefan Bradl, Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio were among those who crashed, reducing options for a continued fight behind Quartararo. The battles for second place evolved as Aleix Espargaró briefly surpassed Martín in the eleventh round but then ceded the position in the seventeenth. The Catalan rider reclaimed the spot only to see a critical mistake near the end ruin his chances.
Among the other Spaniards, Joan Mir delivered a dramatic comeback from seventeenth up to fourth, finishing ahead of Aleix Espargaró. Maverick Viñales finished seventh on an Aprilia, while Àlex Márquez took tenth, Raúl Fernández fifteenth and Pol Espargaró seventeenth on the day’s challenging circuit.
Classification of the MotoGP World Championship
Fabio Quartararo – 147 points
Aleix Espargaró – 125 points
Enea Bastianini – 94 points
Johann Zarco – 91 points
Francesco Bagnaia – 81 points
Brad Binder – 73 points
Alex Rins – 69 points
Joan Mir – 69 points
Jack Miller – 65 points
Marc Marquez – 60 points