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MotoGP: Espargaro Takes the Double In Catalunya

After last year’s counting error that saw Aleix Espargaro celebrate too early and lose the victory, it was redemption day for the Aprilia rider as he finally claimed victory at his home race. Espargaro was riding high from victory in Saturday’s sprint race and pulled off nearly the exact same move to take the lead of the race with only 3 laps remaining.

Despite leading the first 20 laps of the race, Maverick Vinales came home in 2nd. However, it wasn’t a difficult result as he celebrated giving Aprilia their first ever 1-2 finish.

Jorge Martin rounded out the podium finishers, coming home in 3rd, after a positive day for the Pramac team.

The day was not without drama – an early red flag was waved after multiple riders crashed at turn 1. The domino-effect incident saw Enea Bastianini, Johann Zarco, Alex Marquez, Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio all in the gravel before completing a single corner.

Image Credit: MotoGP

Moments later, our reigning champion and current championship leader, Pecco Bagnaia faced a huge highside which left him stranded in the middle of the track. Brad Binder, unable to avoid him, scarily ran over the Italian’s legs and left him writhing around in pain.

Both Bagnaia and Bastianini were taken to hospital and post-race statements followed. Bagnaia has luckily escaped with very minor injuries and Bastianini suffered a fracture to his ankle and hand.

AS IT HAPPENED

As the lights went out at the start of the race, it was a good start for Pecco Bagnaia who was able remain at the front of the pack after starting on pole. However, it was a poor start for Aleix Espargaro who was quickly lost in the field and going backwards.

Enea Bastianini enjoyed a positive start but, as he made his way up the inside of turn 1, he crashed in to the side of Johann Zarco and caused a domino effect. Zarco then crashed in to Alex Marquez, who crashed in to Marco Bezzecchi, who crashed in to Fabio Di Giannantonio.

Whilst those riders were in the gravel at the outside of turn 1, Bagnaia faced an enormous highside and landed in the middle of the track. Brad Binder was unable to avoid the stranded champion and, in a scary moment, ran over Bagnaia’s legs.

The red flag was quickly waved and the amazing medical team were instantly on the scene. Bagnaia spent some time receiving treatment on the track, before being taken to the medical centre and then the local hospital. Bastianini was also injured and took a trip to the hospital for further checks.

Now, with just 23 laps to race, the riders made their way back on to the grid. Luckily, all other riders were able to make it back to the garages under their own steam which allowed them to rejoin the race when it restarted 20 minutes later. Only Bagnaia and Bastianini were missing.

As the lights went out for the second time, Espargaro had a much better start this time away and managed to lead the pack through a clean, drama-free first corner. It was also a positive start for Jorge Martin, who leapt from 5th to 3rd, and Jack Miller, who leapt from 12th to 5th.

However, but turn 2, his Aprilia teammate snatched away the lead and Vinales took over at the front of the pack. Martin’s positive race start continued as he made his way past Espargaro and in to 2nd.

Before lap 1 ended, Pol Espargaro was forced to retire with mechanical failure.

Meanwhile, his brother was trying to make moves to regain 2nd place from Martin. He was right on the tail of the Pramac rider but wasn’t able to make anything stick. That was until lap 3 when he pulled up the inside of Martin at turn 10. By turn 12, he had made his way past and was in 2nd place, chasing down his teammate in the lead. It wouldn’t be an easy task as Vinales set the fastest lap in response.

On lap 4, Miguel Oliveira made his way past Martin for 3rd, making in an Aprilia 1-2-3!

On the same lap, Binder was forced to retire with technical problems. It was suspected that he had laid down a lot of oil prior to the red flag so it seemed to be a persistent issue for his KTM.

Riders up and down the grid were now settling in to their race and Vinales was slowly pulling our a lead ahead of the chasing pack. By lap 5, he was 0.3 seconds ahead for Espargaro, who was in turn a further 0.5 seconds ahead of Oliveira.

There was action further down the grid with Augusto Fernandez battling with Marc Marquez for 10th place, and Alex Marquez battling with Jack Miller for 6th.

On lap 10, Oliveira lost out on a podium place to Martin, but was able to stay close on his tail. He clearly wasn’t giving up easily, having worked so hard in the early stages.

On the same lap, we had our third rieder retire with mechanical problems – this time is was Raul Fernandez who was limping to the pits after just enjoying a battle with Marc Marquez for 11th.

At the halfway point, with 12 laps completed, Vinales now had a 1.2 second lead over Espargaro, who then had a 2 second gap over Martin. It was at this point that Espargaro seemed to wake up and was suddenly chasing down his teammate at a rapid pace.

Image Credit: MotoGP

By lap 15, thanks to lapping faster than his teammate, Espargaro had now cut the gap down to 0.5 seconds. On lap 18, with just 6 laps to go, Espargaro was finally on his tail.

Espargaro waited patiently and, on lap 20, he came up alongside Vinales on the start-finish straight. The Aprilia pair almost came together at turn 1 and Vinales went wide. That instantly gave Espargaro the space he needed to check out at the front of the field. With only 3 laps left, there was nothing Vinales could do to close the gap.

It ended up being a comfortable victory for Espargaro who was already on a high from winning Saturday’s sprint race!

FULL RESULTS
1st Aleix Espargaro Aprilia
2nd Maverick Vinales Aprilia
3rd Jorge Martin Prima Pramac
4th Johann Zarco Prima Pramac
5th Miguel Oliveira CryptoDATA RNF
6th Alex Marquez Gresini
7th Fabio Quartararo Yamaha
8th Jack Miller Red Bull KTM
9th Augusto Fernandez GASGAS Tech3
10th Rabio Di Giannantonio Gresini
11th Luca Marini Mooney VR46
12th Marco Bezzecchi Mooney VR46
13th Marc Marquez Repsol Honda
14th Franco Morbidelli Yamaha
15th Takaaki Nakagami LCR Honda
16th Iker Lecuona LCR Honda
17th Joan Mir Repsol Honda

DNF: Raul Fernadez (CryptoDATA RNF), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM), Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Tech3), Enea Bastianini (Ducati), Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1st Pecco Bagnaia 260 points
2nd Jorge Martin 210 points
3rd Marco Bezzecchi 189 points
4th Brad Binder 166 points
5th Aleix Espargaro 154 points

Feature Image Credit: MotoGP

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Verstappen Breaking Records at the Italian GP

Max Verstappen takes the win at the Italian Grand Prix, which means he has taken the record for 10 consecutive wins in a season. It wasn’t plain sailing for him and his teammate, but they came home with a 1-2, while Sainz rounded out the podium after starting on pole. 

The camera showed the stricken Alpha Tauri of Tsunoda as the front row began to line up on the grid after the formation lap. Unfortunately for him and the team, there was an immediate engine failure, which left the car in gear and therefore led to a second formation lap.

However, an aborted start meant that confusion ensued as the cars were parked on the grid with engines off while the teams were waiting at the gate to be let back onto the grid. The red flag was never brought out, but there was a delay of a few minutes before the engineers could be let onto the grid.

Despite this, after a 23-minute delay, we could get going with another formation lap.

The eventual race start. Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Press Area

Lights out, and Sainz got off to a great start by cutting off Verstappen into turn one and holding on to the lead. Just behind them, Leclerc had tried to dive up the inside of Verstappen, but the door closed, and the attempt left room for Russell to put pressure on the Ferrari. Russell couldn’t make a move stick.

Both McLarens had a good start, with Piastri making up a place on Albon into turn one as the Williams driver got boxed in. Although the Willams in a straight line is very slippery, just one lap later, Albon was back up into P6.

It didn’t take long for Verstappen to become a hunter with Sainz the hunted. Leclerc couldn’t keep up with the leading pair as the Red Bull pushed the Ferrari all the way. Verstappen was always within the DRS zone and tried to make a move around the outside of turn one on lap six, but it didn’t pay off with Sainz defending well.

Slightly further back, on lap eight, Verstappen’s teammate was mounting a charge on the Mercedes of Russell as he tried a move that didn’t pay off. He built up pressure until lap 14 when Perez tried a move around the outside, outbraked himself, and went straight on which meant he had to give back the place he gained. Two laps later though, the Mexican took the inside line into turn one and this time the move stuck.

Sainz locked up before losing the lead to Verstappen. Image courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool

Meanwhile, the Dutch Red Bull driver was closer to Sainz by a couple of tenths heading into the main straight. He tried around the outside of the Ferrari, and even though the move didn’t work, Sainz locked up, which meant Verstappen had better traction coming out of the corner. On lap 15, the inevitable happened into the chicane as the Red Bull had more speed than the Ferrari.

With the world champion unleashed, he gained a 1.5-second lead within one lap. The race began to settle as the pit stops started.

Struggling with tyres after locking up, Sainz was the first of the Ferrari drivers to come in. One lap later, the team pitted Leclerc; however, it was tight between the teammates, and they nearly touched as Leclerc came out of the pit lane. The Monegasque ended up staying behind his teammate, with Perez coming out behind them after his stop.

A similar story was unfolding with the two McLaren’s on lap 24. Norris was the first to pit, with Piastri changing his tyres the lap after. However, Piastri was on the inside of Norris into turn one as he came out from his stop, but unlike the Ferraris, the McLarens made contact. Luckily for both drivers, they were able to carry on, and the stewards decided to take no further action.

Hamilton was the last driver to stop, as he started on the hard tyres so he could go for a longer stint. Coming out from his stop, it didn’t take too long before his new mediums warmed up and he began to gain places on those now on hard tyres. He started with Alonso into turn one on lap 29.

The Mercedes wasn’t the only one on a charge. Norris had been chasing down Albon for several laps, when on lap 38, Norris made a move around the outside but went off the track and gained an advantage. He managed to give the place back and unfortunately for the Brit, this is where he would stay.

A few laps later, Hamilton could smell the chance to make a move on Piastri but couldn’t make it stick. Towards the end of the lap, Hamilton was within the DRS zone of the McLaren and looked for a move on the inside but opted for the switch back, getting better traction out of the corner. Hamilton was mostly in font heading towards the chicane but, crucially, not completely past. 

As Hamilton moved towards the racing line, his back wheel made contact with the front of Piastri’s car, damaging the McLaren’s front wing. Both drivers were able to carry on, but Piastri did need to pit for a new front wing, and Hamilton got a five-second time penalty for causing a collision.

While this was happening, Perez had gained a place on Leclerc to put him on the podium and was chasing down P2. It wasn’t long before Perez was within the DRS zone of Sainz, and he used that to his advantage on lap 46, where he made it past Sainz.

This meant the final five laps were all about which Ferrari would be in P3. The radio call came saying, ‘Still race, but no risk’, However, the teammates knew what was at stake. Leclerc kept the pressure on right until the final lap, where he had a huge lockup and nearly took out both cars, Luckily, he avoided an accident, and Sainz finished in P3 with Leclerc in P4.

However, no one had an answer for Verstappen’s performance, as he crossed the line with a substantial lead over his teammate. A new record was broken, and the speed of the Red Bulls continues to be unmatched.

Next up is Singapore, which Verstappen has never won. Is that an omen or another record to extend?

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Moto2: Dixon Takes Second Win of the Season

Jake Dixon takes his second win of the season following a number of battles with second place finisher Aron Canet and championship leader Pedro Acosta. The podium was completed by the local racer, Albert Arenas. Acosta’s closest rival, Tony Arbolino, finished down the order in 17th place.

Both Dixon and Ai Ogura made good starts when the lights went out, but it was the Brit who retained the lead into the first corner. Manuel Gonzalez improved to second place at turn two and immediately began looking to make a move on the race leader. Acosta gained one position on the first lap to sit in eighth place.

Gonzalez was able to make a move on Dixon during the second lap, but the pair swapped back and forth and by the third lap Gonzalez, Dixon and third placed rider Canet began to break away from the main pack.

A successful move for the lead was made by Gonzalez on the fifth lap into turn one. Dixon continued to drop down the order following a move from Canet on the Asterius GASGAS Aspar Team rider. Acosta continued his charge up the field and by lap 9 he was on the tail of Dixon.

The lead changed hands on lap 10 when Canet made a move into the first corner on his fellow countryman and Acosta made the same move but on Dixon. The following lap, Acosta was able to take second place from Gonzalez but this fighting behind Canet allowed the Pons Wegow Los40 rider to start to extend his lead at the front of the field.

Fermin Aldeguer was having a strong race in the chasing pack before he was given a long lap penalty on lap 12 for exceeding track limits. He took the penalty, but race control determined that he did not take it correctly, so he had to do it again. This dropped him down the order and took him out of contention for the higher points.

Gonzalez began to struggle around lap thirteen and Dixon was able to take the inside line at turn one and get past him. The British rider was able to join Acosta and Canet to form a small breakaway from the fourth placed rider.

It only took a few laps for Acosta to begin to shape up a move on Canet and the move was completed at turn 12 on lap 14. Canet immediately began looking to take the lead back and as Acosta had a wobble on lap fifteen, he hoped he could make a move.

But Dixon was able to make the move on Canet down the start-finish straight on lap 16 and took the inside line into turn one. Canet immediately repaid the favour by making a block pass at turn three and retook the lead at turn thirteen.

Acosta made the move on Canet on lap 17 to regain the lead and Dixon almost followed him through but was unable to. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider made a mistake following that overtake and dropped down the order to fifth place after being passed by Dixon, Canet, Arenas, and Gonzalez.

The lead swapped hands once again with Dixon taking the lead at turn ten on lap 18. But the drama began slightly further down the field with Acosta having contact with Alonso Lopez and both went off the track, dropping them down to sixth and seventh respectively.

Canet continued to look at making a move on Dixon into the final lap at turns one, three and twelve but could not do so allowing Dixon to come across the line in first place, taking his second win of the season.

Arenas took his first podium of the season by finishing in third place. He was followed by Sergio Garcia, Gonzalez and Acosta who extended his championship lead. Ogura finished the race in seventh followed by Lopez who may be on the receiving end of a penalty due to cutting a corner when he rejoined the racetrack. Sam Lowes finished the race in ninth place with Celestino Vietti following just behind in tenth.

Feature image credit: MotoGP on TNT Sports on X (https://twitter.com/motogpontnt/status/1698257387352678879/photo/1)

CATALUNYA MOTO2 GRAND PRIX, BARCELONA – RACE RESULTS
POS RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE TIME
1 Jake Dixon GBR Asterius GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 36m 51.330s
2 Aron Canet SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 36m 51.535s
3 Albert Arenas SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 36m 52.357s
4 Sergio Garcia SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 36m 53.588s
5 Manuel Gonzalez SPA Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 36m 53.992s
6 Pedro Acosta SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 36m 54.994s
7 Ai Ogura JPN IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 36m 55.569s
8 Alonso Lopez SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 36m 55.644s
9 Sam Lowes GBR Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 36m 55.937s
10 Celestino Vietti ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 37m 0.059s
11 Joe Roberts USA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 37m 0.806s
12 Barry Baltus BEL Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 37m 0.926s
13 Fermín Aldeguer SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 37m 1.151s
14 Somkiat Chantra THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 37m 2.300s
15 Jeremy Alcoba SPA QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 37m 2.513s
16 Marcos Ramirez SPA OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 37m 2.645s
17 Tony Arbolino ITA Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 37m 8.189s
18 Zonta Vd Goorbergh NED Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 37m 9.677s
19 Lukas Tulovic GER Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 37m 16.867s
20 Borja Gomez SPA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 37m 17.118s
21 Dennis Foggia ITA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 37m 17.518s
22 Mattia Rato ITA Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 37m 20.773s
23 Rory Skinner GBR OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 37m 26.538s
24 Kohta Nozane JPN Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 37m 30.693s
25 Izan Guevara SPA Asterius GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 37m 43.416s
26 Yeray Ruiz SPA Forward Team (Forward) 37m 44.538s
  Filip Salac CZE QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) DNF
  Bo Bendsneyder NED Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) DNF
  Senna Agius AUS Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) DNF
  Alberto Surra ITA Forward Team (Forward) DNF

 

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Moto3: Alonso Takes Bonkers Barcelona Victory

Image Credit: PolarityPhoto (MotoGP photographer)

With overcast skies, a tail wind on the start straight and swaying riders slipstreaming all over the place, the race in Barcelona was another Moto3 classic. 

In a race that quite literally had everything, it was GASGAS Aspar Team’s David Alonso who took a bonkers Moto3 victory today at the Barcelona circuit. Starting from 12th on the grid and winding his way through the pack, Alonso took his 2nd victory in the Moto3 class.

Image Credit: GASGAS Aspar Team
Image Credit: GASGAS Aspar Team
AT IT HAPPENED

Ivan Ortola started on pole position for the first time, alongside Deniz Öncü 2nd and Joel Kelso in 3rd completing the front row.

Öncü made a perfect start leading the group out of turn 1 and taking the lead of the race. Jaume Masia tried to go around the outside of Kelso at turn 1, but had to settle for 4th as Kelso shut the door into turn 2. A poor start from Holgado as the championship leader dropped back to 14th in the opening stages of the first lap. Not the start Holgado would of dreamt of last night in the paddock.

Öncü was keen to get going here and pull a gap to the rest of the field on the opening lap as Holgado dropped back to 15th place. As the field came round the final corner and onto the start straight to complete lap 1, the weaving pack all diced with each other into turn 1, with Öncü clinging onto the lead. Masia moved up into 2nd getting by pole sitter Ortola after dispatching Kelso in the stadium section a few corners back.

As we’re used to seeing now in Moto3, Alonso is up 7 places and David Munoz up 6 places, both with great starts in the early stages of this Grand Prix. It makes you wonder why Alonso and Munoz even turn up for qualifying sometimes, as both riders are so good on a Sunday.

The fastest lap of the race at the end of lap 2 was set by Holgado with a good recovery from 15th to 11th at the end of lap 2.

Masia took the lead from Öncü at the start of lap 3 going up the inside into turn 1. Alonso was remarkably up to 3rd place on lap 3 going up the inside of Kelso. A fantastic start to the race from the teenage Colombian.

A common theme developed here as the snaking pack of riders winding down the start straight had all of the slipstream they needed to cause havoc and pass each other at will into turn 1. The start straight wasn’t the only place for a pile of overtakes as turn 4 and 5 are favourite spots amongst the riders.

Starting lap 5 now and over a quarter of the way through, Alonso hits the front of the field for the first time – The last of the late breakers going from 3rd to 1st into turn 1. Masia led over the line but pushed back to 4th place.

Sector 2 lit up in yellow flags as Filippo Farioli crashed out at turn 4. Just over a quarter of the way through the race and Alonso led the pack completing lap 5 and held the lead fending off Masia into turn 1. We have a lead group of up to a dozen riders who are all still in the fight for victory.

As Ortola dived up the inside of Öncü at turn 10 and back up to 3rd place, Holgado was sat in 5th place, a great comeback from the championship leader. From 5th to 1st for Holgado as slipstream drags the championship leader to the front of the pack into turn 1 at the start of lap 7.

Side by side the Red Bull KTMs down into turn 1 onto lap 8. Öncü took the lead from Holgado. Kelso ran wide at turn 1 and fell all of the way back to 18th place. At this stage of the race, it was so close between all of the riders, it was anyone’s guess as to who would win this one.

Swaying from side to side at the start of lap 9 down the start straight, Öncü started to put the hammer down setting his fastest lap of the race and managed to get a gap to Masia in 2nd of 0.334 tenths of second.

At half race distance, we had a lead group from Öncü in 1st to Ayumu Sasaki in 9th. The riders all continued to dice with each other and battle for positions constantly. Öncü lead another lap of the race completing lap 10.

Lap 11 and pole-sitter Ortola dropped back to 11th place, things going all wrong for the Angeluss MTA Team.

With a short run to the finish line here at the Barcelona circuit, if you are leading the race coming out of the last corner you’re likely to take victory it seems. Unlike in Mugello when Öncü was pipped at the line thanks to the slipstream.

Lap 13 and with 6 laps to go we had a lead group of 14 riders and any of the 14 had the chance of taking victory. Holgado in the lead of the race with Öncü on his back wheel and pounced to take the lead into turn 1. Masia 3rd with both Alonso and Munoz fighting with each other for 4th.

3 laps to go and Öncü gets swallowed up by the pack dropping from the lead to 4th place. Masia now leading from Munoz and Alonso, 2nd and 3rd place. Contact between Öncü and Holgado as Holgado drops back to 5th.

As we started lap 17,  it was Masia from Munoz as they all came snaking down the start straight. 6 riders into turn 1 all gunning for the lead. Munoz briefly led but ran it too hot into turn 1. Holgado coming round the last corner on lap 16 in 6th now leads the Grand Prix coming out of turn 1. The leading 3 all replaced now out of turn 1 with Holgado leading, from Alonso 2nd and Öncü in 3rd. The top two riders of Holgado and Alonso both up 10 places in the race, Munoz in 4th up 15 places in the Grand Prix with 2 laps to go.

Into the stadium section for the penultimate time the front 3 still Holgado leading from Alonso in 2nd and Öncü 3rd. All are desperate to hang onto their places as they fan out and brake as late as possible into turn 1 to start the last lap of the race.

THE LAST LAP

Masia went by Öncü into turn 1, quickly passed Alonso into turn 4 and then takes the lead of the race up the inside of  Holgado into turn 5.

Into turn 7 and arguably the overtake of the race as Munoz took 2 into 1 getting by both KTM riders Holgado and Öncü.

Coming up to the all important final sector of the race now and Munoz was side by side with Alonso as they headed into turn 10. Öncü with a wild effort dive bombed up the inside of Masia to try and take the lead only to run too hot into the corner.

Just as Munoz took the lead, championship leader Holgado went down. The KTM garage in sheer disbelief with only a few corners of the race to go. Unbelievable scenes in a bananas Barcelona Moto3 Grand Prix.

Last couple of corners now and the drama wasn’t finished. Masia now trying to go up the inside of both Alonso and Munoz. Just as Masia made his move so did Öncü. Öncü wiped out Munoz coming round the last corner resulting in a 6 second penalty for the Turkish teenager. Alonso crossed the line to take a crazy Catalunya victory.

Next weekend we head to Italy in Misano, with Holgado looking to improve on the 5th place finish last season on Italian soil. With the championship lead halved to just 13 points this weekend. The Moto3 championship is heating up nicely for the rest of the season.

Feature Image Credit: MotoGP

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2023 Italian GP Qualifying

Carlos Sainz has made the Tifosi’s dreams come true and secured pole position for tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Celebrating on the track in front of the Ferrari fans the Spaniard who has been very quick all weekend put in one of the laps of his life to beat Max Verstappen by the smallest of margins.

Q1 began with everyone on the Hard Pirelli compound as this qualifying session was being used for the new mandatory tyre allocation strategy trial of hards being used for Q1, mediums for Q2  the softs for Q3.

Max Verstappen’s first lap of qualifying was deleted for exceeding track limits, He immediately pitted, came back out and went quickest by 0.338 from team mate Sergio Perez. They were followed by Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin and then the Williams of Alex Albon.

The track was getting quicker as the session went on meaning the final runs would be crucial.

Ocon out after damage in Q1. Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Press Area

As the final runs ended Albon moved up to P2 with Leclerc also up to P3. At the other end Zhou, Gasly, Ocon, Magnussen, and Stroll were all out of qualifying.

Q2 started with both Ferrari drivers under investigation for not being under the new maximum time to get round for a lap to prevent everyone going slowly on their outlaws, This would be investigated after the session so the result of qualifying might be decided in the stewards room.

Once again Verstappen was first on track and immediately went to the top of the time sheets, Shortly after that Sainz in the Ferrari sent the Tifosi wild and went quickest by 0.044, Behind them was Leclerc and Albon in the flying Williams.

Surprisingly the Mercedes pair went out to the track later than everyone else, Even with the clear track they could only manage 6th and 12th.

All 15 cars left the garages at the same time leaving the pitlane looking like the worlds most expensive car park.

When the last runs finally began the Williams of Sargeant was at the front of the pack, he didn’t improve though and stayed 14th. Joining him in not making it trough were Tsunoda, Lawson, Hulkenberg and Bottas.

Hamilton making his way into Q3. Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Press Area

The top of the timesheet had a familiar look about it with Verstappen fastest with a 1.20.937 ahead of Leclerc, Sainz and Perez. Albon was next up continuing to impress in the Williams, Hamilton improved to 6th ahead of his team mate Russell. Completing the top 10 and making it to Q3 were Piastri, Alonso and Norris.

Q3 brought the inevitable excitement with Verstappen dipping a wheel into the gravel on his first lap but still managing to make the top 3, At the front it was Sainz from Leclerc, then Verstappen and Russell, Behind them were Albon, Perez, Norris , Piastri Hamilton and then Alonso.

The final runs of the session would be the ones to determine the grid for Sundays race.

Charles Leclerc went first and moved to provisional pole, then came Verstappen who beat him but he was then beaten by Sainz in the Ferrari with a scintillating lap time of 1.20.294, the top three separated by just 0.067

4th was George Russell, then came Perez, Albon, Piastri, Hamilton and Norris and Alonso closing out the top 10.

Sainz gets a pole at the home of Ferrari. Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Press Area

Almost immediately after the session was completed it was confirmed no further action was necessary for the Ferrari’s earlier transgression meaning Sainz had pole in a Ferrari at Monza.

Can the Tifosi get their dream result tomorrow or will Max Verstappen continue his run and win a 10th successive race.

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Moto2: Dixon Takes First Pole of the Season

Jake Dixon takes his first pole of the season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from Aron Canet and Ai Ogura. Championship leader Pedro Acosta was only able to manage ninth place for tomorrow’s grid and his closest challenger in Tony Arbolino was unable to get himself out of the first qualifying session.

The first qualifying session was uneventful with Somkiat Chantra, Sergio Garcia, Filip Salac and Barry Baltus occupying the top four positions for at the end of the session. The early pace setter in this session was Bo Bendsneyder but dropped down to fifth, meaning he will start tomorrow’s race from 19th.

Arbolino was unable to set a time fast enough to progress due to the bike looking unstable on his last lap, meaning he needed to come into the pits and bail out of the lap.

The four riders who came up through Q1 set the initial pace at the start of the second qualifying session with Salac topping the times after the first runs. Following the second set of fast laps Ogura had set the fastest time followed by Albert Arenas and rookie Sergio Garcia.

With over half the session to go, Joe Roberts and Alonso Lopez had not set a representative lap time.

Acosta and Dixon circulated around the track together towards the end of the session, offering each other a tow on alternating fast laps. With the Brit following the Spaniard, Dixon set the fastest time during the qualifying session, a 1:43.983. After swapping places, Acosta was being led around by Dixon, but the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider exceeded track limits, meaning that his lap was deleted.

Canet was also riding around the circuit with a partner, Manuel Gonzalez. This pair helped each other to achieve second and fourth place respectively. On the other hand, Ogura spent most of his time on the track alone but was still able to achieve third place.

That quick time from Arenas set earlier in the session was the quickest time he was able to achieve, and this was good enough to place him in fifth place on tomorrow’s grid.

The highest-placed non-Kalex rider was Fermin Aldeguer in sixth place, followed by his teammate Lopez. Garcia was the highest qualifying rookie in eighth place, being the only rookie to make it through to the second round of qualifying,

Due to having a fast time deleted due to track limits, Acosta only starts in ninth place on the grid tomorrow. Baltus rounds out the top ten on the grid tomorrow.

Sam Lowes was unable to set a lap time fast enough to break into the top ten and is joined by Chantra on the fourth row of the grid. The fifth row of the grid contains Salac, Roberts and Celestino Vietti, who struggled to set fast times around the Spanish circuit.

Tomorrow’s race is shaping up to be an exciting 21 laps with Acosta having to work his way through the field to continue extending his championship lead.

Feature Image Credit: @AsparTeam on X (https://twitter.com/AsparTeam)

2023 CATALUNYA MOTO2 GRAND PRIX, BARCELONA – QUALIFYING RESULTS
POS RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE TIME
1 Jake Dixon GBR Asterius GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 1m 44.089s
2 Aron Canet SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 1m 44.184s
3 Ai Ogura JPN IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 1m 44.214s
4 Manuel Gonzalez SPA Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 1m 44.215s
5 Albert Arenas SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 1m 44.270s
6 Fermín Aldeguer SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 1m 44.276s
7 Alonso Lopez SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 1m 44.344s
8 Sergio Garcia SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 1m 44.374s
9 Pedro Acosta SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 1m 44.374s
10 Barry Baltus BEL Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 1m 44.419s
11 Sam Lowes GBR Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 44.458s
12 Somkiat Chantra THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 1m 44.470s
13 Filip Salac CZE QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 1m 44.490s
14 Joe Roberts USA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 44.682s
15 Celestino Vietti ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 1m 44.838s
16 Jeremy Alcoba SPA QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 1m 44.906s
17 Zonta Vd Goorbergh NED Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 1m 44.983s
18 Marcos Ramirez SPA OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 1m 45.202s
19 Bo Bendsneyder NED Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 1m 44.930s
20 Tony Arbolino ITA Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 45.021s
21 Senna Agius AUS Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 1m 45.104s
22 Lukas Tulovic GER Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 1m 45.220s
23 Dennis Foggia ITA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 45.248s
24 Borja Gomez SPA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 1m 45.314s
25 Rory Skinner GBR OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 1m 45.607s
26 Mattia Rato ITA Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 1m 45.784s
27 Alberto Surra ITA Forward Team (Forward) 1m 45.905s
28 Izan Guevara SPA Asterius GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 1m 45.950s
29 Kohta Nozane JPN Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 1m 45.983s
30 Yeray Ruiz SPA Forward Team (Forward) 1m 46.321s

 

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Moto3: Ortola Takes Pole in Barcelona

Image Credit: Joel Cooper Photography LTD

Ivan Ortola for the Angeluss MTA Team takes his first career pole position today in Moto3 at the Catalunya circuit. Ortola takes pole position right at the end of the session with Deniz Öncü in 2nd and Joel Kelso rounding off the front row in 3rd.

AS IT HAPPENED

Qualifying 1

There were some big names in the first round of qualifying, including championship leader Daniel Holgado along with Xavi Artigas and Diogo Moreira. Holgado will be keen to make the top 4 to progress into Qualifying 2.

Both CFMOTO Racing riders, Artigas and Kelso, were posting the quickest times early on in the session.

The rest of the field were now coming across the line but it was still Holgado topping the timesheets with Moreira in 2nd, David Salvador in 3rd and David Munoz making up the top 4 heading to Q2.

There was lots of gesturing and head shaking from riders in this Q1 session – they were clearly frustrated as every rider is keen to be bunched up, looking for any extra tenth of a second getting by finding a tow around this circuit. There was a common theme of just follow Holgado around the circuit emerging in Q1, with everyone hoping to be dragged into Q2.

Moreira was the surprise rider to be knocked out at the end of the session, as he was beaten by Scott Ogden. Moreira thought he’d done enough to get through at the end of the session but that wasn’t the case. This weekend, Moreira is sporting an Ayrton Senna themed helmet but I don’t think this is a qualifying session Ayrton Senna would have written home about.

Holgado eventually topped the session with Kelso, Taiyo Furusato and Ogden also progressing into Q2.

Qualifying 2

Into Q2 we go – Can Collin Veijer take back-to-back pole positions in Barcelona, with the Dutchman on a superb run of form lately? Veijer had set the fastest time in FP3 this morning.

Holgado took the pace he found in Q1 quickly into Q2, setting the fastest time for the rest of the field to chase early in the session. Masia ran into traffic and had to bail on his first flying lap.

Usual suspects of Ayumu Sasaki and Öncü topped the leader board as the session progressed, with 9 minutes remaining. Öncü with the quickest time set of 1:49.326, and on provisional pole.

Sector 2 then lit up in yellow flags as Veijer suffered a high side crash on the exit of turn 5. Veijer seems ok though and was thankfully quickly back up onto the bike, as Öncü manages to avoid the crash.

Masia then got his first flying lap in and took over at the top of the leader board. Masia was frustrated by the riders behind who were hounding him to get a tow.

With 6 minutes left of the session, there was still time for a few flying laps and pole position was still very much up for grabs. The riders were now heading back to the pits to make any last minute adjustments before heading back out to fight to pole position.

Less than 3 minutes were on the clock when all of the riders were heading out for their 2nd run. As the chequered flag fell, all of the riders on track just had one last shot at taking pole position. Championship leader Holgado leads the pack into turn 1.

With fastest sectors lighting up for several riders, the pack made their way round on the final flying lap. Coming into sector 3 we had Holgado, Ortola, Öncü and Masia all on flying laps and chasing pole position.

As the bunch came round the final two corners the lap times came thick and fast, with Ivan Ortola taking pole position from Öncü and Kelso also managing to get onto the front row by taking 3rd.

It’s the third time in the last four Grand Prix we’ve seen maiden pole positions in Moto3. I’m sure Öncü will be looking for back-to-back victories when he starts on the front row tomorrow. Holgado also will be looking to make up as much ground as possible, starting from the middle of row 4 tomorrow. Can Masia bring himself back into the championship fight with a win? With the starting grid as it is for tomorrow, Moto3 is all set for another crazy Grand Prix.

Image Credit: MotoGP

Feature Image Credit: MotoGP

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MotoGP: Home Hero Aleix Espargaro Wins Catalunya Sprint Race

Aleix Espargaro has taken his first sprint race win of the season in a fantastic and aggressive race from the Catalan rider. He took the lead of his home sprint race on lap 7 and quickly pulled out a comfortable lead, eventually crossing the line with a 2+ second lead over his nearest rival. He celebrated with a wheelie that lasted for the entire start-finish straight, soaking up the cheers from his adoring home crowd.

Despite starting on pole, Pecco Bagnaia was clearly thrilled with his silver medal – his 9th podium in 11 sprint races, showing he clearly relishes this new weekend structure! It was a hard-fought 2nd place – he put up a good defence against Espargaro, with some characteristic late-breaking, and then faced a challenge from Maverick Vinales.

Image Credit: MotoGP on Twitter

Despite coming achingly close to 2nd place, and getting up alongside Bagnaia a few times in the final laps, Vinales was forced to settle for 3rd place. He clearly tried everything in his wheelhouse but didn’t quite have enough to pass the championship leader.

Further back, it was a positive race for Marc Marquez who has struggled a lot this weekend. He started the race in 12th but was quickly up to 8th after a flying start off the line – it seemed the light rain and slippery conditions suited Marquez and he was able to capitalise on this in the early stages. He enjoyed a close battle in the latter stages of the race for 10th place, fighting with Alex Marquez, Luca Marini and Fabio Di Giannantonio.

It was a tricky day for Jack Miller, Joan Mir and both Yamaha riders, Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo. None of these riders were able to make waves in the field. Morbidelli and Miller crossed the line in 15th and 16th, a whopping 16s away from the race winner, with Quartararo coming home in 18th and Mir in 21st and last.

AS IT HAPPENED

Much like qualifying, the weather threatened to add significant chaos to the race – the rain began to fall during the warm up lap which forced the teams to rush to prepare the spare bikes with wet weather tires. However, it wasn’t quite wet enough for the riders to opt for these bikes and everyone lined up on the grid with their slick tires on.

As the lights went out, Pecco Bagnaia leapt in to a comfortable lead, with Maverick Vinales slotting in behind, in 2nd. Jorge Martin took 3rd after enjoying a flying start from 5th.

It was a great start also for Marco Bezzecchi, climbing from 10th to 5th, and Marc Marquez, leaping from 12th to 8th.

Despite a very strong qualifying session, Miguel Oliveira quickly undid all that hard work as he dropped back from 3rd to 7th in the early stages.

As the riders came to the end of the first lap, Aleix Espargaro came past his teammate to take 2nd away from Vinales. Bagnaia was quickly pulling out a comfortable lead and soon had a 0.5s gap over the chasing pack.

On lap 4, Pol Espargaro crashed after going wide at turn 5 – he made the sensible decision to lay the bike down before hitting the barrier and was able to walk away from the incident.

On the following lap, his brother Aleix was now close enough to Bagnaia to pull up alongside him. However, in classic Bagnaia fashion, he was so late on the breaks that Espargaro wasn’t able to get out of 2nd place.

At the halfway point in the race, we had Bagnaia leading, from Espargaro in 2nd, Vinales in 3rd, Brad Binder in 4th and Oliveira in 5th. There was then a 1.3s gap back to the next group, made up of Martin, Bezzecchi, Marc Marquez, Enea Bastianini and Johann Zarco in 6th to 10th respectively.

At the first corner of lap 7, Espargaro finally made his way past Bagnaia, much to the joy of his home crowd. Before the lap ended, he had already pulled out a 0.49s gap over the championship leader and looked to be quickly checking out at the front.

The race settled down for the final laps, with the only action coming from Vinales who was quickly catching up to Bagnaia. He spent the final two laps of the race right on Bagnaia’s tail but sadly wasn’t able to get past him like his teammate could. This battle eventually gave Espargaro a 2+ second lead as he crossed the line to take his first sprint race victory.

FULL RESULTS
1st Aleix Espargaro Aprilia
2nd Pecco Bagnaia Ducati
3rd Maverick Vinales Aprilia
4th Brad Binder Red Bull KTM
5th Jorge Martin Prima Pramac
6th Miguel Oliveira CryptoDATA RNF
7th Johann Zarco Prima Pramac
8th Marco Bezzecchi Mooney VR46
9th Enea Bastianini Ducati
10th Alex Marquez Gresini
11th Marc Marquez Repsol Honda
12th Luca Marini Mooney VR46
13th Fabio Di Giannantonio Gresini
14th Raul Fernandez CryptoDATA RNF
15th Franco Morbidelli Yamaha
16th Jack Miller Red Bull KTM
17th Augusto Fernandez GASGAS Tech3
18th Fabio Quartararo Yamaha
19th Iker Lecuona LCR Honda
20th Takaaki Nakagami LCR Honda
21st Joan Mir Repsol Honda

DNFs: Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Tech3)

Image Credit: MotoGP on Twitter

Feature Image Credit: MotoGP

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MotoGP: Bagnaia on pole for the Catalan GP

Our championship leader has smashed the lap record at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on his way to taking pole position before this weekend’s racing. It was a session with mixed conditions and some mixed results for riders up and down the grid.

Pecco Bagnaia has taken his 6th pole position of the season at the Catalan GP today. He smashed the previous lap record, laying down a storming time of 1:38.639.

He will be joined on the front row by Aleix Espargaro, in 2nd, and Miguel Oliveira, in 3rd. Many had tipped Espargaro for pole this weekend, but he lost time in the latter sectors and crossed the line just 0.104s behind pole position. Oliveira, who has also looked really fast this weekend, was a frustrating 0.005s away from Espargaro in 2nd.

It was a tricky day for Marc Marquez who, despite being promoted from Q1, had to settle for 12th overall. It was thanks to a tow from Jack Miller that Marquez made it through to Q2 – however, providing that two seemed to hold back Miller who was unable to make it through to the second qualifying session, despite showing good pace this weekend so far.

It was arguably a tougher day for the Yamaha team with Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo having to settle for 16th and 17th respectively. They have been well off the pace all weekend and struggling at the back of the grid.

AS IT HAPPENED

Qualifying 1

In the 15 minutes between FP2 and Qualifying 1, the weather changed quickly and the track went from bright sunshine to rain. The sessions therefore started with a damp track which meant riders were instantly out to set a banker lap.

We had some big names in this first session, including Jack Miller, Pol Espargaro and Miguel Oliveira who have looked fast all weekend so far. It also included Luca Marini and both Yamaha riders who have struggled throughout this weekend.

With 3 minutes of the session done, we had half the track enjoying bright sunshine and the other half under rainfall. These mixed conditions meant the early laps were quite slow – Marini was the first to lay down a lap time but was way off the expected pace. Quartararo, on the other hand, seemed to revel in these mixed conditions and set the first relative lap time of 1:39.878. On his next lap, he was quickly improving and beat his previous time by 0.2s.

As Quartararo began his third flying lap, he went wide at turn 1. Whilst trying to keep the bike upright, we got stuck in the gravel and ended up falling in an embarrassing fashion. He was able to rejoin the field but wasn’t on the same pace as the rest of the field.

Halfway through the session and, as everyone made their way back in to the pits, we had Oliveira and Franco Morbidelli in the top two spots and provisionally going through to Qualifying 2.

As everyone came back out of to the grid for their final flying laps, Marquez was gifted a nice tow around the track by Miller. As they crossed the line, the pair were 1st and 2nd respectively.

However, with 2 minutes left on the clock, Oliveira bested them both to claim the top spot with a 1:38.789. As the seconds tick down, no one is able to improve on their current lap times – Marini was clearly struggling with the lack of grip, Espargaro bailed out of his final lap and Marquez went back to the pits before the session ended.

With no one else able to improve, it was Oliveira and Marquez who progress to Q2.

Qualifying 2

It was a quieter session this time as the weather settled down and the Spanish sunshine began to shine again.

Marc Marquez was the first to cross the line and laid down a lap time of 1:40.665. As everyone else began finishing their first flying laps, he was quickly shuffled down to 8th and Aleix Espargaro was on provisional pole.

The grid then shuffled around again as everyone completed their second flying laps. This time, Brad Binder took provisional pole before being beaten by Vinales. Espargaro was now in 3rd and Pecco Bagnaia in 4th.

We then had the typical lull in the middle of the session as everyone made their way back to the pits for a breather and fresh tires. There were 6 minutes on the clock when everyone came back out on to the grid.

We now had Espargaro, Bagnaia and Martin flying round the grid and, with 3 minutes remaining, Espargaro set the fastest lap of the day so far – a 1:38.752.

He was soon bested by championship leader, Bagnaia, who smashed the current lap record with a 1:38.639. As the minutes ticked down, no one was able to get close to this time. Espargaro was shuffled down to 2nd and Oliveira slotted in to 3rd. That was how the session ended with no one able to make waves.

FULL GRID
1st Pecco Bagnaia Ducati
2nd Aleix Espargaro Aprilia
3rd Miguel Oliveira CryptoDATA RNF
4th Maverick Vinales Aprilia
5th Jorge Martin Prima Pramac
6th Johann Zarco Prima Pramac
7th Alex Marquez Gresini
8th Fabio Di Giannantonio Gresini
9th Brad Binder Red Bull KTM
10th Marco Bezzecchi Mooney VR46
11th Enea Bastianini Ducati
12th Marc Marquez Repsol Honda
13th Jack Miller Red Bull KTM
14th Pol Espargaro GASGAS Tech3
15th Raul Fernandez CryptoDATA RNF
16th Franco Morbidelli Yamaha
17th Fabio Quartararo Yamaha
18th Luca Marini Mooney VR46
19th Augusto Fernandez GASGAS Tech3
20th Joan Mir Repsol Honda
21st Takaaki Nakagami LCR Honda
22nd Iker Lecuona LCR Honda

Feature Image Credit: MotoGP

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MotoGP: Perfection from Pecco In Spielberg!

Feature Image Credit: Joel Cooper Photography LTD

Pecco Bagnaia obliterated the field today and showed everyone why he’s the current reigning world champion. Total domination from the Ducati number 1 in the Austrian mountain’s. A fantastic performance and 50th Grand Prix podium for Pecco. Pecco was simply too strong for KTMs Brad Binder finishing 2nd and Marco Bezzecchi, to the delight of team boss Valentino Rossi, finishing in 3rd place.  

AS IT HAPPENED

Ducati have clearly made improvements to the launch control, as Pecco got off to a fantastic start leading after turn 1. KTM’s home race rider Binder in 2nd, teammate Jack Miller and VR46s Luca Marini side by side, 3rd and 4th as they came out of turn 1, heading to the chicane at turn 2.

 

Jorge Martin up 4 places to 8th on the first lap, still with a long lap penalty to serve for the antics at turn 1 in the sprint race yesterday afternoon. Maverick Viñales down to 11th place from the front row of the grid, another disastrous start for the factory Aprilia rider.

Across the line to start lap 2 and Pecco leads from Binder in 2nd and almost a second gap to Miller in 3rd place. Binder eager to get by Pecco here as the KTM rider can’t sit too long on the wheel of Pecco, as front tyre temperatures will go through the roof fairly quickly.

Onto lap 3 now with Binder setting the fastest lap of the race , the KTM stand cheering on Binder doing all he can to keep up and possibly get by Pecco to take the lead. Coming to the end of lap 3 and Miller is beginning to fade as Miller is falling into the clutches of Alex Marquez and the the VR46 riders Bezzecchi and Marini close behind.

Pecco responds to Binder posting the fastest lap of the race on lap 3, and as we head into lap 4, Jorge Martin serves his long lap penalty to come back out just ahead of Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli in 13th place.

Lap 5 and getting the drive from turn 8 and down into turn 9, Marquez made it look easy as he went by Miller. Things going from bad to worse for the Australian, as VR46 Ducati’s Bezzecchi and Marini go by as Miller goes from 3rd to 6th.

Miguel Oliveira’s woes continue as we see Oliveira return to the pits retiring from the race, the performance of the bike matching the special livery for today’s Grand Prix. Hopefully Oliveira can catch some good fortune next time out in Barcelona.

As the laps tick by its clear Pecco is in control at the front, although trying all he can it doesn’t look like Binder has an answer for bike #1 today. The dream win for KTM at their home Grand Prix is slipping away from them.

Jack Miller under further pressure now as Viñales who started on the front row is desperate to get passed and up to 6th place. Viñales getting frustrated running wide at turn 4 giving Miller some breathing room as Viñales shakes his head coming out of the corner.

Bezzecchi now the fastest rider on track battling with Marquez for the final podium position. Viñales eventually getting through on Miller with Pecco holding station at the front.

Lap 12 now and quickly coming up to half race distance. Aleix Espargaro goes by Miller as he continues to go the wrong way. Enea Bastianini now hot on the heels of the Australian, gets by and Martin quickly follows. Surely something is wrong with the Australians KTM this afternoon. Losing 3 places on lap 12.

Martin eager to make up the time lost in the long lap penalty goes up the inside of Bastianini as Bastianini gets it wrong at the chicane. A slow exit gifting the place to Martin as Martin goes by into turn 3. Jorge Martin now up to 8th place and a great recovery from the Prima Pramac Ducati rider.

At the half way point now, and a great midfield battle is developing as Bastianini is dicing with Zarco getting by into 10th place. At the front of the race its business as usual. Pecco is controlling the race with over as second of a gap to Binder in 2nd.

Bike number #72 fighting with bike number #73 for the final podium position now on lap 16. Bezzecchi runs up the inside of Marquez but too deep into turn 1 and unable to get by into third place. On equal machinery can Marquez hang onto 3rd for what would be a great podium for the Gresini Racing team.

 

Midway through lap 19 now. Pecco with a 2.558 seconds gap to Binder in 2nd. Binder to Marquez in 3rd with a gap of 2.923 seconds. Unless the front two riders have taken too much out of their tyres, it looks like the front two positions are settled already here in Austria. A masterclass from the world champ and a great ride so far from Binder,  who celebrates his contract extension this weekend at the home Grand Prix for the KTM team.

Bezzecchi ever determined to get by Marquez has another failed attempt at dive bombing into turn 1 and has a look at turn 8 later in the lap but not quite close enough to attack. Bezzecchi right up behind Marquez as they cross the start finish straight now with 7 laps to go. Bezzecchi trying to get by in the first few corners running too deep again, brings his teammate Marini into the mix now. The battle for 3rd heating up in the final phase of the race.

Bezzecchi now with better traction out of turn 8 and down into turn 9 goes by Marquez and up into 3rd. Marini now onto the back wheel of Marquez with 6 laps to go as they come across the straight finish line.

5 laps to go now and Pecco is 5 seconds clear of Binder in 2nd and Binder almost 3 seconds clear of Bezzecchi in 3rd. Bezzecchi already pulling a gap to Marquez after battling with Marquez for so long in this race. Marini keen to get by Marquez in the closing stages. The front two of the race seemingly cruising to the finish.

In the midfield, Martin up to 7th place and a great recovery after the long lap penalty starting in 12th place. Fabio Quartararo also in 9th. A much better race weekend for Yamaha with Morbidelli also in 11th after the torrid time in Silverstone.

As Valentino Rossi cheers on his VR46 riders Bezzecchi 3rd and Marini now up into 4th, Pecco is way ahead with 3 laps to go here in the Styria mountainside. A picturesque setting with a performance to match, as nobody can keep up with Pecco here today in Austria.

Onto the last lap now and factory Ducati superstar and bike #1 is comfortably clear of Binder in the KTM and cruising to victory. Bezzecchi set to take the final podium position here in Spielberg.

A 62 point lead now in the championship for Pecco as we have a brief rest before racing again in Catalunya at the beginning of September. What a performance from the Bologna Bullet as he marches on towards his 2nd world title in MotoGP.

Image Credit: MotoGP

 

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