Saturday MotoGP Sprint plus Moto2 and Moto3 Qualifying

Espargaro wins, Bagnaia slides out, Marquez takes on Acosta in dramatic Sprint in Barcelona

Big opportunities go begging on Saturday as the Tissot Sprint serves up the drama, with three riders crashing from the front.

In a breathtaking Tissot Sprint at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, Aleix Espargaro of Aprilia Racing clinched victory amidst high drama, flawlessly navigating to the finish line as three different frontrunners succumbed to mishaps.

The race started with a heart-wrenching moment for Raul Fernandez of Trackhouse Racing, who, despite a promising start from the front row, saw his hopes dashed after overshooting Turn 10 early on. Subsequently, Brad Binder of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing suffered a tumble at Turn 5, relinquishing his position just as he fended off advances from rookie Pedro Acosta of Red Bull GASGAS Tech3. Reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati Lenovo Team faced a pivotal setback on the final lap, crashing out at Turn 5, thwarting his chances of securing his first Sprint win of the season.

The battle for podium spots intensified between Marc Marquez of Gresini Racing MotoGP™ and Acosta, with Marquez ultimately overtaking the rookie at Turn 1 in a thrilling display of braking prowess.

As the race unfolded, Bagnaia seized the holeshot from the second grid slot, with Acosta swiftly climbing to the forefront. Binder briefly surged ahead but was soon overtaken by Fernandez as the Aprilia rider settled into third.

Acosta wasted no time in challenging for the lead, prompting a swift response from Bagnaia. However, Fernandez remained a constant threat, making bold maneuvers as Acosta reclaimed the lead on Lap 3. Yet, a pivotal moment ensued as Fernandez surged ahead, only to crash out at Turn 10, leaving Acosta and Binder to battle for supremacy.

Despite Binder’s initial dominance, he too succumbed to a crash at Turn 5, leaving Bagnaia and Acosta to duel for the lead. The rookie launched a daring attack at Turn 1, but Bagnaia swiftly retaliated, establishing a commanding lead. Espargaro capitalized on the opportunity, overtaking Acosta to pursue the reigning Champion.

The race concluded with Bagnaia’s unexpected crash on the final lap, allowing Espargaro to claim victory. Marquez secured third place, with Fernandez’s misfortune relegating him to fourth. Enea Bastianini of Ducati Lenovo Team staged a remarkable comeback to clinch fifth place.

The Sprint witnessed Fabio Di Giannantonio of Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team finishing sixth, while Jack Miller of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing battled with Maverick Viñales of Aprilia Racing for seventh place. Marco Bezzecchi of Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team rounded off the top eight.

As anticipation mounts for Sunday’s race, questions loom over Bagnaia’s comeback, Martin’s potential, and the prospect of another enthralling battle in Barcelona. Tune in at 14:00 (UTC +2) to witness the unfolding drama!

RESULT

Moto 2 Garcia denies Aldeguer and Vietti in Barcelona

Moto2™ World Championship leader Sergio Garcia of MT Helmets – MSI clinched pole position for the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya GP with an impressive time of 1:41.894 during the early stages of qualifying. The #3 rider displayed sheer brilliance, securing a lead of 0.240s over Fermin Aldeguer of MB Conveyors SpeedUp, who exerted maximum effort in the final run but fell short of matching Garcia’s pace. Completing the front row after a hard-fought battle through Q1 is Celestino Vietti of Red Bull KTM Ajo, trailing Aldeguer by just 0.048s.

Aron Canet of Fantic Racing leads the second row from fourth position, having also advanced from Q1 like Vietti. QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™ duo Albert Arenas and Manuel Gonzalez initially qualified fifth and sixth respectively, but Gonzalez incurred a three-place grid penalty for impeding Alonso Lopez of MB Conveyors SpeedUp. Consequently, he will start in P9 behind Alonso, replacement rider Daniel Muñoz of Pertamina Mandalika GAS UP, and Joe Roberts of OnlyFans American Racing.

Can Garcia maintain his dominance? Stay tuned for the race at 12:15 (UTC +2) on Sunday to find out!

RESULTS

Moto 3 Qualifying Ortola heads Veijer and Rueda as Alonso starts P6 and Holgado P9

Ivan Ortola of MT Helmets – MSI clinched pole position at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya with a spectacular final flying lap, showcasing remarkable skill in the decisive final sector. Ortola secured his first pole position by a narrow margin of just 0.019s ahead of Collin Veijer from Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP, who demonstrated confidence throughout the session, setting an impressive time early on and strategically timing his final run. Jose Antonio Rueda of Red Bull KTM Ajo will start from third on the grid after posting a strong time late in the session.

The session concluded dramatically, with CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team’s David Alonso initially holding second position before opting for a pit stop to switch to new tires. However, the final minutes saw significant changes, with red sectors appearing across the board. Rueda managed to set a competitive time before Ortola ultimately claimed pole position with a superb improvement on his last flying lap.

The session also witnessed yellow flags following crashes involving Riccardo Rossi of CIP Green Power and Daniel Holgado of Red Bull GASGAS Tech3. These incidents resulted in Alonso’s time being nullified, relegating him to the second row alongside Taiyo Furusato of Honda Team Asia and Ryusei Yamanaka of the MT Helmets – MSI squad.

David Muñoz of BOE Motorsports secured seventh position after advancing from Q1 and delivering an impressive performance on his last flying lap. Adrian Fernandez of Leopard Racing will join Muñoz on the third row in P8, while Holgado is set to start from ninth on the grid following his crash.

As Ortola and Veijer aim to close the gap in the Championship standings, anticipation mounts for an exhilarating race, scheduled to commence at 11:00 (UTC +2)!

RESULTS

Official MotoGP Press Release