Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya today offered the best of days for the 52,589 people who came to its facilities to take part in the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya de MotoGP™. A packed programme made Saturday’s race day more enjoyable than ever, with Aleix Espargaró being rewarded on the day of firsts.
It was the first time that Aleix Espargaró took victory in the Sprint Race, the new short race devised by the organisers of the World Motorcycling Championship which is proving to work perfectly in terms of spectacle. It was also the first time that the CatalanGP has held a race of this type, offering the spectators more hours of entertainment. Another first was the Sprint Race podium celebration, which for the first time in its history took place in an area accessible to the public. Attendees were able to see the ceremony up close with Aleix Espargaró as the main protagonist, accompanied by Pecco Bagnaia and Maverick Viñales.
To understand this podium it is necessary to highlight the performance of the elder Espargaró. Despite Pecco Baganaia’s pole position, Espargaró took advantage of his second place and stayed behind the world champion with an apparent better pace. This was confirmed at the halfway point of the race, when the Aprilia rider overtook the Italian and built up a gap of almost two seconds. A struggling Bagnaia also saw the Aprilia of Maverick Viñales close in on him, so much so that in the end it was 51 thousandths of a second that separated them at the finish line. Viñales tried, but the Ducati is a heavyweight.
Brad Binder and KTM were just off the podium, with Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac Racing) lurking in fifth place. On the other hand, the Márquez brothers found themselves in the race, giving some very entertaining moments to their fans. Proof of this were their positions, with 10th place for Álex (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and 11th place for Marc (Repsol Honda Team). On the other side of the coin was Pol Espargaró (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3), who was unable to finish the Sprint Race due to a crash.
For tomorrow, the front row of the grid will be made up of Pecco Bagnaia, Aleix Espargaró and Miguel Oliveira. Just behind them, Maverick Viñales, Jorge Martín and Johann Zarco. Álex Márquez will head the third row, followed by Fabio di Giannantonio and Brad Binder. Marc Márquez will start 12th and Pol Espargaró 14th.
Moto2™: Jake Dixon makes Pedro Acosta forget
Jake Dixon (Asterius GASGAS Aspar Team) and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) represent the good and the not so good side of Saturday qualifying respectively. The reason was none other than the great performance of Dixon, today’s poleman, and the failed attempts of Acosta, who will eventually start ninth. The Aspar Team rider also set his first fastest qualifying lap of the season with his 1:44.089.
Arón Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) was second quickest with a time of 1:44.184. It will therefore be the fourth time that the Valencian will start from the front row of the grid. The situation looks good for Canet, although his main rival for third place in the championship is poleman Jake Dixon. Ai Ogura (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) will complete the front row.
Championship leader Pedro Acosta has had to settle for ninth place, the Spaniard’s worst finish of the current season. Although there is also an explanation for this, as Acosta had his time invalidated for exceeding the track limits. The consolation for Acosta is that Tony Arbolino, the second classified in the World Championship, did not even qualify for Q2. The comeback of both of them promises a lot of excitement tomorrow.
Moto3™: Iván Ortolá takes his first pole position
Ivan Ortolá took his first World Championship pole position today. It is quite possible that the Circuit has become part of the select group of his talismanic tracks, as the Angeluss MTA Team rider will head tomorrow’s starting grid of the smallest category of the World Championship, which makes for a good outlook for the race. Ortolá stopped the clock in 01:48.205, a time well ahead of all his rivals.
Next on the grid will be Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), one of the usual riders in the front positions. The Japanese rider was just three tenths off the reference time, with Joel Kelso (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP) almost matching his time. These three riders will therefore defend the front row of the grid.
The second row will be headed by Jaume Masià. The Leopard Racing rider clocked 1:48.641, a competitive time that shows he could fight for the podium tomorrow. In fact, Jaume Masià was second fastest in the combined times of the three free practice sessions. Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) were fifth and sixth respectively. Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3), the championship leader, will start 11th.
MotoE: Casadei, new leader
The electric MotoGP™ family competition has already held the two scoring races in Catalan territory. The result of the points’ tally has meant that, unfortunately, the Catalan Jordi Torres has lost the lead.
Andrea Mantovani was the winner of this morning’s race, a race that had a surprising ending. Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team), who seemed to have the victory under control, touched slightly with Casadei and went long on the first corner of the track. In the end, he settled for seventh place. In the second race, Torres crashed and lost a lot of points to the new leader, Mattia Casadei, who also won the race. Matovani and Spinelli completed the podium.
Circuit members enjoy the Hero Walk
One of the new proposals of the MotoGP™ World Championship, the Hero Walk, today allowed Circuit members to approach the paddock entrance to meet their MotoGP™ idols in a place designed for the occasion. Some of the premier class riders chatted with fans, had their photos taken and signed autographs. Tomorrow, the Hero Walk will hold two more sessions, both reserved for Circuit members.
A special edition of KISS Barcelona
The Sustainability Meeting Point platform of the Circuit promotes KISS Barcelona by once again taking part in the KISS (Keep It Shine and Sustainable) programme of the FIM Ride Green. The programme also celebrates a decade of history coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the FIM Ride Green. The Gran Premi de Catalunya MotoGP, an ISO 20121:2013 certified event, is once again promoting actions within the framework of the United Nations SDGs.
Some of these actions are the use of 100% renewable energy, the rental of low-emission generators, the commitment to energy self-consumption, the donation of surplus food, the offer of km0 and ecological food, the presence of drinking water sources in the public areas, the improvement of the biodiversity of its green areas, the collaboration with companies with social value, the valorisation and recycling of waste, the promotion of sustainable mobility, the use of the circular economy, and many more.
Tickets available at www.circuitcat.com
The Circuit has an attractive offer of tickets to attend the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya de MotoGP™. From €72, fans can enjoy a weekend of competition on the tarmac and many proposals off it. In addition, some of the riders of the motorcycling world championship have reserved areas for their fan clubs in different grandstands, a highly recommended option to experience many emotions.
