The reigning Champion extends his lead, the rookie's luck turns and a multiple-rider crash makes waves

[caption id="attachment_8587" align="alignleft" width="1200"] Marquez wins the Catalan GP on Sunday. A Michelin image[/caption]

Barcelona, 16 June 2019: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) took an impressive win in the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, the 7th round of the MotoGP World Championship, on an expensive day for his key Championship rivals, with a dramatic multiple-rider crash near the start of the race creating some serious chaos. Marquez escaped that and in the aftermath it was Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) who emerged as his closest challenger, with the polesitter and French rookie cutting down the gap in the latter laps as he seared away from those on the chase. His second place makes him the second-youngest podium finisher in the MotoGP™ era, behind only Marquez, and he managed to pull two seconds clear of Mugello winner Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati) to do it.

It was Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati) who took the holeshot with another stunning start, this time from the second row, with Marquez pushed back into second and Quartararo then trying to send it around the outside of the reigning Champion. But he couldn't quite make that stick and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) capitalised to sweep through soon after. The number 12 then attacked Marquez to take over in second, with Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) making some serious ground up into fourth to fight for the podium.

Marquez hit back against Viñales on Lap 2 and it was shaping up to be a serious fight at the front, but that's when the drama hit. Lorenzo went to attack Viñales just as Marquez attacked Dovizioso, and the number 99 then lost the front as the space ahead diminished. That set off a huge incident as the number 99 took down Dovizioso, then Viñales, and then Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) got caught too – with all four out the race. Marquez was clear of it, with Petrucci the man left in second, escaping the drama after having been passed by Rossi at the best time for one of them and the worst for the other.

Marquez was then able to pull the pin and extend the gap but the fight behind was on fire: Petrucci vs Alex Rins  (Team Suzuki Ecstar) vs Quartararo. First it was a duel behind the Italian before Rins then started looking for a way past Petrucci, attacking into Turn 1 and the Ducati defending to perfection in Turn 2. A couple of laps later it was a Rins and repeat, but the Suzuki man couldn't make it stick.

He kept trying, but the next attempt was more costly. Running on and left heading over the Long Lap Penalty after dropping anchor to avoid Petrucci in Turn 1, the number 42 lost out and rejoined in sixth, behind his rookie teammate Joan Mir. That left him fighting to try and get back through, and left Quartararo with only one man in between himself and Marquez' trail.

It didn't take long; the Frenchman sliding up the inside of the Ducati to take over in second soon after. And then, he was in the same position as his fateful race in Jerez and wishing for more luck. Barcelona brought just that, with the number 20 then able to unleash his pace and push on after Marquez, immediately starting to cut the gap.

In the end, there weren't enough laps left for a charge at the win, but the Frenchman made a little history regardless and a first rostrum finish is good payback for his incredible pace so far. Petrucci was around two seconds behind him but scored big for Ducati once again, with Rins taking fourth after managing to pass first Mir and then Jack Miller (Pramac Racing).

Miller was only two tenths behind him over the line, however, and the Australian's P5 puts him back in the lead of the Independent Team standings. Behind them? Another small gap back to Joan Mir, who took sixth and his best rookie result yet, two better than his season opening P8 in Qatar.

Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) continues his consistency in seventh and took more solid points, ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) took P9 and his best of 2019 so far, as Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) did the same and completed the top ten.

Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and Suzuki test rider Sylvain Guintoli (Team Suzuki Ecstar) were the remaining finishers in a serious race of attrition, with fallers outside the huge incident near the start including Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Francesco Bagnaia) and Bradley Smith (Aprilia Racing Team), who made contact with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) on Lap 1 and both crashed out.

It was a near-perfect day for Marquez' Championship hopes in Montmelo, and the reigning Champion heads into the next race with a serious buffer of 37 points at the top of the table. Dovizioso remains second, Rins couldn't capitalise too much in third...but next up it's the Dutch TT, and that's the perfect place for Yamaha, especially, to strike back. Rossi was back in the mix in Barcelona, Viñales had made an awesome start...what will the classic TT Circuit Assen bring? Don't miss it as MotoGP™ gets back in action in two weeks.

MotoGP Top-3 results:

1 - Marc Marquez (SPA - Honda) 40'31.175

2 - Fabio Quartararo* (FRA - Yamaha) +2.660

2 - Danilo Petrucci (ITA - Ducati) +4.537

*Independent Team rider

Catalan Grand Prix Full Results

Pos.

Rider

Num

Nation

Points

Team

Time/Gap

1

MARQUEZ Marc

93

SPA

25

Repsol Honda Team

40'31.175

2

QUARTARARO Fabio

20

FRA

20

Petronas Yamaha SRT

2.660

3

PETRUCCI Danilo

9

ITA

16

Mission Winnow Ducati

4.537

4

RINS Alex

42

SPA

13

Team Suzuki Ecstar

6.602

5

MILLER Jack

43

AUS

11

Pramac Racing

6.870

6

MIR Joan

36

SPA

10

Team Suzuki Ecstar

7.040

7

ESPARGARO Pol

44

SPA

9

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

16.144

8

NAKAGAMI Takaaki

30

JPN

8

LCR Honda

17.969

9

RABAT Tito

53

SPA

7

Reale Avintia Racing

22.661

10

ZARCO Johann

5

FRA

6

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

26.228

11

IANNONE Andrea

29

ITA

5

Aprilia Racing Team Gresini

32.036

12

OLIVEIRA Miguel

88

POR

4

Red Bull KTM Tech 3

44.666

13

GUINTOLI Sylvain

50

FRA

3

Team Suzuki Ecstar

51.363

14

CRUTCHLOW Cal

35

GBR

0

LCR Honda

DNF

15

MORBIDELLI Franco

21

ITA

0

Petronas Yamaha SRT

DNF

16

BAGNAIA Francesco

63

ITA

0

Pramac Racing

DNF

17

SYAHRIN Hafizh

55

MAL

0

Red Bull KTM Tech 3

DNF

18

ROSSI Valentino

46