More from a press release issued by Pertamina Enduvro VR46: 

Heroic Di Giannantonio wins the Catalan GP. At the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya, a stoic Fabio Di Giannantonio claims his maiden victory with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team in a race that was affected from two red flags. Franco Morbidelli bounces back and he is tenth.

The Catalan GP proved to be very hard, with two race interruptions due to incidents: in the second re-start, Fabio Di Giannantonio was heroic, and he claimed his second MotoGP win, his first one with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. Both Fabio and the Team went on the highest step of the podium for the first time in 2026, confirming the Top3 in the World Standing. It was a come back race for Franco Morbidelli, who crossed the finish line in twelfth place, that eventually became tenth because of penalties to other riders.

Di Giannantonio started from the second row and showed a good rhythm since the early stages of the races, that was interrupted for an incident that involved him. Fabio managed to be back on track at the re-start, where he confirmed to be competitive. Despite a second red flag that interrupted his rhythm, the rider from Rome fought with determination since the third start, and he completed the crucial overtake that allowed him to win the race. This is Di Giannantonio’s first win with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team and his second in MotoGP (Qatar 2023). Now, Fabio is third in the World Standing with 116 points.

It was a complicated race for Morbidelli too, despite starting from the front row. Franco managed to stay in the top positions at the start, but both the first and the second red flag stopped his rhythm. At the third start, the Italian Brazilian rider had a difficult start and he lost some positions. Franco showed a great determination, recovering many positions in the 12-laps raceand he crossed the finish line in twelfth position, that eventually became tenth due to penalties to other riders ahead. Morbidelli is now fifteenth in the World Standing with 36 points.

The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team wishes a speedy recovery to all the riders involved today’s incidents and wishes to have them back on track soon. The next MotoGP round is scheduled in two weeks and it’s one of the most anticipated events of the season for the Tavullia-based team: the Italian GP, which will take place at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello from 29^th to 31^st May. But before, it’s testing day tomorrow at Barcelona.

FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO: “Today, we’ve been all lucky! The first crash was terrifying, so it means a lot to me knowing that everyone is more or less ok, this means that today is a great day for motorsports. After the incident I was involved in, I was feeling well and the team helped me a lot to try to re-start in the best way possible. It’s never easy to come back on track without knowing how the other riders are, but I needed to do a click. Obviously, I am very happy for the win, we’ve been having an amazing performance throughout the weekend, with an excellent preparation. Yesterday, we missed the win, but today we did it. This morning during the Warm Up I was feeling well and we knew that today we would have a great chance. At the re-start, with soft tyre I had less expectations that with the medium, but we managed to do a mega race, so we were in a great shape! I want to thank all the team and the partners for this first win with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team!”

FRANCO MORBIDELLI: “I am happy this Sunday ended, the incident was terrifying and I hope everyone is ok. Regarding our team, it was a positive Sunday because Diggia won, many congratulations to Fabio! Talking about our garage side, the race didn’t finish I the best way, but we knew that my potential was not that much high to try to attack the top positions. In the first ‘races’ I was there, but at the third start I made a bad start, my bike was jumping and everyone overtook me. From that point, I tried to bring the bike to the finish line in the best position possible. It’s a pity, because we had the potential to be more than twelfth.”

PABLO NIETO : “First of all, I hope that all the riders involved in today’s incidents are okay, because the crashes were terrifying. We hope to have them on track in the next race. Regarding our team, it was an incredible weekend! Yesterday’s third place was amazing. Today, we won the race after all that happened with the two red flags. Fabio was involved in the first incident. But when you have all the adrenaline and that willing to win… we just have to congratulate him because today he made the difference. Congratulations to all the team! With Franco, we made a little step, and it was positive to start from the front row. I think this is the right direction to re-gain confidence. I am convinced that little by little we are back where he deserves.”

More from a press release issued by BK8 Gresini:

Insane race, Alex broken clavicle, Fermin from 15th to 2nd. 

• RACEDAY 

ALEX MARQUEZ NC

FERMIN ALDEGUER 2º
 

• WORLD STANDING

ALEX MARQUEZ 7º (67 points)

FERMIN ALDEGUER 10º (43  points)

FERMÍN ALDEGUER #54: “It’s never easy to race in situations like this. Obviously, we are professional riders and we know how to separate emotions, but it still helped me to know from the team that at that moment the news coming in about Alex (and the other riders) was positive. We did a good race, in many ways unexpected, but we took twenty very important points. We are not yet fully fit physically, but morale is high after this podium. Now we are waiting for Alex to come back to us at 100%.”

UPDATE ON ALEX MÁRQUEZ’S CONDITION

The rider has suffered a fracture to his right collarbone, which will be operated on this evening. A marginal fracture to the C7 vertebra will instead be evaluated in the coming days.

More from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo: 

Francesco Bagnaia and the Ducati Lenovo Team take third place in the Monster Energy Grand Prix of Catalunya. 

The Ducati Lenovo Team has completed the sixth Grand Prix of the season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Francesco Bagnaia secured a third-place finish in the race, in what proved to be an unpredictable Sunday at Montmeló.

The race was halted twice before eventually being contested over a reduced 12-lap distance. Bagnaia, who was involved — through no fault of his own — in the incident that led to the second red-flag situation, managed to move up to fifth place at the final restart before climbing to third by the end of lap one. After a solid opening phase, Pecco started to feel the effects of the earlier crash but still managed to finish fourth on track, before being promoted to third after the race.

As the sixth event of the season draws to a close, Francesco Bagnaia is eighth in the standings with 63 points. Marc Márquez is ninth, six points behind his teammate. The Ducati Lenovo Team is fifth in the teams’ standings (120 points), while Ducati sits second in the constructors’ championship (165 points).

The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action on Friday, May 29th, for the opening day of the Brembo Grand Prix of Italy at Mugello.

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 3rd: “Right now I’m in pain and feeling a bit dizzy. I took quite a big hit, but nothing compared to what happened to the others. In the end, we were lucky in what was a really intense day. When I felt the impact, I thought it was over, but then the crash happened and the impact with the gravel was really hard. I didn’t realise that Johann (Zarco) was still tangled up with the bike, and it was quite a traumatic moment. At the restart, I wasn’t expecting much because I had to jump onto a bike I had basically never ridden before, with used tyres as well. I still got a good start, but after three laps my head started spinning and all I could do was switch to survival mode. Obviously I’m happy with the podium, even though this isn’t the way we want — or feel we deserve — to achieve it, especially considering how hard the team is working. We simply need to keep working.”

More from a press release issued by Aprilia:

Fourth place for Aprilia Racing in a chaotic race in Montmeló.

The weekend on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya ended with a particularly tumultuous Sunday, marked by two red flags following several serious incidents. At the restart, over a distance shortened to 12 laps, Marco Bezzecchi rode a solid race, finishing fourth and taking home important championship points.

On the other hand, it was a complicated race for Jorge Martín, involved in a crash on the first lap after the third race start. The Spanish rider managed to get back on the track but, because of damage to the bike, he was forced to return to the garage without finishing the race.

Rounding out the day’s results was Trackhouse MotoGP Team’s Ai Ogura with an eighth-place finish, allowing Aprilia to close out with two RS-GP26 machines in the top ten.

Marco Bezzecchi: “First of all, I hope that Álex Márquez and Johann Zarco are okay. Álex’s crash was pretty scary, with pieces of the bike flying all over the place and even hitting several riders – including me, even though I was farther back. Zarco’s crash was unfortunately also a serious incident. Overall, it was a weekend of struggling for us but, considering everything that took place, we were still able to take home a good result.” 

Jorge Martin: “Whatever I did today is secondary – the most important thing is that Álex and Johann are okay. It was an extremely dangerous day and having to go through three restarts seems excessive to me. We’re only human and, after seeing that type of accident, it isn’t easy to focus again.”

Massimo Rivola: “This was a weekend where Aprilia did not shine, especially on Saturday, although I think we had a good pace in the race to make a play for the positions that count. However, I believe that any discussion about results should be back-burnered after seeing Álex’s terrible accident and Johann’s as well, which was just as serious. We wish both of them a speedy recovery and we hope they’ll be able to get back on the track soon. We have an important test tomorrow ahead of our home GP, we’ll do our best to be ready.”

More from a press release issued by Honda HRC:

Joan Mir takes scintillating second in chaotic Catalan GP. 

Two red flags, three race starts and tyre pressure penalties – Sunday of round six of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship was a physically and mentally demanding day, Joan Mir taking his first podium of the year as Luca Marini turned a disastrous Friday into sixth.

The Catalan Grand Prix would be reduced to just 12 laps, the same length as Saturday’s Sprint race, after two dramatic red flags. Three race starts and the pressures of the incidents put a heavy demand on the Honda HRC Castrol team and both riders.

Strong in both restarts, Joan Mir was able to highlight the importance of qualifying on the front two rows of the grid as he immediately thrust himself into podium contention. In what would be the final start of the Catalan GP, the #36 stalked Pedro Acosta for the majority of the race and was able to frequently show him his front wheel. As the likes of Ogura and Di Giannantonio closed in, Mir kept his pace and pushed until the final moments to take his debut win on the Honda. Crossing the line 1.250s back on Di Giannantonio, the 2020 World Champion was able to secure second place after a complicated weekend and improve on his best result as a Honda HRC rider. A post-race tyre pressure penalty would drop Mir to 13th.

Luca Marini’s Sunday was even more dramatic, the Italian caught up in the fall which brought out the second red flag. Keeping his characteristically cool head, Marini returned to the garage and was back out on track for the third start of the day. Riding his backup machine, Marini was not able to replicate his previous two starts and dropped down the order off the line. Able to replicate his speed from the initial start at 14:00 Local Time, the #10 made quick progress through the field and eventually finished in sixth after the post-race penalties.

The Honda HRC Castrol team will remain in Barcelona for a post-race test on Monday with the rest of the MotoGP World Championship.

Honda HRC would like to extend their best wishes for speedy and full recoveries to both Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco.

Joan Mir: “A really tough day today and first of all I want to wish the best to Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco, their condition is the most important thing. I made a great start to the race and I knew with this I had the chance to fight for something great. The focus was to stay right with Acosta and then see what happened in the last laps, it got quite exciting there at the end! I have to say thank you to my team for their work over the weekend and especially today, it’s days like this where the team can make a big difference. The result on track shows the potential of myself and the bike and I hope that we can show this speed at more and more circuits. The penalty is a shame, but it doesn’t take away from the speed that we showed and where we crossed the line.”

Luca Marini: “I would like to extend my best wishes to Zarco and Alex, especially with Zarco it was really hard to see his crash. I know that the medical staff all did a good job to help both of them as quickly as possible, I have been in situations like that, and it is not something I wish anyone to experience. As for our race, it was the result of hard work, and I have to say a big thank you to Pipi and all my crew as we really did a great job to turn around the weekend. In the third start I had to use the spare bike, and the clutch was brand new so we didn’t make the best start. Even like this I was able to make good progress and catch the riders ahead. Congratulations to Joan, he did a great race and I hope that it gives an extra boost to everyone in the team!”

More from a press release issued by KTM Factory Team:

Top seven for Brad Binder after chaotic Catalan MotoGP.

The second of back-to-back MotoGP Grands Prix circulated the low-grip asphalt of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and after two red flags and a half distance affair, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder was the highest finisher with 7th position.

Highlights and key moments from race day at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya:

• Brad Binder endures two restarts and manages to guide his KTM RC16 to P7 after 12 laps at the Catalan circuit and the second GP in Spain this year

• Pedro Acosta starts from Pole Position for the first time this season and fights for victory in each MotoGP outing. The Spaniard suffers contact with another rider and falls out of 4th on the final corner.

• Maverick Viñales scores points for the first Sunday this year with 11th and completes race day without any further complications or complaints from his left shoulder

• Moto3™ silverware for Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Alvaro Carpe with 2nd place after a typically thrilling and entertaining race

Pedro Acosta started from Pole Position for the first time this season for the 24-lap distance and joined the rest of the Red Bull KTM crew (Brad Binder launching from P8 on the grid, Enea Bastianini from P14 and Maverick Viñales from P17) knowing that the 14-corner 4.6km layout would be a tough test for tire durability and optimum traction.

Acosta flew into the lead and then tried to administer the pace as part of a top three. With 13 laps to go and while fronting the pack Pedro suddenly had an electronic issue out of Turn 9 and was hit by Alex Marquez. The collision spread debris across the track and caused a red flag. An accident into Turn 1 of the restart halted the race again. A second restart allowed a 12-lap dash to go ahead and Acosta vied for the lead and was eventually punted out of 4th in a collision into the final corner.

On the other side of the pitbox, Binder had a technical issue on the Warm-up lap meaning a pitlane start. Brad circulated adrift of the field but was given a reprieve with the restarts. He salvaged a creditable 7th on a weekend where he made a step with his set-up and pace.

Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Maverick Viñales avoids any drama or complications and picks up his first points of the season in 11th. Teammate Bastianini, renowned for his tire preservation skills and remembering his first KTM podium result at the same Grand Prix in 2025, was circulating in 13th when he had to stop on lap ten.

Acosta is 4th in the world championship. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 hold 4th and 10th positions from the list of 11 in the Teams’ standings while KTM are currently the third ranked Constructor in MotoGP.

The Red Bull KTM teams will remain in Catalunya for the second one-day IRTA test session of the season on Monday.

Brad Binder, 7th and 14th in the championship: “I took the spare bike after we had the problem on the warm-up lap and was just trying to make some laps. Unfortunately, we had a red flag. On the restart I was up to 8th from 20th: I think it was one of my best starts ever but then we had another restart. I made it up to 9th but managed to blow Turn 1. I had to cut back and then work on catching the dudes in front of me that were fighting for 5th. It’s a pity…also that I qualified 8th and had to start from 20th twice. A weekend where we were unlucky but then also fortunate to have those starts.”

Pedro Acosta, DNF and 4th in the championship: “It looks like we had an electronic problem in the first race. That’s it. This is what happened. I just want to send all possible strength to Alex [Marquez] and Johann [Zarco] because this is what matters today. I don’t know if it was necessary to make a third race today. I always say the show must go on…but we are the ones who make the show. We didn’t need that third start. My problems today are not important.”

Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “A really tough day and our expectations were a lot different to how everything finished. Our weekend had started positively and the Sprint went well but too many things happened today. It’s time to analyze all what happened and it’s important we can test tomorrow. Pedro’s performance was really strong all weekend but we also need to be happy with Brad’s Grand Prix from Friday. I think we have made steps across the board and we need to continue this trend in Mugello. We send our best wishes to Alex and Johann and hope they have a speedy recovery.”

More from a press release issued by Pro Honda LCR:

• After two red flags caused by serious crashes during Sunday’s race, Moreira managed to stay focused through each restart as he pursued a top-12 finish, the team’s initial objective.
• The Brazilian pushed hard to overtake his rivals and achieve the best result possible. Despite the interruptions, he crossed the line in 10th place, a ninth position after penalties given to rivals, and therefore scoring valuable championship points.
• Today’s result marks Moreira’s best finish on a Sunday race, a promising sign ahead of the upcoming races.

Maverick Viñales: “Having to do three race starts today was not ideal for my shoulder, due to needing to warm up each time, but the rhythm was good, and the bike balance was nice. My biggest issue is that I’m not carrying enough corner speed, so then I destroy the tyres, but the team had a good strategy, and I could complete the race – which for me was the most important thing. We have plenty of data, and now it will be very important to work on the details. The plan is to do some long runs tomorrow to accumulate more laps. My goal is to be back to full strength as soon as possible, and Mugello will be another good test as it’s very physical. Ultimately, I just need track time.”

Enea Bastianini: “It has been a very difficult weekend for me. My speed was good from the beginning on Friday, and after warm-up this morning things looked positive for the race. I had a bad start, but I was trying to regain positions and was very close to the group of riders fighting over seventh place when I lost power, and that was that. The main thing today, though, is hoping that Álex Márquez is ok – I saw his accident from the outside and it was brutal. I don’t know what his condition is yet, but I wish him all the very best for a speedy recovery.”

Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: “Well, today was a chaotic race in Barcelona with two red flags. Firstly, I want to wish a speedy recovery to Johann Zarco and Álex Márquez, who have been involved in two nasty crashes. We’ve been somewhat unlucky with Bastianini being forced to retire due to a technical issue. On the other side of the garage, Maverick’s main target was to finish the race. After a cautious start, he just tried to keep the pace and managed to overtake a few riders. After all the crashes he was P13 and because of a few tyre pressure penalties he was promoted to P11. Now it’s time to prepare for the last test before heading to Mugello for the next round in two weeks.”

More from a press release issued by Yamaha Factory Racing Team:

Yamaha Factory Racing Team Successfully Conclude Catalan GP. 

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team used the sunny but cool conditions of the Monster Energy Grand Prix of Catalunya Sunday to secure further race data. However, multiple restarts meant the race distance was shortened to 12 laps for race 3. Wild-card entry Augusto Fernández finished it in 17th place. Following post-race penalties for five rivals for tyre pressure infringement, Fernández found himself in the points in P12 in the revised race classifications.

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team completed their Monster Energy Grand Prix of Catalunya testing programme on a hectic racing day. Wild-card entry Augusto Fernández’ goal for the perfectly sunny Sunday was to secure racing data, but two red-flag situations followed by two restarts added extra tension. He ultimately took the chequered flag in P17 in the 12-lap dash, but post-race penalties for five other riders for tyre pressure infringement put Fernández in P12 in the revised race 3 classifications.

Fernández commenced race 3 from P19 and moved up to seventeenth as two riders crashed on the opening lap. The test rider was chasing Toprak Razgatlıoğlu. However, unable to engage in battle, he instead soon focused on his own pace. He ultimately crossed the finish line in 17th place, 16.245s from first.

Following the post-race penalties and revised race 3 results, Fernández now holds 21st place in the standings with 4 points.

Fernández will be back in action at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya tomorrow for a one-day IRTA Test.

Augusto Fernandez: “It was tough to manage the situation after the two red flags, but especially after the first one because Álex [Marquez] was knocked out and that was not easy. You then have to focus on yourself, knowing you will have to race again and do your job.

“I was a bit frustrated because I missed out on fighting with Toprak. I did improve my lap times a bit, but he made a very good step and was close to the other Yamahas. In the end, I’m still happy with my weekend. I think I’m closing the gap in what’s only my second race this season.

“I will be testing tomorrow. This is good for me. I will work some more on the settings, and then we will see.”

More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:

Fabio Quartararo Finishes in P5 in Dramatic Catalan GP. 

Following some big incidents at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya today – and sighs of relief when all riders involved where declared conscious – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins had to keep their focus. They wrapped up the 12-lap second restart in P7 and P11. As Rins and four other riders were given a 16s penalty post race for a tyre pressure infringement, Quartararo moved up to P5 in the revised rankings while Rins ended in P14.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP riders Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins avoided all on-track chaos in the Monster Energy Grand Prix of Catalunya MotoGP Race today. Following two red flags, the teammates kept their focus to wrap up the 12-lap dash for points in P7 and P11. Rins, along with four other riders, was later given a 16s-penalty for a tyre pressure infringement. This put Quartararo in P5 and Rins in P14 in the revised rankings.

The original race was red flagged after a big incident involving three riders approaching Turn 10 on lap 12. Race 2 was also red flagged, this time on the first of 13 laps due to an incident involving another three rivals in Turn 1. Race 3 would count 12 laps and Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins started it from P13 and P17 respectively.

Quartararo made an amazing start and pushed to P4 on the opening lap but lost a position to Di Giannantonio crossing the start-finish straight for the first time. Unable to stay with the top 4, the number 20 focused on defensive riding, but Fermín Aldeguer and Ai Ogura still found a way through. El Diablo stood his ground in P8 though. As Pedro Acosta crashed on the last lap, he took the chequered flag in seventh place, 4.876s from the winner. The post-race penalties moved him up to P5 in the revised rankings.

Rins had a good opening lap and climbed to P11. He was part of the rider group fighting for seventh place but lost a position to Brad Binder on lap 6. The Yamaha man pushed on and had a late charge towards Diogo Moreira ahead of him but came just 0.077s short. With Acosta crashing in the last corner, Rins finished P11, 6.916s from first. A 16s-penalty for a tyre pressure infringement put him in 14th place in the revised classification.

Today’s results move Quartararo up to 13th place in the championship standings with 37 points. Rins stays in 19th with 9 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are in 9th position in the team classifications with 46 points, and Yamaha is fifth in the constructor rankings with 40 points.

The team will be back in action at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya tomorrow for a one-day IRTA Test.

Fabio Quartararo: “We did 12 laps in the first race, and we left rubber on the track, so that automatically improved our grip for the third race. I started the second race with a new soft tyre, but I had to reuse it for the restart because I had no more new ones left. I could go faster in race 3 than in race 1 but was blocked behind Marco [Bezzecchi]. It was difficult today, but especially the second race. I try to avoid looking at the tv screens in these situations, but when you cross Turn 10 and see Álex [Marquez] on the ground like that, you don’t feel like restarting the race. I had goosebumps: the tyre and bike flying… That’s not easy, but it’s part of our job.”

Alex Rins: “When these kinds of things happen, for me, the race becomes secondary. When I saw Álex [Marquez] on the floor, my heart broke. I was really affected. I was trying to breathe a lot in the box, because it’s not nice to see a mate on the floor. In the end, we’re all humans, so it was really tough. We struggled a lot here this weekend. The pace was not bad today, it was quite acceptable, but we’re not where we want to be.”

Massimo Meregalli: “Let me start by saying that we are all relieved that there were no more serious injuries in today’s incidents and that our thoughts are with Álex Marquez and Johann Zarco. A double restart is always tense, but our riders showed their professionalism. Though they’re not involved, it takes a special kind of mindset to push 100% after seeing such incidents happen. Still, Fabio and Álex were able to keep their focus and finish this difficult weekend with the best results possible. Tomorrow we will be back at this track for the one-day IRTA test, which will allow us to collect some extra data.

“Álex came under investigation for tyre pressure after the race ended. It was due to a human error, a calculation mistake after two restarts. We accept the penalty.”

More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:

Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Leaves Barcelona with One Point After Post-Race Penalties.

Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP saw both riders penalised after the Catalan Grand Prix for tyre pressure infringements, with Jack Miller retaining one championship point in 15th place while Toprak Razgatlıoğlu dropped outside the points.

What had initially appeared to be an encouraging end to a difficult and dramatic Catalan Grand Prix ultimately turned into a disappointing final outcome for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP.

After crossing the finish line inside the points, both Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu were placed under investigation by the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel for tyre pressures found to be below the minimum values required by the regulations during the race. Following the review, both riders received 16-second post-race penalties.

As a result, Miller was reclassified in 15th position and retained one championship point, while Razgatlıoğlu dropped outside the points-paying positions.

The final classification does not fully reflect the progress shown throughout the weekend by the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP riders and the Yamaha YZR-M1 package, which once again demonstrated encouraging signs in terms of pace and competitiveness despite the demanding characteristics of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The race itself had already been heavily affected by multiple interruptions and red flags following serious incidents involving several riders, creating an especially emotional atmosphere throughout the paddock.

Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP would also like to once again extend its support and best wishes to Alex Márquez and Johann Zarco following today‘s incidents, wishing both riders a full and speedy recovery.

The team will now remain in Barcelona for an important day of testing tomorrow as development work on the Yamaha YZR-M1 project continues.  

Jack Miller: “It was one of those days. In the first part of the race I actually felt quite good and we were being pretty conservative with the tyre management. I could see the riders around me starting to struggle a little more while we still had decent pace.

After the first restart we changed strategy because I wasn‘t fully comfortable with the rear tyre feeling, and for the final start we went with the medium rear. In the end we were probably too conservative for what effectively became a shorter race. The track conditions improved a lot and we simply lacked acceleration on corner exit compared to the others.

The biggest issue remains that when you pick the bike up and open the throttle, we are still losing too much drive on the exits. That makes it very difficult to attack or defend positions during the race.

As for the incidents today, obviously our thoughts are with Alex Márquez and Johann Zarco. Seeing crashes like that is never easy for anybody on the grid and we all just hope both riders recover as quickly and as well as possible.” 

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: “First of all, I am really sad for Alex Márquez and Johann Zarco because they both had very big crashes today. When something like that happens it is not easy to fully focus again on the race because, first of all, you are worried about the riders. I immediately asked the team for updates because from the track the crashes looked very serious. The important thing is that both are conscious and receiving the best care possible.

As for my race, honestly the result is not positive because I am trying my maximum but at the moment this is where we are. On tracks with very low grip like Barcelona we still struggle a lot, especially with turning and rear grip. I lose too much time when opening the throttle because the bike does not turn enough and I end up waiting before I can accelerate properly.

Tomorrow‘s test will therefore be very important for us because we need to focus especially on improving turning and rear grip. Little by little I am understanding the bike better, but we still need to make another step” 

Gino Borsoi – Team Director: “Obviously this was a very complicated race, but honestly the most important thing is that both Alex Márquez and Johann Zarco are relatively okay. After everything that happened today, that is really the only truly positive aspect of the weekend.

As for the sporting result, it is a real pity because due to the tyre pressure regulation we lost several important points and dropped down the classification with both riders. In the end Jack was still able to retain one point, but overall it is disappointing because those points are important both for the riders and for the whole team working on this project.

Honestly, after everything that happened during the race, I personally struggle to see much sense in applying this rule in these kinds of situations. But of course it is not my role to decide these things. When you have multiple interruptions, restarts and such a short race distance, predicting and managing tyre pressure becomes extremely complicated.

This time it went against us, but now we simply need to move forward and focus on tomorrow‘s test.”

More from a press release issued by Castrol Honda LCR: