More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Pons takes sensational first MotoE™ win after classic Barcelona battle

The rookie takes the spoils, Aegerter and Torres complete the podium and there’s drama for Granado on Sunday

Sunday, 06 June 2021

Rookie Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) produced a fantastic FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup performance at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya to win his first race in the Cup by an impressive 0.531 after fighting at the front from the off. Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) claims P2 to get within one point of Cup standings leader Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE), with reigning World Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) occupying the final step on the rostrum.

There was drama before the six-lap race got underway as polesitter Eric Granado (One Energy Racing) encountered an issue just before lights out. That caused the start to be delayed as he was wheeled off the grid, heartbreakingly forced to start from pitlane.

After the brief stoppage, the lights went out and we were GO in Barcelona. Aegerter grabbed the holeshot as a fierce MotoE™ scrap started from the off, with Pons lunging up the inside at Turn 10 to slot into second. It was then slipstream city down the long home straight as the lead changed down into Turn 1 aplenty: Zaccone led, then Aegerter returned to the front, before Pons eventually took the lead into the first left-hander on the penultimate lap.

Looking strong, the LCR E-Team rider was able to edge out a 0.3 lead – not a lot, but enough – heading onto the last lap, and importantly held off Aegerter in the slipstream too. The top eight were covered by just 1.8 but Pons remained ahead as attentions turned to the last real overtaking spot: Turn 10.

However, after a crash for Mattia Casadei’s (Ongetta SIC58 Squadracorse) there on the penultimate lap, the yellow flags were waving at Turn 10. That meant no overtaking, which scampered Torres’ chances of a move up the inside of Aegerter on the last lap. And just ahead of that, Pons made no mistake in the final sector and crossed the line to take a maiden MotoE™ victory, Aegerter and Torres picking up their second podiums of the year in that order.

World Cup points leader Zaccone took the chequered flag in P4 to keep his advantage over Aegerter intact, but it’s just a point splitting them in the overall standings. Yonny Hernandez (Octo Pramac MotoE) ended the six-lap dash in P5, and that’s the Colombian’s best result of the season so far.

16-year-old Fermin Aldeguer (Openbank Aspar Team) took 6th just 1.7 off the win, and the Spaniard was promoted one place after Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE) exceeded track limits on the last lap. Lukas Tulovic (Tech3 E-Racing), Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) and Corentin Perolari (Tech3 E-Racing) completed the top 10 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

So what of Granado? After starting from pitlane and having lapped a second a lap quicker than the leaders when fighting his way back through, the Brazilian then crashed out of the points at Turn 4, rider ok. Xavi Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) and Jasper Iwema (Pons Racing 40) also crashed out unhurt.

Yet another terrific MotoE™ race lights up Barcelona, with a new winner joining the fold. Pons is up to fourth in the overall classification, 18 points behind Zaccone, with Torres 11 off the leader and Aegerter that single point off the top. MotoE™ returns in a few weeks at the TT Circuit Assen.

Miquel Pons: “My first victory is amazing for me. I worked very hard and the work is reflected in this victory. I want to dedicate it to my family, partners and team, and to my friend Jason.

“We worked hard this weekend and at the end of the race I could push a little bit more and make the difference.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Gardner goes back-to-back in style

The Championship leader does it again, pulling clear of his teammate for win number 2 of 2021

Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) capped off a week of headline-stealing – following a new MotoGP™ contract for next year – with another win in the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, going back-to-back for the first time in his career. That means, for the first time since Casey Stoner in 2005, an Australian has won two intermediate class races on the spin. Gardner’s rookie teammate Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took second, with Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) completing the podium, back on the box for the first time since 2018 and on home turf.

Gardner was able to get the start he would have wanted from pole, the Australian earning the holeshot as teammate Fernandez held P2 also. Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) likewise got a great launch and troubled Raul Fernandez at Turn 5, the Dutchman making a clean move stick before the number 25 was able to strike back at Turn 7.

Gardner was into a rhythm at the front but his teammate, with a bit of clear track in front, was able to slowly creep his way up to tag onto the back. Bendsneyder and Vierge were able to stay within touching distance of the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders though, with fifth place Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) 2.3 back from the race lead on Lap 10 of 22.

The lead then changed with 11 laps remaining. Raul Fernandez drafted Gardner down the straight, pulled alongside on the brakes and made a clean and concise move stick. Bendsneyder was still a close third, with Vierge and Bezzecchi less than a second down, as Gardner clung onto the coattails of Fernandez.

At the beginning of Lap 20, Gardner pounced. A late lunge at Turn 1 saw the Aussie cut past his teammate and a 1:44.399 helped him edge out a 0.6 lead. Heading onto the last lap, it was up to 1.1 and that sensational final trio of laps saw Gardner claim a second victory in a row, extending his lead in the title race over his teammate to 11 points as Raul Fernandez took second. Vierge fended off Bezzecchi to hand Petronas Sprinta Racing their maiden Moto2™ rostrum in third.

Bezzecchi threatened to steal the podium in the closing stages but it was P4 for the Italian, with Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) equalling his best result of the season in P5 – an important one for the Spaniard after good speed but bad luck of late. Bendsneyder faded in the latter stages but picks up a great P6, the Dutch rider 0.3s ahead of seventh place Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) after a solid race for the Brit, who needed a finish. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) completed the top 10 in Barcelona.

Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) missed out on a top 10 by less than a second in P11, with reigning Moto3™ World Champion Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) having a good ride to end the day P12 on home soil. Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP), Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) were the remaining points scorers.

The Moto2™ riders return to put on another show at the Sachsenring in two weeks!

Remy Gardner: “In the beginning I tried to break away but didn’t want to burn up the rear tyre so I was just trying to be smooth. I thought if I could break away like that perfect, but I saw it was half a second the whole time. I didn’t know who was behind but Raul made a push and I thought ‘alright I’ll follow you’. He wasn’t pulling away and I just sat behind managing the tyres. I knew I had a bit more in me, I had half the race to study him and I said to myself, ‘alright two laps to the end I’m going to pass him and just go for it’. I saw the opportunity at Turn 1 and went ‘alright, let’s do it’, put the hammer down and pulled away. Couldn’t be happier, another 25 points.”

More, from a press release issued by Italtrans Racing:

Dull Catalan Grand Prix for Italtrans Racing Team.

Joe Roberts finishes 10th while Lorenzo Dalla Porta crashes four laps from the end.

Dull Catalan Grand Prix for Italtrans Racing Team at Montmelò Circuit, near Barcelona, for the seventh round of the MotoGP World Championship.

At the end of a weekend with light and shadow Joe Roberts finished in the top ten, while Lorenzo Dalla Porta unfortunately ended with a crash after a good growth.

Starting from the sixth row of the grid after setting the 17th fastest time in qualifying, Roberts maintained a consistent pace throughout the race, recovering positions in the final laps and finishing in the top ten.

Dalla Porta made positive progress in all sessions, showing speed and pace, but finished his race with a crash. Starting 15th on the grid, the Tuscan rider unfortunately crashed at Turn 1 four laps from the end while he was 13th.

Lorenzo Dalla Porta

nc

“It’s a shame about the crash because we worked well all weekend long and I could have finished in the top ten. In the race I didn’t feel completely comfortable and I crashed trying to keep the lead of my group. Let’s look at the glass as half-full: we were close to the top ten and that’s positive. Thanks to the whole team for the great job: this is the right way, we’ll do well next race”.

Joe Roberts

10°

“Tough weekend. I don’t understand why we never find the rhythm. We made one change for the race in order to improve the feeling with the front but I couldn’t find the right pace. Not the best weekend at all, but we got some points for the championship. We’ll try to understand what happened and work for the next two races before the summer break”.

Giovanni Sandi, Technical Director

“Not a positive weekend. It’s a shame for Lorenzo because he crashed once more and he could have finished in the top ten, while Joe couldn’t find the right feeling since Friday. We look forward hoping to show our potential in the next GP”.

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Oliveira plays his cards to perfection to put KTM back on top in Barcelona

The Portuguese rider just outpaces Zarco, with Miller taking third after two penalties for Quartararo on Sunday

Sunday, 06 June 2021

Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) put in an outstanding performance in the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya to take back to the top step, the Portuguese rider storming Barcelona for back-to-back podium finishes and his first win in Red Bull KTM Factory Racing colours. First he out-duelled Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) to keep the lead before just outpacing Johann Zarco after a late charge from the Pramac Racing rider. The number 5 took second, with Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) completing the podium. The Australian crossed the line fourth, behind Quartararo, but was promoted to third following the first of two penalties for El Diablo on Sunday.

Miller was king of the brakes into Turn 1 to take the holeshot off the front row, blocking Quartararo as Oliveira then shuffled the Frenchman down to third too. El Diablo, in a very busy opening handful of laps, looked a bit impatient and a mistake at Turn 7 saw him drop to P5, with Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) making a phenomenal start from 10th to get into the top three in the early stages. Oliveira then took the lead from Miller on Lap 2 and was able to stretch a one-second advantage out, but Quartararo was able to carve his way back up to P2 by Lap 7.

Oliveira was doing an outstanding job out front, but some low 1:40s saw Quartararo able to reel the KTM back in, with Mir, Miller and Zarco line astern behind the World Championship leader. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) lurked too, two seconds off the top five in P6 and P7.

On Lap 12, Quartararo made his move for the lead. A good exit from Turn 4 saw the Frenchman able to slice his way up the inside of Oliveira at Turn 5, but the latter returned the favour at the start of Lap 14. The KTM grunt, coupled with a dose of slipstream, saw Oliveira able to stick with the Frenchman and then re-take the lead into Turn 1, with just 1.3 covering the front five: Oliveira, Quartararo, Mir, Miller, and Zarco.

By nine to go, Oliveira and Quartararo were edging clear but Zarco and Miller were both past Mir and just 1.2 behind Quartararo, who, in turn, was staying tucked up behind the race-leading KTM. Who had something to spare?

By five to go, Zarco had closed the gap to the front two to under a second and it was fourth place Miller who was the fastest of the leading quartet. And with four to go, Oliveira was really starting to stretch his legs again, suddenly 0.9 clear of Quartararo as the latter had his closest title rival homing in on him: Zarco.

The Pramac Racing Ducati tagged on and then passed Quartararo on the straight, the Yamaha following that up with a moment at Turn 1. The polesitter was forced to run wide and slotted back on track in P3, and we saw a unique situation unfold – Quartararo’s leathers were undone, his chest protector was thrown clear and Miller was right behind him after his off-track excursion too.

Up ahead, Zarco was just half a second down on Oliveira as the riders headed onto the last lap, and the Frenchman had been 0.4 quicker on the previous lap. Could he do it? The gap was down to under four tenths through the second split but the Ducati man wasn’t close enough into Turn 10, the last real overtaking spot, and in the end he was forced to settle for second. Oliveira held his nerve to claim a phenomenal Catalan GP victory: his first in factory colours, his third in MotoGP™ and third for KTM, making it back-to-back podiums after his second place at Mugello.

Zarco took the flag just 0.175 behind in a marvellous second place, and Quartararo was handed a three-second penalty for gaining an advantage when going wide at Turn 1. That put Miller on the podium as the Australian had another good weekend, starting to rake in some serious points after a tougher start to the year.

Quartararo was classified fourth in the direct aftermath of the race, but the Frenchman was then handed another three-second sanction for riding with his leathers undone and without the required chest protector. That shuffles him back to sixth in the final results.

Mir faded slighty in the final stages but is ultimately classified fourth for more good points, and from 10th on the grid it was a solid Sunday. The number 36 was able to keep Viñales at bay, and the number 12 is now fifth to end the day just ahead of his teammate Quartararo in the final results. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was 1.8 down on Viñales at the chequered flag in a quieter outing for the Italian in P7. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) took P8, just 0.2 behind Pecco after shadowing the Italian for much of the race.

Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was another rider to have a quiet afternoon, the Italian finishing a lonely P9. 3.6 adrift of Morbidelli in P10 was rookie and reigning Moto2™ World Champion Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama), his third top 10 of the season. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) – who crashed on the sighting lap and was forced to start from the back of the grid upon his return from injury – and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) picked up the remaining points on offer in Barcelona.

Both Repsol Honda Team machines suffered DNFs in the early stages, Pol Espargaro and Marc Marquez going down uninjured at Turn 4 and Turn 10 respectively. Aleix Espargaro and Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) were two others who, like Marc Marquez, crashed at Turn 10. Danilo Petrucci and Tech3 KTM Factory Racing teammate Iker Lecuona also crashed out on Sunday afternoon – all riders ok.

And that’s that. Oliveira and KTM deliver an outstanding Sunday performance to win their first race of 2021, following up from their first podium of the season too. The Austrian factory are back in business this season after a tricky opening few rounds, with Ducati also impressing on Sunday once again. And in terms of the World Championship, Zarco has closed the gap to Quartararo after a dramatic day in Barcelona for the latter. Now, it’s just 14 points… and next up it’s the Sachsenring. What awaits in Germany? We’ll find out in two weeks!

Miguel Oliveira: “From my perspective it was hard to understand what was going on behind me, I knew at the beginning there were a couple of switches in position for second place. I got the little gap, I was comfortable and could be gentle with the tyres, do my lines and not make any mistakes, and I think that was the key. It was hard for everyone I guess, but for me it was extra hard because I had the hard front tyre. The last eight laps it was not for me to stay on and not crash!”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Granado denies Torres by less than a tenth for third E-Pole of 2021

The Brazilian does it again in Barcelona, heading the grid from Torres and Aegerter at Round 3 of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup

Saturday, 05 June 2021

It’s three E-Poles from three at the beginning of 2021 for Eric Granado (One Energy Racing) after the Brazilian produced a sterling 1:50.446 to beat reigning World Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) by less than a tenth on Saturday afternoon in Barcelona. Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) completes the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup front row at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya.

After the first few laps, 2019 World Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE) set a 1:51.187 to set title chase leader Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE) a time to beat, and that’s exactly what the latter Italian did. Zaccone was the first rider into the 1:50s in E-Pole – a 1:50.813 – as nine riders waited their turn in the one-lap dash for glory in Barcelona.

Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadracorse) slotted his Energica Ego Corsa into P2, 0.264s off Zaccone’s time, before  Aegerter set his best lap of the weekend to go provisional pole position by 0.094s. Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) was the next rider to set a lap time and the Spaniard missed out on beating Aegerter by a whisker, the rookie going second by just 0.007s.

Torres soon rose to the fore though, setting a 1:50.517 to go P1 by over two tenths. It was then Lukas Tulovic’s (Tech 3 E-Racing) turn to power his way around the lap and in Sector 1, the German was 0.408s under Torres’ time. However, Tulovic failed to hold his advantage to the line and slotted into P4, with just Granado and Fermin Aldeguer (Openbank Aspar Team) left to go…

Granado’s first split was a stunner – 0.337s under Torres, and it was pretty much the same through Sector 2. Granado was two tenths up through the third split and sure enough, the Le Mans winner crossed the line and took provisional pole by 0.071s. Next up: Free Practice pacesetter Aldeguer. Could the rookie do it?

The first half of the lap didn’t quite hook up, and the 16-year-old was 0.404s down on Granado’s time. That became half a second at the third split and ultimately, Aldeguer took the chequered flag in P7, half a second down on Granado. The Brazilian had done it again and taken E-Pole in Barcelona.

Behind the leading trio of Granado, Torres and Aegerter sits Pons at the head of Row 2, with Tulovic and Zaccone ready to pounce from P5 and P6 respectively. Aldeguer leads Row 3 from Casadei and Ferrari, with Cardelus completing a top 10 covered by 0.952. It will surely be another stunner on Sunday…

Tune into the MotoE™ race from Barcelona at 16:00 local time (GMT+2).

Eric Granado: “I’m feeling good, very happy with this result, it’s a new track for us so we worked a lot with the bike to understand the best setting for the circuit. I was struggling a bit yesterday and in the morning today I wasn’t at 100%. And even on the E-Pole lap I was trying to be careful and not make mistakes! Finally it was good, I’m happy with the job we’ve done but the important thing is tomorrow and we’re ready for this.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Gardner grabs pole as Red Bull KTM Ajo duel rolls on in Barcelona

The Australian beats rookie teammate Raul Fernandez to the top, with Bendsneyder impressing in third

Another day, another Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2! World Championship leader Remy Gardner secured his second pole position of the season at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, the Australian’s 1:42.977 enough to fend off teammate Raul Fernandez by 0.158. Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) bags his second front row of the year in third, the Dutchman impressing once again.

Q1

Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) came out on top in Q1, the Spaniard having a tougher weekend of it so far, and that’s also true of the man who followed him through: Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), who suffered a mammoth highside in FP3. But both got the job done, and were joined by Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), the latter coming back from his shoulder injury sustained in Mugello.

Q2

The Red Bull KTM Ajo superiority was on show again as Gardner and Raul Fernandez exchanged P1 a couple of times, but the Australian was able to just take it by the end with a new lap record just under the 1:43 barrier – stretching his advantage from 0.036 to over a tenth. Bendsneyder was 0.265 off Raul Fernandez in second place, but the Dutchman had a tenth in hand over the fourth-placed Fernandez: Augusto (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team). His teammate, Sam Lowes, had a more muted Saturday to take eighth.

The Grid

Gardner vs Raul Fernandez rolls on with Bendsneyder alongside, and Augusto Fernandez heads Row 2 from Di Giannantonio as the Italian bounced back in style to take fifth. Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) takes sixth on home turf to complete Row 2, ahead of rookie Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia). The Japanese rider heads Lowes and Chantra on the third row.

Behind them comes a surprising P10 for Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46), the Italian one of those most definitely looking for more on Sunday, and the same can be said for Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) as the American will start P17.

That’s it from Saturday, with Gardner in the driving seat… for now. Will another duel on Sunday change the momentum again? Find out at the later time of 14:30 (GMT +2).

Remy Gardner: “It’s a good day, I’ve had worse days! It’s always nice to start from pole but the race is tomorrow. It’s nice to get a watch but tomorrow is when the points count! I had to push hard to beat Raul but I managed it in the end.”

More, from a press release issued by Italtrans Racing:

Fifth and sixth row for Italtrans Racing Team in Barcelona

Italtrans Racing Team is ready for the Grand Prix of Catalunya at Montmelò Circuit after a brilliant home Grand Prix with Joe Roberts third but demoted one position and Lorenzo Dalla Porta out following a contact caused by another rider.

Determined to redeem himself from last Sunday, Dalla Porta kept speed and pace going straight to Q2 as done in Mugello. Even in Catalunya the Tuscan rider showed the good progress made in recent races by finishing 15th with a time of 1’44”102.

Straight to Q2 Roberts too. Despite the excellent results of the tests here at Montmelò, today the American rider did not find the right feeling and placed 17th with a time of 1’44”346.

Lorenzo Dalla Porta

15° | 1’44”102

“I’m happy with the progress made in the last few races. I had a steady pace since the first free practice. Today’s result isn’t great, but we have a good pace. We are very confident and we know we can do well tomorrow”.

Joe Roberts

17° | 1’44”346

“Unfortunately, I can’t get the right feeling with the bike. Now we will analyze the data to understand what happened. We’ll do our best tomorrow”.

Giovanni Sandi, Technical Director

“I was expecting a different weekend, because in the tests we had very good results. Joe doesn’t have a good feeling and now we will find the best solution to make him comfortable; Lorenzo was once again consistent and I hope tomorrow he will redeem himself from Mugello”.

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

High five: Quartararo defeats Miller for fifth pole in a row

El Diablo can’t be stopped at Catalunya, but Miller runs him close despite a crash and a trip to Q1

Saturday, 05 June 2021

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was most definitely the favourite for pole at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, but the Frenchman was ultimately run close for the honour as Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), despite a crash in Q2 and a trip through Q1, managed to end the session just 0.037 back. Nevertheless, it’s a fifth pole in a row for El Diablo – the first time anyone has managed that since Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in 2014, and the first time a Yamaha rider has done it since Jorge Lorenzo in 2010. It’s a French front row party once again in Catalunya in third too, with Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) top Independent Team rider in P3.

Q1

Q1 saw the fireworks begin early as Miller found himself looking to move through, and with Marc Marquez for company rolling down pitlane the Aussie was this time asked for a tow, rather than his more usual taxi service. The response? Get on with the job, but not before rubbing his fingers together at the number 93 in a perfectly-timed “it’ll cost ya” gesture on the way out of the pits.

In the end it didn’t, with Miller going quickest and Marquez briefly second as he followed the Ducati round, but the next man in the train, Marquez’ teammate Pol Espargaro, then crossed the line… and knocked him out by just 0.011. Marquez was left in Q1, and it was Miller and the number 44 Honda heading through.

Q2

Quartararo didn’t take long to find his way to the top of the timesheets in Q2, his 1:39.351 the first benchmark for everyone to try and beat. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) did on his second flying lap but Quartararo firmly laid down the gauntlet on his next flyer – a 1:38.853, the best of the weekend. The Frenchman’s advantage was 0.421 after the first set of runs, with Morbidelli and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) on the provisional front row.

This was far from a done deal for El Diablo though. His competitors were finding speed on their second runs as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), teammate Miguel Oliveira, Zarco and Miller all took turns on the provisional front row, Miller especially a threat going just 0.037s off.

The Australian then slammed in a red sector in the first part of his next lap, but that was all she wrote as he then highsided out at Turn 3, rider ok. That meant yellow flags ended Quartararo’s final push, too, although a few remained on a charge further round the lap.

Zarco, forcing his way past Binder at the updated Turn 10, was one of them and he shot to P3 on his final flying lap, shoving Oliveira off the front row by just 0.050.

The Grid

Quartararo, Miller and Zarco therefore have the clearest view to Turn 1, with Oliveira heading the second row from Morbidelli by another tiny margin of just 0.010. Viñales completes Row 2.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) starts seventh at his home race, with Binder for company in P8 and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) in ninth by just 0.016.

Reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), meanwhile, starts tenth. But the 2020 Catalan GP podium finisher has made quick progress in the past and has more podiums from off the front two rows than on them. So will that stat continue at Catalunya?

Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) starts P11 after a Q2 crash, and Pol Espargaro P12 after the same, riders ok.

That’s a wrap on Saturday action in Barcelona, with half a second covering the top ten on the grid. Quartararo holds the cards so far, but does anyone have an ace on Sunday? We’ll find out at the slightly earlier time of 13:00 (GMT +2) as the lights go out for the premier class at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya.

Fabio Quartararo: “I’m really happy, feeling great with the bike. In FP4 we wanted to try both tyres, medium and hard, and both are working good but I don’t know which one to choose. The feeling is similar and laptimes are really good. Really happy, qualifying was great, I had a bit more on the last lap but there was a yellow flag. But I’m really happy and I think we can have a great race tomorrow. Just the question mark is which tyre we’ll use.”