Oliviera Wins In Catalunya As Championship Leader Quatararo Hits Trouble
Calum Gill 15:09 06/06/2021
Miguel Oliveira has won the Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix, his third career MotoGP win and his first for the factory Red Bull KTM team.
The Portuguese rider held off the late challenge of Johann Zarco in the final few laps to win for the first time since moving from Tech3 to the factory KTM team. It is the first win this year for a KTM bike, there last also coming through Oliveira in Portugal last year.
Championship leader and polesitter Fabio Quartararo hit trouble in the race though, as his bid to make it back-to-back wins crumbled late on. First, he shortcutted turn 2, and received a three second time penalty, which subsequently dropped him behind Jack Miller and off the podium places. Then, his leathers became undone, allowing his chest protector to slip out, and forcing him to ride the final few laps with his chest in the open and unprotected. The Frenchman was somehow not disqualified for the incident. He was given another three second penalty for this after the race, which dropped him to sixth place, although he does still maintain the championship lead.
Joan Mir, the sole Suzuki runner this weekend, put in a stellar effort from tenth on the grid to fifth at the chequered flag, which later became fourth due to Quatararo's penalty. Maverick Viñales was the other beneficiary of his Monster Energy Yamaha teammate's later penalty, the Spaniard finishing fifth. Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia was seventh, ahead of Brad Binder on the other factory KTM in eighth. Franco Morbidelli on the Petronas Yamaha and Enea Bastianini on his Avintia Esponsorama rounded out the top 10.
It was a deeply miserable race for Honda, which was led by LCR Honda’s Álex Márquez in 11th place. The other LCR rider, Takaaki Nakagami, was compromised by having to serve a long-lap penalty for a shortcut and then another long-lap penalty for failing to serve the first one in time. Meanwhile, the two factory riders crashed out, Pol going down from 11th place at Turn 5 and Marc Márquez following suit at the new Turn 10 a few laps later while chasing after Pol’s sixth-placed brother Aleix - who then himself crashed his Aprilia at the same corner later on. There were also crashes for the Tech3 duo of Iker Lecuona and Danilo Petrucci, and for Valentino Rossi, who was 13th when he tumbled at Turn 10.
Quatararo keeps hold of the lead in the standings, with Zarco still in second. Miller goes above Ducati teammate Bagnaia into third, whilst winner Oliveira climbs to seventh.
The next race is in two weeks time at the Sachsenring in Germany, before the Dutch TT, a week after the German round.
2021 Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix Classification (24 laps)
1st. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM)
2nd. Johann Zarco (Pramac)
3rd. Jack Miller (Ducati)
4th. Joan Mir (Suzuki)
5th. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha)
6th. Fabio Quatararo (Monster Energy Yamaha)
7th. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati)
8th. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM)
9th. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT)
10th. Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama)
11th. Álex Márquez (LCR Honda)
12th. Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia)
13th. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda)
14th. Jorge Martín (Pramac)
15th. Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia)
DNF: Iker Lecuona (Tech3) (Lap 16)
DNF: Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) (Lap 15)
DNF: Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia) (Lap 10)
DNF: Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) (Lap 7)
DNF: Danilo Petrucci (Tech3) (Lap 5)
DNF: Pol Espargaró (Repsol Honda) (Lap 4)
