MotoGP returns to Catalunya this weekend | Preview

MotoGP 2022 – Round Nine
Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya

In the wake of so much talk following Francesco Bagnaia’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) crash in Le Mans, the Italian’s stylish return to the top step on home turf no doubt felt pretty sweet as Mugello treated us to another Bagnaia vs Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) showdown.

Francesco Bagnaia arrives in Barcelona on a high after a successful weekend at Mugello

Starting with Ducati, Barcelona hasn’t seen a Borgo Panigale win since 2018 and the number 63 seems a good candidate to change that looking at his form at similar venues.

Team-mate Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), meanwhile, wants just more from the weekend in whatever form, with only a single point to his name from Mugello.

Jack Miller

“I’m happy to be back on track this weekend to put last Sunday’s result at Mugello behind me. The Catalan GP will be like a home race for me as I live in Andorra, and I often come to Montmelò to train with my Panigale V4S. I know the track very well, and I like it. Also, I finished on the podium last year, so I hope I can do the same again this year.”

Jack Miller wants to be out for redemption

Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) crashed out and slipped a little further down the points table, but still remains the top ranked Ducati rider.

Enea Bastianini crashed out at Mugello, as he also did in Portugal. But he is still the Ducati rider with the highest points tally. It seems he either wins, or is nowhere… A bit like Bagnaia… Bastianini has also won more races this season than anyone, with three victories; Qatar, COTA and Le Mans

Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) wants more before planning surgery to fix his ongoing issues arising from his big crash last year. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) wants to be more than top Independent Team Ducati on race day, too.

Rookie Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), team-mate Luca Marini and Mugello polesitter Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP), however, probably want more of the same. ‘Diggia’ impressed for pole and then took a good chunk of points just outside the top ten, and Marini put in one of his best races with some choice moves to take a top six. But Bezzecchi stole a few headlines as the rookie led the race, went toe-to-toe with winners and champions, and still only just faded from the podium. He’s now really leading Rookie of the Year.

2022 Mugello MotoGP Front Row
1 Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) – Ducati – 1’46.156
2 Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Ducati – +0.088
3 Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Ducati – +0.171

At Yamaha, the two sides of the coin continue to trouble the Iwata marque. For his part, Quartararo remains Championship leader, keeps taking podiums, and wrung absolutely everything out of his machinery at Mugello to get stuck into a Ducati and Aprilia party in the top six and come out only six tenths off the win. He won in Barcelona in 2020, he had his leathers drama in 2021 but retained some scything speed at the front, and Yamaha are the most successful factory at the track. Can ‘El Diablo’ get back on the top step? And can a venue where the bike has a proven track record help the likes of Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) make a step forward?

Quartararo began to disrobe mid-race at Catalunya last year…

Speaking of steps forward also speaks to Aprilia, after another podium at Mugello extended their best ever run with Aleix Espargaro’s fourth podium finish on the trot.

Team Aprilia celebrate with Aleix Espargaro at Mugello last weekend, his fourth podium in a row

It’s home turf for the Spaniard at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya too – as in, walking distance to where he grew up – and with the form he’s in, it’s hard to imagine Espargaro aiming for anything other than victory. On the other side of the box meanwhile, Maverick Viñales continues to make progress with some searing lap-times near the end of the race in Mugello, with those early laps now the next focus…

For KTM, Catalunya is turf they’ve already conquered, with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) on ​​the top step last season. But comparing Mugello 2021 and a podium to a top ten for the Portuguese rider a year on, there remains some margin between the Austrian factory and the podium, and there remains plenty of work going on to cut that down. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), however, continues to give it full gas on every given Sunday as the South African put in another race day charge up to seventh after a tough qualifying for both riders. What can KTM do in Barcelona?

Binder was on the podium at the season opener but hasn’t threatened it again since..

The tougher times also continue for Suzuki. In the last two races neither rider has scored, but Barcelona offers a good track record and another chance to reset for 2020 Champion Joan Mir and team-mate Alex Rins. It also offers a layout that may suit the Hamamatsu factory more, so can put the recent turmoil behind them and come out swinging again? It’s also home turf for both, with plenty of support in the stands.

Remy Gardner tussling with Joan Mir at Mugello

Finally, at Honda it’s Stefan Bradl back in for Marc Marquez as the number 93 heads for surgery, and the test rider will likely have plenty to use the track time for as the factory continue to fettle the RC213V. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) looks for some better form too, and on very home turf, and the same can be said for Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol). Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), meanwhile, continues in his step forward… can he keep it rolling and step up in the absence of Marc Marquez…?

Stefan Bradl will step in for Marc Marquez as he undergoes further surgery on his arm/shoulder

MotoGP Championship Points Standings

position	riders	nat	Points
1	QUARTARARO Fabio	FRA	122
2	Espargaro Aleix	SPA	114
3	BASTIANINI Enea	IT	94
4	BAGNAIA Francesco	IT	81
5	ZARCO Johann	FRA	75
6	RINS Alex	SPA	69
7	BINDER Brad	RSA	65
8th	MILLER Jack	OUT	63
9	MARQUEZ Marc	SPA	60
10	ME Joan	SPA	56
11	OLIVEIRA Miguel	POR	50
12	Espargaro Pol	SPA	40
13	NAKAGAMI Takaaki	JPN	38
14	VIÑALES Maverick	SPA	37
15	MARTIN Jorge	SPA	31
16	MARINI Luca	IT	31
17	BEZZECCHI Marco	IT	30
18	MARQUEZ Alex	SPA	20
19	MORBIDELLI Franco	IT	19
20	DI GIANNANTONIO Fabio	IT	8th
21	DOVIZIOSO Andrea	IT	8th
22	BINDER Darryn	RSA	6

Moto2

At Le Mans, it looked like a done deal. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was off and away in the lead looking like he’d become the youngest ever intermediate class winner, and then came that mistake as the Spaniard hit the floor. But that seemed to have little effect once the paddock arrived in Mugello, with Acosta picking straight up where he left off and bolting away for victory to beat Marquez’ record with more than enough time left on take two. So are the flood gates open?

If they are, there are plenty of fast faces lining up to try and mute the Jaws music. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) is now equal on points with Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) after a podium for the former and a late technical heartbreak for the latter, Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) was on Acosta’s tail before he crashed out, Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) was back in the mix and the rostrum – and says his recent test in Barcelona was a key factor.

Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had a tough Saturday and then a tough opening to the race before slicing back through from outside the points to a top five, and Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was quick but overcooked a move on teammate Sam Lowes, earning himself a long lap. With a little less drama in Barcelona, ​​what have they got in the locker?

Moto2 Championship Points Standings

position	riders	nat	Points
1	VIETTI Celestino	IT	108
2	OGURA Ai	JPN	108
3	CANET Aron	SPA	89
4	ROBERTS Joe	United States	86
5	ARBOLINO Tony	IT	83
6	Fernandez Augusto	SPA	80
7	SCHROTTE Marcel	ENG	64
8th	CHANTRA Somkiat	Tha	61
9	NAVARRO Jorge	SPA	56
10	ACOSTA Pedro	SPA	45
11	DIXON Jake	GBR	42
12	BENDSNEYDER Bo	NEED	41
13	BEAUBIER Cameron	United States	38
14	LOWES Sam	GBR	35
15	ARENA Albert	SPA	35
16	ALCOBA Jeremy	SPA	31
17	GONZALEZ Manuel	SPA	21
18	ALDEGUER Fermin	SPA	20
19	BALTUS Barry	BEL	15
20	MANZI Stefano	IT	9
21	LOPEZ Alonso	SPA	8th
22	SALAC Filip	CZE	8th

Moto3

On the back of another GASGAS Aspar 1-2, it’s time for Moto3 to take on Barcelona… and if it ain’t Mugello winner Sergio García who won at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last year. It’s also home turf for both he and team-mate Izan Guevara (GASGAS Aspar team), they’re now 1-2 in the Championship too. Can they keep it rolling?

Two riders who couldn’t at Mugello were Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), who crashed out the lead, and Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who had an off track excursion and when back on, was relegated to 17th and didn’ t score. Therefore the two remain locked in a dead heat on points just behind the GASGAS duo, so they’ll be looking to bounce back – and so will Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who started from pole and then got a tap from Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing). The Turk fought back to score a point though.

Suzuki then faced a Long Lap and did his own fight back, with the Japanese rider returning to the rostrum for the first time since 2020. Will that kick his campaign into gear? Already a Grand Prix winner but having had a tougher run of late, the signs looked good to expect the number 24 back at the front.

Aussie youngster Joel Kelso has had another week to recover from the injuries he sustained when he was taken out during morning warm-up at Jerez, and will be keen to add to his points tally.

Moto3 Championship Points Standings

position	riders	nat	Points
1	GARCIA Sergio	SPA	137
2	GUEVARA Izan	SPA	109
3	MASIA Jaume	SPA	95
4	FOGGIA Dennis	IT	95
5	SASAKI Ayumu	JPN	75
6	MIGNO Andrea	IT	71
7	ÖNCÜ Deniz	DOOR	71
8th	SUZUKI Tatsuki	JPN	54
9	TATAY Carlos	SPA	52
10	YAMANAKA Ryusei	JPN	43
11	ROSSI Riccardo	IT	42
12	TOBA Kaito	JPN	37
13	ARTIGAS Xavier	SPA	37
14	MOREIRA Diogo	BRA	34
15	HOLGADO Daniel	SPA	28
16	ORTOLÁ Ivan	SPA	23
17	BARTOLINI Elijah	IT	21
18	Kelso Joel	OUT	18
19	MCPHEE John	GBR	15
20	OGDEN Scott	GBR	14
21	BERTELLE Matteo	IT	13
22	FERNANDEZ Adrian	SPA	13

Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya
AEST Schedule

friday
time	Class	session
1700	Moto3	FP1
1755	MotoGP	FP1
1855	Moto2	FP1
2115	Moto3	FP2
2210	MotoGP	FP2
2310	Moto2	FP2

Saturday
time	Class	session
1700	Moto3	FP3
1755	MotoGP	FP3
1855	Moto2	FP3
2035	Moto3	Q1
2100	Moto3	Q2
2130	MotoGP	FP4
2210	MotoGP	Q1
2235	MotoGP	Q2
2310	Moto2	Q1
2335	Moto2	Q2

Sunday
time	Class	session
1700	Moto3	WUP
1720	Moto2	WUP
1740	MotoGP	WUP
1900	Moto3	Race
2020	Moto2	Race
2200	MotoGP	Race