Marc Márquez will not have the chance to secure his ninth World Championship in motorcycle racing, and his seventh in MotoGP, next Sunday in Misano. His brother, Álex, who had shown the best race pace since Free Practice sessions last Friday, made up for the recent crash that kept him from winning Saturday’s sprint race with an emphatic victory in the Catalonia Grand Prix.
In Montmeló, unlike what happened in Jerez, Álex competed head-to-head with his older brother throughout the race, eventually climbing to the top step of the podium in the highest category for the second time in his career. This victory put him 182 points behind the championship lead, which means Marc will have to wait until the Asian tour begins, with Japan likely being the first race on the agenda.
Marc Márquez undoubtedly celebrated Álex’s triumph exuberantly. After his brother rode all the way to the tenth corner—the same corner where he lost the win in Saturday’s sprint race—to celebrate his victory with a rolling celebration, he danced solo in front of the grandstands filled with his supporters. Later, he waited for Álex to join him for a dance on the protective barriers, culminating in a heartfelt embrace.
Shortly thereafter, in the paddock, the sibling congratulations continued, watched by Enea Bastianini, who also had reason to be happy: it marked his first podium finish with KTM. “The beginning of the season has been a roller coaster, but now the results are finally coming together. To achieve this podium, I gave my 100%. I even thought, for a moment, about victory, but when the other two pulled ahead, it was impossible to catch them,” stated the Italian post-race.
“Honestly, I gave it my all and ran the perfect race, trying to preserve the front tire. In the fourth lap, I could have overtaken him on the straight, but I thought it would be best to set myself apart from the rest. In the final laps, it became more challenging. I tried to push hard, but I went wide on the corner where I had the scare on Saturday. In the end, I’m very happy, for Álex and for myself. We managed to finish second at a tough circuit,” beamed Marc Márquez.
“I feel super good. I still have a bit of a chip on my shoulder from the race on Saturday, and that’s why I thought, ‘I have to take this one.’ It was all about pushing throughout the race, managing the tires well, and, with six laps to go, I looked to see if I had anything extra to pull ahead. Above all, I want to thank the entire team: we are where we deserve to be,” elaborated a thrilled Álex, who delivered a commanding performance on the track.
After a lightning-fast start from the pole position achieved on Saturday, Marc quickly grappled into the lead. However, instead of feeling intimidated, Álex prepared for a move that, at the beginning of the fourth lap, enabled him to reclaim first position. From there, Álex set a blistering pace, allowing him to maintain his lead over his illustrious older brother despite some falters during the race, where Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio di Gianantonio, who ultimately had to abandon the race after returning to the track, Brad Binder, Johann Zarco, Álex Rins, Lorenzo Salvadori, and Franco Morbidelli all witnessed their own battles on the asphalt.
Martín and Bagnaia Display Good Form
Significant performances came from Jorge Martín, who managed to secure the tenth position after starting from 17th on the grid due to a penalty involving Joan Mir. Notably, Pecco Bagnaia partially regained his competitive spirit, finishing seventh after starting 21st, thus redeeming a challenging weekend where his feelings were far from what he experienced previously, which, to be honest, is not that long ago.
As for the other Spanish riders, Pedro Acosta nearly stayed on Marc Márquez‘s tire in the early laps, ultimately finishing just off the podium in a commendable fourth place, hampered somewhat by tire choice. Raúl Fernández ended up eleventh, Joan Mir twelfth, Maverick Viñales thirteenth, Fermín Aldeguer fifteenth, and Aleix Espargaró, competing with a wild card, closed the classification in seventeenth place.