Blue wins & red faces
DO WEEKENDS COME any sweeter? It was hard to envision a better one for Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha). The reigning world champion put pen to paper to stay with team and factory for 2023 and 2024, before crushing the opposition in a performance that left no one in doubt as to who the fastest rider in the world at this moment is.
Not only that; the challenge of the Frenchman’s main rivals disintegrated under the stifling Catalan sun. First Francesco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) was taken down by a wayward Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) at the very first turn in a spill that also claimed Alex Rins (Ecstar Suzuki). Enea Bastianini (Gresini Ducati) then crashed out of a second race in succession. And last but not least Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) produced a piece of self-sabotage that verged on comedic.
The race had been won long before Espargaro crossed the finish line for the penultimate time. But with Quartararo 6.1sec ahead and Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) half a second behind, the Aprilia man assumed he had earned second place and a fifth-consecutive podium finish. In one of the more bizarre scenes of recent times, he duly sat up and waved to the crowd as he cut across the
