The Catalan Grand Prix delivered a 24-lap duel between the Márquez brothers. At the start, Marc took the lead with a strong move into Turn 1, but Alex quickly responded, reclaiming first place on lap three. From there, the siblings set the pace, half a second faster than the rest of the field, while carefully managing their tyres.
Bagnaia’s Remarkable Comeback
Francesco Bagnaia had an extraordinary start: 21st on the grid, he climbed to 12th in the opening lap and reached eighth position by lap 10. In the closing stages, he gained further ground, overtaking Luca Marini in the final corners to secure seventh place at the flag.
Bastianini Back on the Podium
Enea Bastianini delivered a strong ride, overtaking both Fabio Quartararo and Pedro Acosta to establish himself in third place by mid-race. Despite losing ground to the Márquez brothers, the KTM rider held firm and celebrated his first podium of the season, finishing ahead of teammate Pedro Acosta.
Crashes and Retirements
The race was marked by several incidents. Franco Morbidelli clipped Marco Bezzecchi, triggering a crash that also involved Fabio Di Giannantonio. Bezzecchi’s weekend ended in further disappointment after Saturday’s Sprint retirement, while Di Giannantonio withdrew mid-race to save tyres and his bike for Misano.
Other falls included Brad Binder on lap 7, Johann Zarco on lap 11, Alex Rins on lap 16, and Morbidelli again on lap 21. Lorenzo Savadori also crashed out early, while Quartararo managed to push through to fifth after passing Marini in the final laps.
Alex Takes the Glory
With five laps remaining, Marc made a small mistake that allowed Alex to extend his lead to more than half a second. In the final laps, the younger Márquez maintained his advantage and crossed the line first, with Marc settling for second. The result gave the Spanish fans a thrilling family one-two at Montmeló.
Title Fight Goes On
Alex’s victory had a decisive effect on the championship. By finishing ahead of his brother, he denied Marc the chance to secure the title early. The battle for the crown will now continue at Misano, promising even more tension in the upcoming round.