Fresh from announcing a two-year contract extension with Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, Fabio Quartararo dominated a dramatic Catalan GP at Catalunya as Celestino Vietti passed at the right time to win Moto2 and Izan Guevara took the top step in Moto3.

Quartararo made his move for the lead on lap one with a move up the inside of polesitter Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) into turn one. From there the MotoGP World champion extended his lead as drama ensued behind him.

LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami lost the front while braking into turn one on the opening lap, which caused Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar Team) to fall. Neither rider was able to finish the race.

Quartararo was untouchable at the front, winning by 6.4 seconds from Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) who capitalised on Aleix Espargaro celebrating P2 a lap prematurely. Teammate Johann Zarco kept his nose clean to secure third.

Fourth was Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) who recovered from 17th on the grid, as Espargaro was able to salvage fifth after believing the race finished a lap earlier than it did.

Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) impressed as the top Ducati in sixth, as Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing Team), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) completed the top 10.

Australian Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) secured a season-best result of 11th, as Ducati Lenovo’s Jack Miller experienced another tough outing, ultimately crossing the line P14.

Notably, Enea Bastianini (Monster Energy Yamaha) was also unable to score at round nine of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, crashing out of the race with seven laps remaining. After the drama that unfolded Quartararo leads the points by 22 from Espargaro, as Bastianini is third 53 from the lead.

A perfectly timed pass for the lead saw Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) extend his Moto2 World Championship advantage in Barcelona, finishing just 0.081 seconds ahead of (Flexbox HP40’s) Aron Canet.

Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) also made a late move and passed Jake Dixon (Inde GasGas Aspar Team) for third with two corners remaining. Dixon finished fourth, as Marcel Schrotter (Liqui Moley Intact GP) completed the top five.

To his credit, Joe Roberts looked set at the halfway point of the race to take his second Moto2 victory, before he devastatingly crashed out of the lead with a convincing margin.

Vietti holds a 16 point advantage over Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) after the opening nine rounds, as Aron Canet is third a further eight points back.

In Moto3, Izan Guevara (Valresa GasGas Aspar Team) clawed back valuable championship ground as he took a 1.975 second victory at the Calatan GP.

BOE Motorsports’ David Munoz impressed to take a solid P2, ahead of Tatsuki Suzuki who continued to build his strong run of form in third.

Joel Kelso secured another points finish in his rookie Moto3 World Championship campaign, crossing the line P12 after qualifying a credible ninth.

Following a fourth-place finish at Catalunya, Sergio Garcia continues to lead the Moto3 World Championship, now holding a 16 point advantage ahead of Guevara. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is third, 47 points from the lead.

Detailed results