The last five minutes of Moto3™ FP2 saw the riders head out and push for personal best times of the day, with a top 14, provisional Q2 result at the forefront of their minds. For much of the session there was little movement on the timesheets, but plenty of quicker laps were slotted home as Rodrigo became the first rider to dip into the 1:47s. In the end, Rodrigo’s time in the closing stages wasn’t beaten, as he heads Binder – who wasn’t fazed by a crash in FP1 – and Fenati into qualifying day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
One Energy Racing’s Eric Granado topped the timesheets in FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup FP1 at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, the Brazilian set a 1:51.216 to lead Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) by 0.143s. Lukas Tulovic (Tech3 E-Racing) closed out the top three, the German rider is 0.184s off Granado’s early weekend benchmark.
Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro set a 1:40.378 in MotoGP™ FP1 at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya to lead the way at the beginning of his home GP. The Spaniard beat second place and long-time pacesetter Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) by 0.024s, with Pol Espargaro putting his Repsol Honda Team machine inside the top three on Friday morning.
John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) rounded out a top five covered by 0.574s, with the sun shining so far in Barcelona. McPhee’s teammate Darryn Binder and Adrian Fernandez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) crashed towards the end of the session, riders ok.
“Especially this year, moving to Ajo’s Moto2 team, leading the World Championship at the moment, a fantastic win last time out at Mugello. He’s really riding like a rider who’s really found his feet and deserves the move up to MotoGP. From one former Aussie MotoGP rider, I’m very proud, great to see him on the bike and it’s very well deserved. We look forward to having two Aussies full time in MotoGP from 2022, so good luck Jack and good luck Remy Gardner on your debut season.”
Ex Rossi crew chief moves from test team to lead Maverick’s garage
Following the Italian GP, Esteban García Amoedo, crew chief for Maverick Vinales, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP mutually agreed to end their working relationship with immediate effect.
Silvano Galbusera will take over the role of Crew Chief for Maverick Viñales for the remainder of the 2021 MotoGP season.
Galbusera was the man hand picked by Valentino Rossi to replace Jeremy Burgess when he parted ways with the Australian crew chief.
Valentino Rossi and Jeremy Burgess – 2014 – After Burgess had been replaced by Silvano Galbusera and had retired – Image by AJRN
The performance of Vinales seems to run hot and cold and this is perhaps seen as a circuit breaker to try and break that cycle and get Maverick back on track, every weekend, every session. That said, when Galbusera was Rossi’s crew chief in the team, Maverick was generally faster than the #46 across most recent seasons.
Vinales, more often than not out-performed Valentino Rossi when they were team-mates but the Spaniard has been consistently beaten for race pace by Fabio Quartararo ever since the young rookie got on a Yamaha in MotoGP. That has continued this year when the Frenchman joined Monster Yamaha as team-mate to Vinales.
Lorenzo was to have been working with Galbusera to lead Yamaha’s MotoGP testing programme but that didn’t go anywhere, thus Cal Crutchlow was in that role with Galbusera for this season. But now Galbusera has been moved back to the main game to head Vinales’ crew.
Vinales has had proven crew chiefs in Ramon Forcada, followed by Garcia and will now have a third man in his hot seat to try and turn things around. Arguably, Vinales had his best results in MotoGP when working with Forcada, who now works with Franco Morbidelli. Esteban Garcia though had helped Vinales to his Moto3 Title back in 2013.
Massimo Meregalli – Monster Yamaha Team Director
“Esteban joined our team in 2019. He and Maverick had already worked together before in 2013 and won the Moto3 World Championship that year. We are very grateful to Esteban for his dedication and passion during our time spent together, which led to eleven podiums for Maverick, including four wins, three second places, and four third places. Saying ’Goodbye‘ to one of our crew members is always a sad occasion, but it was a mutual decision based on what‘s best for both parties. We wish Esteban all the best for the future.”
Maverick Vinales is being given every chance by Yamaha to up his race game.
Alex Rins has been ruled out of his home GP after a cycling accident. The Team Suzuki Ecstar rider will unfortunately have to sit out the Grand Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya due to an unfortunate accident he suffered while training this morning with his bicycle on track.
The Spaniard fell during a training lap and as a result he suffered damage to his right arm, with a large contused area and a lot of pain. He was quickly taken to Barcelona’s Universitari Dexeus Hospital for further examination and medical checks revealed a fracture in the radius bone. The fracture was immobilised and tomorrow morning Rins will undergo surgery to fix it.
Furthermore, he also had a cranial impact during the crash so he was checked with a CT Scan upon his arrival in hospital – the test revealed nothing of concern.
Doctor Xavier Mir
“Alex Rins has suffered an articular fracture of the right distal radius with a small displacement and high inflammation. We have two options; one is to immobilise the fracture with plaster, but the recovery would take around 4-6 weeks. Or, as an alternative, we propose an operation, which we consider is the best option. Tomorrow morning we will intervene and affix two screws to the injured bone”.
Rins has been falling off his Suzuki a lot this season but this time around it is a bicycle
We can’t wait to see supporters trackside in Barcelona, and neither can the riders
On a weekend where we welcome fans back to the grandstands, World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) fronted up the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya Pre-Event Press Conference that consisted of Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), the returning Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) and Moto2™ World Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo).
Fans return!
The best news coming into Round 7 of the season is we’ll be seeing the glorious sight of fans in the grandstands at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The circuit will be running at 20% capacity this weekend and we, like the riders, are buzzing to have fans cheering on trackside throughout the three days.
Quartararo: “So happy there will be fans. The approach will be the same, the only thing that will change is finally we have some fans. Last year in Misano was the first we had and even if there isn’t a lot compared to what we normally see, it’s really nice to see them and feel their support, and if we have something to celebrate it’s always nice to be with the fans.”
Mir: “Yeah, I’m very happy about the crowd and everything. Still it is not the same because there’s not all the public that we want and we need, but this is still really good is one step closer to what will be in the future. We almost forget that normally on tracks there’s people in the grandstands so it will be nice too. Also, what you miss a lot is that when you get a good result or even a bad result, the support of the people and the fans, once you are on the podium and yeah it’s something that I missed a lot and I hope to see it here.
“Something that I’ve never lived before in a MotoGP level is this, the fans I mean, now because yeah, when you are in Moto3 or Moto2, it is not the same as when you are fighting for a title than the crowd that supports you in MotoGP, so in 2019, I was a rookie but last year I was able to win the title with nobody on track and that was something really sad you know. I’m curious to see if with all the people on the grandstands and everything, is something that that I really miss and it is something that I want I want to live!”
Marc Marquez: “Yes, as Joan says, it’s normal that it’s… and it’s nice also for the world. I mean it’s a natural step, and I think it’s good news. Also it’s nice that the first GP that fans will be allowed is in Spain and the Catalan GP, so yeah, we will see of course, as we see in the football, in the tennis, step by step they opened the gates to the fans and this is a is something natural that of course a circuit is much bigger than a football stadium or tennis like here in the Godo in Barcelona. So happy and looking forward to the future to increase the number of fans because of course as riders we can feel it on the track.
“As they say I believe that the riding style, riding performance is not affected but maybe it can affect in the emotions, in the last laps, in the celebrations so all these things of course we miss the fans, but it’s true that in riding performance, I think the level is there and will be the same.”
A happy hunting ground for the Championship leader
If there’s one circuit where it’s almost a guarantee that Quartararo will go well at, it’s the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. His first Grand Prix win was claimed here, as was his first premier class podium. And last season, Quartararo won the race. So can anyone stop the Frenchman in Catalonia this year?
Quartararo: “Yes it’s a track that I really like, even in Moto3 I was riding well, Moto2 I got my first win and yeah the last two years here in MotoGP were really great, one podium and one win. It’s a track that suits my style really well and yeah, let’s try to make a great race weekend.”
What has surprised Marc Marquez the most upon his return from injury?
It was a question pitched to the eight-time World Champion ahead of his home Grand Prix, and here’s what he had to say.
Marc Marquez: “Maybe, of course, when you come back it’s because you feel more or less ready to ride the bike. What surprised me most is how demanding MotoGP bikes are. Sometimes when you’re at home for a long time, you forget a bit how physically demanding they are. What surprised me more is you can feel ready in the gym, but then as soon as you ride the MotoGP there are many forces, like lateral forces, where in the gym you can’t do it.
“I was able to ride a street bike for many laps but MotoGP bike I still can’t ride 5 laps in an aggressive way, that was my riding style. This is what, sometimes when you’re at home for a long time you forget how demanding. But they’re the best bikes in the world, with the best riders in the world, and you need to be 100% in every aspect if you want to fight for podiums and victories.”
Tune into MotoGP™ FP1 at 09:55 local time (GMT+2) on Friday morning to see the riders head on track to the roar of fans at the circuit, and witness who takes the early advantage in Catalonia.
Every practice session, qualifying battle and race, exclusive interviews, historic races and so much more fantastic content: this is VideoPass!
With a new chassis paying immediate dividends at Mugello, either of the factory KTMs look great value for money. Oliveira is priced at just $2m despite a large return just a few days ago, and while the Portuguese rider took many of the plaudits on Sunday, his teammate Brad Binder also performed impressively, recording his second top 5 finish of the season. Valued at just $2.7m and having already featured in MotoGP™ Fantasy’s Dream Team on a number of occasions this season, he may just be what’s needed to gain the edge over the competition.
After the unfortunate fall, Rins was taken to Barcelona’s Universitari Dexeus Hospital for further examination and medical checks revealed a fracture in the radius bone. Suzuki have confirmed the fracture is immobilised and on Friday morning, Rins will undergo surgery, meaning he will not take part in his home Grand Prix.
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