The Portuguese Miguel Oliveira (Aprilia) was fifth this Sunday in the MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix, equaling the best result of the year, on a day in which Aprilia achieved the first ‘double’ in its history in the premier class.
Oliveira crossed the finish line 7.750 seconds behind the winner, the Spanish Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia), with his compatriot Maverick Viñales (Aprilia) second, 0.690 seconds away, and his compatriot Jorge Martín (Ducati) third, 2.994 seconds away.
The Catalan race, the eleventh of the season, was marked by a multiple accident on the first lap that led to the interruption of the race with red flags.
The Italians Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini, both from the official Ducati team, ended up being taken to hospital and no longer participated in the resumption of the race.
Bagnaia, current world champion and leader of the championship, kept the lead at the start but would fall alone in the second corner of the Montmeló circuit, in Barcelona, coming flat in the middle of the track.
The South African Brad Binder (KTM), who was just behind, ran over the Italian’s legs, who was taken by ambulance to the circuit’s medical center before going to a local hospital, to rule out possible leg fractures.
Enea Bastianini fell in the middle of the pack, causing a carom that also affected Johann Zarco (Ducati), Alex Márquez (Ducati), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati) and Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati).
Bastianini was injured in one hand and is suspected to have suffered fractures. The Italian driver ended up being considered responsible for the incident and was sanctioned with a long lap.
At the restart, Jorge Martín, second in the championship, took the lead, trying to take advantage of Bagnaia’s absence to get closer to first place.
However, he was passed two laps later by Maverick Viñales (Aprilia) and, shortly after, by Aleix Espargaró.
Miguel Oliveira, who was in fourth position from the start (he started from third position on the grid), also overtook the Madrid driver, staying on the podium for six laps.
At that moment (lap 10), the Portuguese driver’s tires began to fail and Jorge Martín returned to third position.
Oliveira would end up being surpassed by Johann Zarco, finishing in fifth final position.
The Portuguese rider equaled the best result achieved this season, in the GP of the Americas, in Texas.
Aprilia finished for the first time with two bikes on the podium and in the first two positions.
Aleix Espargaró, who in 2022 had lost second place because he thought the race had finished a lap earlier (he finished fifth), took revenge for the mistake made and ended up dedicating the victory to Francesco Bagnaia.
“I am glad that nothing serious has happened to him. I was right behind him and I got scared,” Aleix Espargaró explained at the end.
The Catalan driver (he is from Granollers, a town near the circuit) became the second driver, apart from Bagnaia, to win a main race and a sprint race in the same weekend, as he had already won on Saturday.
With these results, Bagnaia maintains command of the championship, with 260 points, 50 more than Jorge Martín, who is second.
Miguel Oliveira gained one position and is 14th, with 55.
The next race, the 12th, will be held in San Marino, next Sunday.
News updated at 15:41
Source: TSF
