Метка: Catalan GP

Marquez expected to face “nightmare” Q1 at Barcelona MotoGP

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The Gresini Ducati rider was expected to fight for a first MotoGP win on the Desmosedici coming to Barcelona after back-to-back grand prix podiums at Jerez and Le Mans.

But he downplayed this ahead of the weekend as Barcelona has typically been a weaker track for the six-time MotoGP world champion, who has only won twice in the premier class at the circuit.

On Friday, having finished second in FP1, Marquez struggled to 12th in the afternoon session – missing the top 10 by just under a tenth of a second — and must go through Q1 again having done so last time out in France.

Commenting on what went wrong, Marquez said: “What happened is what we expected.

“Of course we tried to avoid, but we expected that we would struggle here in Barcelona.

“We struggled less than what we expected, because on the race pace and with the medium tyre I feel ok.

“But it’s true that on that time attack, we lose just for one tenth that Q2. But tomorrow will be the worst practice, nightmare practice [Q1] of the weekend.”

Marquez noted that he is struggling under braking on the GP23 in Barcelona, which has been a common complaint all year for those on that model of Ducati.

He also believes both his riding style and the bike must be looked at overnight to find an improvement.

“I mean, of course my style is ‘special’, which is working in most of the tracks,” he added.

“But there are three, four tracks on the calendar that it works less.

“So, the good thing is that it’s only three, four tracks. But we need to understand well tomorrow.

“This morning I go out and I felt super good. But this afternoon for some reason, in the third run I felt not so good. But this morning the riding style was working well. So, we need to work on both aspects.”

Marquez failed to get out of Q1 at Le Mans but was able to rise from 13th on the grid to finish second in both races at the French GP.

Asked if his situation on Friday at Barcelona was better or worse than at Le Mans, he said the fact his team knew what went wrong in France – which was a set-up change that didn’t work – is a key difference compared to now.

He also put doubts on a similar climb through the field to the one he demonstrated at Le Mans for Saturday’s sprint, with Marquez only convinced he has pace good enough to finish between fifth and seventh.

“Depends on qualifying practice, but if we can have a good qualifying practice and start on that third row, for example, our potential is to be in fifth, sixth, seventh at the moment,” he added.

“Not better, but it’s a good result here in Montmelo because it looks like KTM and Aprilia here are working better.

“But it’s a different race track and you need to find a balance for the whole calendar. So, yeah, here we are struggling more than on the other tracks but we are not far.”

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«Super unfair» if Martin doesn’t get «ride of his dreams» at Ducati

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Current points leader Martin and eight-time world champion Marc Marquez have emerged as the prime candidates to partner Francesco Bagnaia at Ducati in 2025, with Enea Bastianini unlikely to get a contract extension after the end of his current two-year deal.

Pramac’s Martin has strengthened his bid for a promotion within Ducati with an exceptional run of results in the opening five rounds of the year, with victories at Portimao and Le Mans putting him 38 points clear at the top of the championship standings.

But a factory Ducati ride is far from being a given and the Spaniard has made it clear that he would switch to a different manufacturer if he is not chosen to replace Bastianini.

Should such a situation arrive, Aprilia could become a potential destination for the 26-year-old, with a vacancy opening up at the Noale marque following Thursday’s announcement that Espargaro will retire at the end of 2024.

But while Espargaro says he would love to see Martin winning races with Aprilia, he feels last year’s runner-up deserves the most competitive seat on the current grid at Ducati.

“For sure [Aprilia] is a good team and a good bike, but it’s not fair [for Martin],” he said. “Jorge deserves the ride of his dreams, which is the factory Ducati.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“If he cannot have it, for me [him joining Aprilia] would be super unfair.

“But yes, it [Aprilia] would be a very good option and it would be amazing to see Jorge winning a title or winning races with the #41 bike.»

Espargaro will pull the curtain down on his glittering MotoGP career after the Valencia Grand Prix in November, having already hinted previously that his current deal with Aprilia would be his last.

The Spaniard has played an integral role in Aprilia’s transformation from a perennial backmarker into a race-winning force in MotoGP, with the RS-GP now seen as one of the most competitive bikes on the grid.

He will leave grand prix racing with at least three victories and 11 podiums to his name, figures that arguably don’t do justice to his skill and talent.

Espargaro will be 35-years-old when he contests his final race in MotoGP, but feels the way he got up from bed in Barcelona on Friday morning vindicated his decision to hang up his helmet.

“Yesterday was an amazing day, one of the best days of my life,” said Espargaro, who announced his retirement in a special press conference on Thursday.

“And this morning when I wake up, the first thing that came into my mind was ‘you took the right decision’. I woke up super happy, super relaxed, big relief.

“I was having breakfast with Max [Espargaro, his son]at the motorhome and it was like home, normal. And normally, it’s not always like this. You are always thinking.

“So this morning I was very relaxed and also riding the bike super relaxed. So I’m glad I took this decision.”

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Espargaro ends Friday practice on top, Marquez into Q1

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Espargaro won both the sprint and the grand prix at Barcelona last year, and ended Friday for the 2024 event 0.072 seconds clear of KTM’s Brad Binder after the South African suffered a pair of falls in the second session.

For the second round in succession, six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez will have to go through the Q1 qualifying session after failing to do better than 12th in second practice.

Pedro Acosta was third on his Tech3 GasGas from reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia, while Jack Miller (KTM) and points leader Jorge Martin (Pramac) rounded out the top six.

Conditions had brightened from the morning session for the hour-long second practice, with KTM’s Jack Miller setting the initial pace at 1m40.153s.

Top spot changed hands several times over the opening 10 minutes, with Miller emerging the best of the lot with a 1m39.212s.

That would stand as the benchmark until the session clicked into its final 20 minutes, as Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales moved slightly clear with a 1m39.184s – which he subsequently improved to a 1m39.121s.

With 15 minutes to go, Espargaro fired in a 1m39.031s, though it was only a moment before top spot had changed hands again.

Pramac Ducati’s Martin dipped underneath the 1m39s bracket for the first time this weekend with a 1m38.879s, which he bettered to a 1m38.793s.

Martin’s time went unbothered as the session wound down, though with three minutes to go Espargaro produced a new lap record at 1m38.562s to move to the top of the order.

That would be enough for the Spaniard to see out Friday at his home grand prix fastest of all, while KTM’s Binder recovered to second late on after crashing both of his RC16s inside the first 20 minutes of the session.

Acosta eased through to a direct Q2 qualifying spot in third, with Bagnaia, Miller and Martin rounding out the top six.

Franco Morbidelli was seventh on the sister Pramac Ducati, with Ducati’s Enea Bastianini, Yamaha’s Alex Rins and Vinales securing the final direct Q2 spots.

A crash late on at Turn 10 for Alex Marquez left him in 11th, with Gresini team-mate and older brother Marc Marquez 12th having been right behind him at the time of his fall.

But even without the yellow flag disruption at the end of the session, Marc Marquez’s final flying lap was not going to be good enough to move him into the top 10.

Fabio Quartararo was another faller in the second practice session and was 14th in the end on his Yamaha, while top Honda honours went to Johann Zarco of LCR as all HRC bikes occupied the bottom of the timesheet.

HRC test rider and wildcard Stefan Bradl did not participate due to illness.

Catalan GP — Practice results:

 



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Martin heads Marquez in first practice

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO



The sixth round of the 2024 campaign began with the two riders vying for a factory team Ducati seat for 2025 setting the pace across the first 45-minute practice of the weekend.

Marquez set the early pace on his Gresini Ducati and led for much of the session before Martin – shod with fresh soft rubber – took over in the closing stages with a 1m39.579s.

KTM’s Brad Binder completed the top three from Tech3 GasGas rookie Pedro Acosta, while last year’s Catalan GP winner Aleix Espargaro – who announced his retirement on Thursday – was fifth on the factory Aprilia.

FP1 ran under grey skies but remained dry for its duration, with Marquez setting out his stall early on his GP23 with a 1m41.226s in the opening moments of the session.

Espargaro briefly took over with a 1m40.504s, before Marquez fired in a brace of session-best laps that culminated in a 1m39.871s with just under 10 minutes of the session gone.

That would stand as the benchmark for quite a while as Marquez remained on the same soft front/medium rear tyre combination he began the session on.

In the closing stages a number of riders elected for fresh rubber, with Martin the only one opting for a new soft rear tyre for a late time attack.

He produced a 1m39.579s with just under five minutes to go to move to the top of the standings and wouldn’t be bettered as the chequered flag came out.

Marquez shadowed him by 0.292s, with Binder completing the top three with a 1m39.958s after a late run on a fresh medium rear.

Acosta was just 0.008s behind his factory KTM counterpart, with Espargaro fifth from Gresini’s Alex Marquez – who also didn’t run fresh tyres late in the session.

Francesco Bagnaia – another to remain with the tyres he started the session on — was seventh on his factory team Ducati from Tech3’s Augusto Fernandez, while KTM’s Jack Miller and Trackhouse Racing’s  Raul Fernandez rounded out the top 10.

LCR’s Johann Zarco was the leading Honda  in 13th as he tried a new exhaust and revised aerodynamics, while Fabio Quartararo led the Yamaha charge on the M1’s new aero package in 15th.

MotoGP Catalan GP — FP1 results:



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How Espargaro “silenced many mouths” during his underdog MotoGP career

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Whenever an ‘exceptional press conference’ is quickly ushered into the MotoGP weekend schedule for a single rider, it usually means only one thing: retirement.

Growing up in nearby Granollers, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya seemed like the perfect place for 34-year-old Aleix Espargaro to begin winding down a MotoGP career that began in 2004 with a 24th-place finish in the 125cc Valencia Grand Prix on a Honda. It’s a venue which the Espargaro brothers (Aleix two years older than Pol) could hear buzzing with life from their school classes when they were kids; where Aleix scored a maiden GP podium in Moto2 in 2011; where he took Suzuki’s first pole of its return in 2015, and where he scored Aprilia’s first 1-2 in MotoGP in 2023.

That he has three MotoGP wins to his credit (four, if you count his Barcelona sprint race success in 2023 also) defies what many expected from a rider whose efforts for much of his time in the premier class went unrewarded, and certainly unnoticed.

«Especially in the last few years, and despite the fact that people think that the older he gets the worse he is, he has shown everyone that this is not the case,» 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo said of Espargaro. «He is a rider who has never thrown in the towel.

«The work he has done with Aprilia, starting from zero to win races, work that he has clearly done with his team, is to be underlined. Personally, I want to congratulate him for his career, and I think he has silenced many mouths in recent years.»

In 2021, three-time MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo and Espargaro ended up embroiled in a bizarre feud the former began by (as has often been the case) running his mouth about Cal Crutchlow, which ended with Lorenzo saying on Twitter: «0 victories in 18 years? I knew your manager [Albert Valera, whom both shared at the time] is a beast but the fact you are still in MotoGP can be just magic.»

Espargaro is widely respected by other riders on the grid, and there were plenty of well-wishers following his retirement announcement on Thursday

Espargaro is widely respected by other riders on the grid, and there were plenty of well-wishers following his retirement announcement on Thursday

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

It’s unclear if Lorenzo understood the irony of that statement, as his miserable sole year on the factory Honda in 2019 led him to retire at the end of that season — just one year after proving he was still capable of winning grands prix with Ducati.

A truly great career is, of course, measured in statistics. But can you distinguish a great rider and a great sportsperson? Because, to this writer’s mind, those two things are not mutually exclusive in motor racing.

«There are many, many riders in the world – even in this space today – who won a lot more than me,» Espargaro said on Thursday at Barcelona. «But I gave everything that I had, I worked very, very hard. Many times, I felt I didn’t maybe have the talent of other riders. But working hard, I reached quite a high level.»

«The 2018 season I was very, very close to retiring. Actually, I decided to retire, but my wife Laura pushed me [to continue]»
Aleix Espargaro

Espargaro’s path to the top step of a MotoGP podium was arduous. There is no doubting that he isn’t at – and never was – at the same level as a rider like Lorenzo, for example, through his grand prix career. But dedication and relentless belief is a tangible that will get you far if you are willing to suffer.

Beginning his MotoGP tenure in 2009 with four replacement outings on a Pramac Ducati, Espargaro scored points in all four. A full-time ride followed in 2010, where he was again solid, scoring 65 points in an injury-affected campaign that saw him beat team-mate Mika Kallio 65-43 in the points table.

A step back to Moto2 yielded a first grand prix podium, before the CRT regulations in MotoGP that grew the grid with production-derived machinery offered Espargaro route back to the top class with Aspar. Through 2012 and 2013, Espargaro was King of the CRTs, finishing top in those rankings 93-41 and 126-81 in the points rankings to the next-best in class.

A switch to the Forward Racing squad in 2014 on an Open class Yamaha saw him take a fortunate pole at Assen with a well-timed lap before rain fell, while at the wet Aragon GP Espargaro scored his first MotoGP podium, beating Ducati’s Crutchlow on a run to the flag to take second place.

Espargaro built his reputation on CRT bikes before getting his first podium with Forward Racing Yamaha in 2014

Espargaro built his reputation on CRT bikes before getting his first podium with Forward Racing Yamaha in 2014

Photo by: Kevin Wood / Motorsport Images

Earning a factory contract for 2015 with Suzuki to helm its return alongside Maverick Vinales, Espargaro was a solid top eight finisher across 2015 and 2016. And though Vinales’ race-winning 2016 stole the headlines that year, Espargaro’s experience in developing that bike set Suzuki on course for the world title it would win in 2020 with Joan Mir.

He took that development prowess to Aprilia in 2017 but, as the RS-GP remained a backmarker and Espargaro found himself battered by the bike, he had decided in 2018 that retirement was imminent.

«The most difficult one [moment of my career], I would say it was the 2018 season,» he explained. «The 2018 season I was very, very close to retiring. Actually, I decided to retire, but my wife Laura pushed me [to continue].

«We were struggling a lot with the Aprilia, I was crashing a lot, having a lot of injuries, finishing one minute from the top. So, it was very difficult for me to find the motivation at home. Luckily, I had Laura by my side.»

Family has been such a key thing for Espargaro in his career. That is very much something that grew within Aprilia when Massimo Rivola arrived as CEO in 2019. Espargaro extended his contract and became what Rivola began calling its ‘Captain’.

Strong leadership and perseverance typified Aprilia as a new era for it began in 2020, the first helmed by Rivola from the start. The following year Espargaro delivered its first podium in MotoGP at Silverstone; in Argentina in 2022, he scored both his and the marque’s first victories.

Espargaro sustained a charge for the title in 2022, coming up short in the final rounds as reliability issues started to blight the RS-GP. A title challenge didn’t materialise again last year, but Espargaro took yet another step, with his wins at Silverstone and Barcelona easily the best of his long career.

That leadership also helped convince Vinales to sign for Aprilia following his acrimonious split from Yamaha midway through 2021. Vinales, of course, scored Aprilia’s fourth grand prix victory earlier this year in Austin.

Espargaro became a race winner at Aprilia, a squad he has been intrinsic into developing

Espargaro became a race winner at Aprilia, a squad he has been intrinsic into developing

Photo by: MotoGP

In his 13 full seasons so far in MotoGP, Espargaro has lost out to a team-mate only once in the standings – and that was Vinales in 2016. Not all of those who shared a garage with Espargaro were up to his level, which skews that stat somewhat. But, particularly in those barren early days at Aprilia it does go some way to highlighting just how deep Espargaro dug to get results.

One win every 108 races isn’t a stunning hit rate, but MotoGP’s 75-year history is littered with riders who never even made it that far. At one stage, that looked like being Espargaro’s reality. The last few years of his career, Espargaro says he «was dreaming». The RS-GP has legitimately become one of the grid’s best bikes; he has had genuine chances at podiums and wins, not to mention how much he raves about his life at home.

That he has looked at this as a good reason to retire now, with his current contract coming to an end, sheds light on the kind of ego Espargaro possess. Few get to go out on their terms.

The riders could do a lot worse than keep Espargaro around to help in matters relating to safety

«With Aprilia, seeing all these memories, the last two, three seasons were amazing,» he added. «I mean, I was dreaming. So, one of the reasons why I decided to stop is because for me this is enough. I already had a lot of fun; I would like to retire from being a full-time rider with a good feeling.

«This is why I’m extremely happy. It has not been an easy week because I felt sometimes I was jumping into a really strange place. But I’m very happy.»

Last year Espargaro’s points-per-round rate was 10.3 across 20 events. After five rounds in 2024, he is at a production rate of 10.2 PPR. That’s good consistency in MotoGP’s toughest era with sprints and grands prix to contend with. But compared with team-mate Vinales, it is clear that Espargaro’s results production is only just beginning to slow down.

Vinales was at 10.2 PPR last year, while in 2024 he is currently at 16.2 PPR. There appears a clear shift within Aprilia, as Vinales looks to have finally found what he needs to be consistently competitive on the RS-GP.

So, the timing is right for Espargaro. His stats show he could continue to be a consistent performer into next year, but what more does he have to prove?

While Vinales has found another gear, Espargaro appears to have plateaued in 2024

While Vinales has found another gear, Espargaro appears to have plateaued in 2024

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Other than a lot more cycling around Andorra, Espargaro hasn’t given much thought to his future. Back in April, he was very welcoming to the idea of becoming a test rider for Aprilia. It’s a proper career now and a vital role. Aprilia, if it can put a deal together, will have a vital asset in Espargaro when the time comes to develop its bike for the 2027 rules overhaul.

As for MotoGP itself, the riders could do a lot worse than keep Espargaro around to help in matters relating to safety. One of the grid’s loudest and most passionate voices on rider issues, Espargaro could still have a role to play in the betterment of the series.

While no one becomes a champion without hard work, pure talent does a good job at masking this element of a competitor’s game. Espargaro’s determination and his work ethic should provide just as much inspiration for young riders as the multiple world champions do.

Aprilia now has a job on to secure the best possible replacement for Espargaro, though filling the leadership role that made the Spaniard such an important part of the brand’s development will most likely be impossible. Finding someone as doggedly determined as him, especially during the harder times, may well prove impossible.

Espargaro may not have the legions of fans that other riders do, but it was clear from the reception of his grid-mates on Thursday as he fought back tears that he has commanded an immense amount of respect over the last 15 years.

Espargaro was emotional as he announced his imminent departure from MotoGP, and will be a tough act to follow

Espargaro was emotional as he announced his imminent departure from MotoGP, and will be a tough act to follow

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

What the 2024 MotoGP grid said of Espargaro’s retirement

Maverick Vinales: «I didn’t expect it, to be honest. I expected for him to continue. He’s still there [competitively]. Obviously in Aprilia we are both commanding the Aprilia side and obviously he’s a very important of my journey when I go onto the track and check data and understand the bike better. But for sure, if he decided this it’s because he feels it. I just want to say that it’s been a pleasure to be his team-mate. He’s one of the toughest team-mates I had, and I had some really big names by my side. But it was tough to beat him and I wish him the best of luck in this new life.»

Jorge Martin: «He’s an important person in my life. I remember in 2013 I was his fan, I have some photos with him and he didn’t even know me. But finally, he’s not only my friend, he’s my brother, sometimes I’m his son. I join him for dinner with his family a lot of days in Andorra and I think he’s one of the most important people in my life. So, I couldn’t not cry and I’m so happy for him because he did a lot to stop a bit, to be with his family. He will have time for himself. Now it will be even more difficult to follow him on the bicycle!»

Alex Rins: «It was big news coming. I’m super happy for him because if he decides to stop racing it’s because he wants to and he deserves to. He did a really great and difficult seasons in the past. His history is not easy. But he’s really a fighter. He fights a lot. He trains a lot day by day to achieve his goals. I’m super proud of him and I’m wishing him a lot of luck in the future.»

Pedro Acosta: «At the end, we share a manager and in the last four, five seasons we started to have a professional relationship. It’s tough because when he started to talk and get quite sentimental, I was close to crying. But anyway, I’m super happy for him. Also we know Aleix really enjoys to do many things in life, like the bicycle and his many other businesses. For this, I think he is going to start to enjoy his new life, also his new priorities. For this, I’m super happy and super happy to be able to share a full MotoGP season with him.»

Joan Mir: «Aleix has given us all a lesson in recent years. He started in a super complicated situation in MotoGP, he held on there and when he has had a competitive bike he has been very fast. There are not so many people who last for a long time in a situation. He is an example and a hard worker. He has earned it and I hope he is very happy, he deserves it.»

Wherever his career takes him next, Espargaro will remain a popular figure with his peers

Wherever his career takes him next, Espargaro will remain a popular figure with his peers

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images



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Barcelona MotoGP upgrades highlighting philosophy differences at Yamaha and Honda

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The championship’s two Japanese manufacturers have been working hard over the last few months to close the gap to their European rivals and return to the forefront after years of decline.

Both have been taking advantage of the new concession system introduced by MotoGP this year by holding a number of private tests, but there appears to be a stark difference in how quickly the new parts actually make their way to the race bikes.

Yamaha, having successfully convinced Fabio Quartararo to keep his faith in the marque for another two years, is not only trialing new updates, but is also introducing them on race weekends at an impressive pace.

After running a completely new version of the M1 at the post-Spanish Grand Prix test at Jerez, the Iwata-based brand completed some more private running at Mugello in the weeks leading up to the Barcelona round of the championship.

With the test being considered a positive, Yamaha has now quickly homologated the new aero package, which will now be seen on the bikes of Quartararo and Alex Rins at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona this weekend.

Speaking about the upgrades, Quartararo said: “[The test] was great because we could analyse quite well where the main priority is to test and to improve for us from now until the end of the season. So this is great.

“We don’t know how we’re going to improve it, but we know where it is. And then we used the new aero package that was better for Cal, better for me and better for Alex. So, we will use it during this weekend.”

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Marc Fleury

Interestingly, Yamaha is fast-tracking updates even if they are only offering a marginal difference in performance or the feeling of the bike. That suggests it wants to continue to bring in small improvements on a regular basis, instead of standing still and waiting for a bigger package to be ready for race conditions.

Asked how good the new aero package was, Quartararo added: “Little bit helping on turning. That was of course not a big difference, but whatever we can slightly improve, we do and it was slightly better in the lean angle, in the amount of lean angle we could have.”

Like Yamaha, Honda has also been working behind-the-scenes on improving the aero, chassis and the engine of the beleaguered RC213V, having held a private test of its own at Mugello in the run-up to Barcelona.

But unlike its rival, Honda is not rushing to introduce the updates on the bikes raced by factory duo Joan Mir and Luca Marini, as well as LCR duo Johann Zarco and Takaaki Nakagami.

Mir explained that although the Mugello test was positive for the factory, he will race with virtually the same bike that he ran at Le Mans earlier this month.

“We tried quite a lot of things, aerodynamics especially, then different configurations on the engine side,” he said. “It was quite productive. We will not get what we request on the test for here. We will have a similar package.

Joan Mir, Repsol Honda Team

Joan Mir, Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: Marc Fleury

“We will need probably this month and the next two races that we have at the end of June, and we have one more month more, from then we will make one step forward.

He added: [The new aero package] was not something of a big evolution but it was a step. I will not use it here, I will probably use it in the next race, for in terms of homologation and this stuff [it makes more sense]. But we are following the steps.»

Mir’s team-mate Marini struck a similar tone, saying that Honda doesn’t want to bring updates until it is convinced that it brings a significant improvement in performance.

“Now we have to understand after all the analysis and all the reports that we have now after the test, which parts of the bike we need to put on track tomorrow because we have different combinations,” he explained.

“And also for the homologation of the aerodynamics we need to see, because we don’t want to have a rush.

“Because the Japanese are working a lot and during the year we will have more upgrades so we have to be smart and clever to understand. If something is clear, it’s really, really positive, ‘okay, we put it’.

“If not, maybe it’s better to wait to have more upgrades because the gap from first is quite huge at the moment so we need steps that can help us to get closer.”

Honda’s approach sheds a new light over the changes it has made to its mentality in the last six-to-nine months. While there is no denying that it is now taking more risks with developments, it’s clear that it is still hesitant in bringing updates to race weekends.

“Their mentality is different compared to Italian engineers,” said Marini. “But they are really precise, really strong, they want to understand everything very well.

“The approach is that they want to understand everything and they want to be sure that everything works before putting in on the track and maybe break something and cause a problem to the rider.”

Additional reporting by Lorenza D’Adderio and Germán Garcia Casanova

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Three-time MotoGP winner Aleix Espargaro announces retirement

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The 34-year-old Spaniard made the announcement on Thursday afternoon ahead of his home Catalan Grand Prix at Barcelona, where he won both the Saturday and Sunday races last year.

Espargaro’s current Aprilia contract expires at the end of this year and he had already admitted at the signing of this deal two years ago that he expected it to be his last.

Watch: The place where icons fight | When in… Barcelona

Despite telling media at the Americas GP that he was still to decide on what he wanted to do for 2025, he has elected to call time on his racing career.

«I am happy to announce my retirement as a full-time rider. It has been a wonderful 20 years in this paddock and I am very happy and proud of what we have achieved together with Aprilia,» said Espargaro.

«We made history and that will never be forgotten. I have had so much fun and we have created an incredible human group. We have a very nice weekend ahead of us, at a track I like and where I am fast, and there are still plenty of races left until Valencia to be competitive.»

Espargaro made his MotoGP debut in 2009 as a replacement rider at Pramac Ducati at the Indianapolis GP, scoring points in his maiden race in 13th.

He would make four appearances in total that year, all of them yielding points, before signing full-time with Pramac for 2010.

Achieving a best of eighth in an injury-hit season, Espargaro returned to the intermediate class in 2011 where he finished 12th in the Moto2 standings having scored a first grand prix podium at Barcelona.

Aleix Espargaro, Aspar Team ART

Aleix Espargaro, Aspar Team ART

Photo by: Aspar Team

He returned to MotoGP in 2012 with the Aspar squad aboard an Aprilia-powered CRT machine, scoring in all but two rounds to end the campaign as top CRT rider.

He did the same in 2013 before moving to the Forward Racing squad on an Open class Yamaha machine – on which he scored a fortunate first pole at Assen and then beat Ducati’s Cal Crutchlow in a race to the line at Aragon to finish second.

Espargaro signed a factory deal for 2015 to join the fledgling Suzuki project alongside his current Aprilia team-mate Maverick Vinales.

Instrumental in the development of the GSX-RR that would eventually win the championship with Joan Mir in 2020, Espargaro was a consistent top eight challenger on the bike but never scaled the same race-winning heights as Vinales.

A move to Aprilia’s factory project in 2017 followed, with Espargaro extracting the most out of a bike few ever regarded as being MotoGP-worthy across his first three seasons.

After a particularly difficult 2019, Espargaro considered retirement, but elected to continue with Aprilia into 2020.

Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini

Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini

Photo by: Dorna

In 2021 he made history at the British GP when he scored Aprilia’s first MotoGP podium with a third at Silverstone, following that up in 2022 with his and the team’s first win in Argentina.

Espargaro fought for the championship in 2022 until the latter stages, and though a title challenge didn’t materialise in an inconsistent season for Aprilia in 2023 he still won two grands prix.

During his time in grand prix racing, Espargaro has also often been an outspoken voice on safety in the championship and pushing for necessary changes.

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2024 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix – How to watch, session times & more

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Pramac’s Jorge Martin leads the championship by an extended margin of 38 points following his stunning victory at Le Mans a fortnight ago.

Gresini rider Marc Marquez now sits third in the standings and only two points off-second placed Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati).

The trio are again expected to battle for victory on MotoGP’s second visit to Spain in 2024, having locked out the podium in France last time out.

2024 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix session timings

Session

GMT

BST 

CEST

ET

PT

AEST

JST

IST

FP1

08:45

09:45

10:45

04:45

01:45

18:45

17:45

14:15

FP2

13:00

14:00

 15:00

09:00

06:00

23:00

22:00

 18:30

FP3

08:10

 09:10 10:10

04:10

01:10

 18:10

17:10

 13:40

Qualifying

08:50

 09:50 10:50

04:50

01:50

18:50

17:50

 14:20

Sprint

13:00

 14:00 15:00

09:00

06:00

23:00

22:00

18:30

Warm up

07:40

08:40

 09:40

03:40

 00:40

17:40

23:40

13:10

Race

12:00

13:00

14:00

08:00

 05:00

22:00

21:00

 17:30

2024 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix session timings in the UK and Portugal

Friday 24th May 2024

  • Free Practice 1: 09:45 — 10:30 BST
  • Free Practice 2: 14:00 — 15:00 BST

Saturday 25th May 2024

  • Free Practice 3: 09:10 — 09:40 BST
  • Qualifying: 09:50 — 10:30 BST
  • Sprint: 14:00 BST

Sunday 26th May 2024

  • Warm up: 08:40 — 08:50 BST
  • Race: 13:00 BST

2024 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix session timings in Europe 

Friday 24th May 2024

  • Free Practice 1: 10:45 — 11:30 CEST
  • Free Practice 2: 15:00 — 16:00 CEST

Saturday 25th May 2024

  • Free Practice 3: 10:10 — 10:40 CEST
  • Qualifying: 10:50 — 11:30 CEST
  • Sprint: 15:00 CEST

Sunday 26th May 2024

  • Warm up: 09:40 — 09:50 CEST
  • Race: 14:00 CEST

2024 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix session timings in the US

Friday 24th May 2024

  • Free Practice 1:  04:45 — 05:30 ET / 01:45 — 02:30 PT
  • Free Practice 2:  09:00 — 10:00 ET / 06:00 — 07:00 PT

Saturday 25th May 2024

  • Free Practice 3: 04:10 — 04:40 ET / 01:10 — 01:40 PT
  • Qualifying: 04:50 — 05:30 ET / 01:50 — 02:30 PT
  • Sprint: 09:00 ET / 06:00 PT

Sunday 26th May 2024

  • Warm-up: 03:40 — 03:50 ET / 00:40 — 00:50 PT
  • Race:  08:00 ET / 05:00 PT

2024 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix session timings in Australia

Friday 24th May 2024

  • Free Practice 1: 18:45 — 19:30 AEST
  • Free Practice 2: 23:00 — 00:00 AEST

Saturday 25th May 2024

  • Free Practice 3: 18:10 — 18:40 AEST
  • Qualifying: 18:50 — 19:30 AEST
  • Sprint: 23:00 AEST

Sunday 26th May 2024

  • Warm-up: 17:40 — 17:50 AEST
  • Race: 22:00 AEST

2024 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix session timings in Japan

Friday 24th May 2024

  • Free Practice 1: 17:45 — 18:30 JST 
  • Free Practice 2: 22:00 — 23:00 JST 

Saturday 25th May 2024

  • Free Practice 3: 17:10 — 17:40 JST 
  • Qualifying: 17:50 — 18:30 JST
  • Sprint: 22:00 JST

Sunday 26th May 2024

  • Warm-up: 16:40 — 16:50 JST
  • Race: 21:00 JST

2024 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix session timings in India

Friday 24th May 2024

  • Free Practice 1: 14:15 — 15:00 IST 
  • Free Practice 2: 18:30 — 19:30 IST

Saturday 25th May 2024

  • Free Practice 3: 13:40 — 14:10 IST 
  • Qualifying: 14:20 — 15:00 IST
  • Sprint: 18:30 IST

Sunday 26th May 2024

  • Warm-up: 13:10 — 13:20 IST
  • Race: 17:30 IST

Can’t find your country or region in the list? Check the MotoGP schedule page for the broadcast times in your local timezone.

Can I stream the Catalan MotoGP?

MotoGP has its own on-demand streaming service, offering live broadcast of practice, qualifying and the Sprint, as well as highlights. The MotoGP Video pass is available for an annual fee of 139.99 euros. Several local broadcasters also stream MotoGP races on their official websites.



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How to watch & sc

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


MotoGP will visit the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend for the Catalan Grand Prix. Last year’s race was won by Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro in his second victory of the year. 

The Spaniard’s first win in 2023 came at the British Grand Prix, where he was able to beat Francesco Bagnaia and Brad Binder.  

Valentino Rossi holds the record for most wins at the Catalan GP, taking a total of 10 victories during his 28-year career. The Italian took his first win in the 125cc class in 1997 and his last win at the circuit came in 2016. 

When is the MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix?  

  • Date: Sunday 26 May 2024 
  • Start time: 1pm BST (2pm local time) 

The MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix will take place between 24-26 May. The race will start at 1pm BST on Sunday 26 May and will last 24 laps. 

Saturday’s Sprint race will start at 2pm BST and will be a 12-lap race. 

Race winner Valentino Rossi

Race winner Valentino Rossi

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

How to watch MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix

In the UK, MotoGP can be watched via its own streaming service — MotoGP Videopass. This platform offers viewers the ability to watch live races, practices, qualifying and sprint events, as well as highlights and exclusive content.

A subscription to MotoGP Videopass costs an annual fee of €199.99 (£170.97) or a monthly fee of €29.99 (£25.64).

The full 2024 MotoGP season is also available to watch on TNT Sports in the UK and the United States. Customers can subscribe to TNT Sports for £30.99 per month, which includes all four sport channels and Discovery+. This also allows viewers to watch via mobile, tablet or console devices.

Free to watch highlights will be available on ITVX, and MotoGP’s website and YouTube channel.

What are the timings for the Catalan Grand Prix?  

Here are the full timings for the MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix:  

Session   

Date  

Start time (BST)  

Free Practice 1  

Friday 24 May 

9.45am — 10.30am 

Free Practice 2  

Friday 24 May  

2pm — 3pm 

Free Practice 3   

Saturday 25 May 

9.10am — 9.40am 

Qualifying 1  

Saturday 25 May 

9.50am — 10.05am 

Qualifying 2  

Saturday 25 May 

10.15am — 10.30am 

Sprint Race – 12 laps  

Saturday 25 May 

2pm  

Warm Up  

Sunday 26 May 

8.40am — 8.50am 

Race – 24 laps  

Sunday 26 May 

1pm 

What are the timings for Moto2 and Moto3 races at the Catalan Grand Prix? 

Here is the weekend schedule for the Moto2 and Moto3 Catalan Grand Prix: 

Moto2 Catalan Grand Prix schedule:  

Session   

Date  

Start time (BST)  

Free Practice 1  

Friday 24 May 

8.50am — 9.30am 

Free Practice 2  

Friday 24 May 

1.05pm — 1.45pm 

Free Practice 3   

Saturday 25 May 

8.25am — 8.55am 

Qualifying 1  

Saturday 25 May 

12.45pm — 1pm 

Qualifying 2  

Saturday 25 May 

1.10pm — 1.25pm 

Race – 21 laps  

Sunday 26 May 

11.15am 

Moto3 Catalan Grand Prix schedule:  

Session   

Date  

Start time (BST)  

Free Practice 1  

Friday 24 May 

8am — 8.35am 

Free Practice 2  

Friday 24 May 

12.15pm — 12.50pm 

Free Practice 3   

Saturday 25 May 

7.40am — 8.10am 

Qualifying 1  

Saturday 25 May 

11.50am — 12.05pm 

Qualifying 2  

Saturday 25 May 

12.15pm — 12.30pm 

Race – 18 laps  

Sunday 26 May 

10am 

What are the timings for MotoE at the Catalan Grand Prix? 

Here is the full MotoE schedule for the Catalan Grand Prix: 

Session   

Date  

Start time (BST)  

Free Practice 1  

Friday 24 May 

7.30am — 7.45am 

Free Practice 2  

Friday 24 May 

11.25am — 11.40am 

Qualifying 1  

Friday 24 May 

3.15pm — 3.25pm 

Qualifying 2  

Friday 24 May 

3.35pm — 3.45pm 

Race 1 — 7 laps 

Saturday 25 May 

11.15am 

Race 2 — 7 laps 

Saturday 25 May 

3.10pm 



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