- 2021-06-07
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SPORTS
MotoGP Catalunya: Miguel Oliveira Takes First Win of Season in Barcelona
Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya watched Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) claimed his first victory of 2021 season as a factory team KTM rider. It is his first win since the 2020 Portuguese GP. Also he took back-to-back podiums following Italian GP.
Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati) finished 2nd behind Miguel Oliveira by 0.175s. It is his fourth podium of 2021.
Jack Miller (Ducati Team) moved up to 3rd from 4th, because Fabio Quartararo (Monster Yamaha) lost his 3rd due to a three-second penalty for a shortcut at Turns 1 and 2. (Now, Fabio Quartararo finished sixth after the additional penalty for riding without his leather suit.)
Reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) completed the top five ahead of Maverick Viñales (Monster Yamaha).
Only 15 riders reached the chequered flag, Iker Lecuona (KTM Tech3), Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha), Danilo Petrucci (KTM Tech3) and Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Gresini) crashed out.
Miguel Oliveira said, “From my perspective it was hard to understand what was going on behind me. At the beginning I knew there was a couple of switches on the position. In the second place I got this little gap that I was comfortable with and I could be gentle with the tyres, could do my lines and not do any mistakes. I think that was the key to being able to finish. It was quite hard for everyone but for me it was extra hard because I had a hard front tyre, and in the last eight laps it was difficult to stay on the bike and not crash. The beginning of my race pace was something that we kind of expected. We also expected that Fabio [Quartararo] was just faster and if he had an early lead then maybe it was going to be difficult. But he didn't have that much in the pocket today, so when he overtook me I saw my chance to stay there with him and maybe disturb him a little bit and I managed to do that. Then I think he was staying attached to me but he had the unfortunate thing that I saw after with the leathers, but yeah, happy to hold Johann [Zarco] in the last few laps.”
Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya Race Results- Miguel Oliveira / Red Bull KTM / 40m 21.749s
- Johann Zarco / Pramac Ducati / +0.175s
- Jack Miller / Ducati Team / +1.990s
- Fabio Quartararo / Monster Yamaha / +4.815s
- Joan Mir / Suzuki Ecstar / +5.325s
- Maverick Viñales / Monster Yamaha / +6.281s
- Francesco Bagnaia / Ducati Team / +8.175s
- Brad Binder / Red Bull KTM / +8.378s
- Franco Morbidelli / Petronas Yamaha / +15.652s
- Enea Bastianini / Avintia Ducati / +19.297s
- Alex Marquez / LCR Honda / +21.650s
- Luca Marini / Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati / +22.533s
- Takaaki Nakagami / LCR Honda / +27.833s
- Jorge Martin / Pramac Ducati / +29.075s
- Lorenzo Savadori / Aprilia Gresini / +40.291s
- source : MotoGP