MotoGP riders reflect on the Catalunya MotoGP weekend

MotoGP 2025

Round 15 – Catalunya Race Report

Alex Marquez – P1

“I am so happy, but still the mistake from yesterday is painful, it’s the best way to forget that, but it cost us a lot of points. It was the best advice not to make a mistake today, and I made no mistakes today, I just managed the tyres, eight, nine, seven laps to the end I said, ‘if you have something more, show it.’ I tried my best in that moment and made a 40.2. Jerez was very special but this one with Marc on track even more, it’s not easy to control Marc for 24 laps behind you, just four or five or six, behind you. But we did it in a good way and I’m super happy for that. The last three corners I was flying, I saw it in qualifying, I said to myself, ‘you’re fast, you need to control the limit,’ in that sector I was feeling really good, the feeling with the bike was amazing. The corner speed was so high.

“So that is where I did it differently, but also making points this weekend, I was super strong, super fast. Next week we have one race, which will be so important for the team as a home GP, and today I want to celebrate the festival and have some pizza with pineapple. Before the race, I thought I’d do that [rolling in the gravel], and when I won the race, I did the roll, and yesterday was so painful with the crash, then I did the two middle fingers at the crash. So it was a nice celebration for the grandstand. Today, in front of all our family, to see two brothers fighting for the victory on the last lap is crazy, it’s something you never see, it’s something super special. Now we need to keep longer at this level.”

Marc Márquez – P2

“I already expected on Thursday that Alex would be the rider to beat, he’s second in the championship, riding in a very good way, especially here in Catalunya, he’s won Moto3, twice in Moto2, and now in MotoGP. I tried everything, I was on the limit in the last laps, but I did a mistake in turn 7 and another in turn 10, and I gave up. Today Alex was faster than us, even yesterday, but he crashed. We struggled a bit more than usual, but we were close to the top guy. He was super strong in my weak points, long right corners, turn three, turn 13, 14, last two corners, turn nine, he was riding in a super good way, he was smooth, the bike wasn’t moving, I was behind him and I was fighting the bike. It’s about riding style, not the bike, as we have the same bike. He was riding there better, and I was trying to recover it on the left corners.

“Home GP, we live a hundred kilometres from here, first and second, in Aragon, it was a home GP and we did it the opposite way, but I said in Jerez I was sad not to be on the podium with him, and today we tried our best and it was amazing for the family.

“There’s still seven races to go, so my in the end my target is the same mentality, control my limits, control the bike, try to control all the points, today maybe it’s true I could go all in, but it was not the time to do it. I kept the concentration, and as I said on Thursday, there will be a day I have to accept that there’s someone faster than me, and my little brother was faster than me this weekend. On the bike I tried everything, in laps three and four I could overtake him on the straight, but the plan was to open the gap to the third guy. I was using him slipstream to open a gap to the other guys.”

Enea Bastianini – P3

“It was a very tough and long race, but we managed the start pretty well, I think. Once I was behind Alex, Marc and Pedro, I tried to keep their pace and be smooth with the throttle. Then Pedro started to lose a bit on the front two, and that gave me the opportunity to overtake. It was not easy because he brakes really late, but we took our chance and we managed well. I took some distance on Pedro then, but the two Marquez increased their pace in the end, so from there I just focused on keeping my pace until the end! We can be really satisfied, it is our first Sunday podium, so we are really happy and let’s enjoy it with the team!”

Pedro Acosta – P4

“I was quite sure that even if the tire would drop quite a lot at the end of the race then I would be able to manage it; the only thing was that it dropped earlier than I imagined! Anyway, 4th again and we have to be happy with a very solid weekend, good points and good information for the team. Happy for KTM to again be on the podium.”

Fabio Quartararo – P5

“Yesterday, I could really enjoy the Sprint race and the fights – today we had less of that. The beginning of the Race was really tough, but I could take care of the tyres a lot, and Luca burned up his tyres. This allowed me to overtake him at the end. It was a great experience for me to ride defensively, also under braking and everything – so, yeah, it was not a bad race. We started the weekend in a difficult situation, but we finished it in a good way. The position we finished in today is a ‘real position’, and it was also according to my expectations, although I did expect to be a bit closer to the top guys. We will continue working on understanding better how the conditions affect our performance.”

Ai Ogura – P6

“I’m super happy about the race. Before the start I knew that we all have to manage the tires, but I think we did it well. We were quite strong up until the end of the race – I think it was a nice race. In the first few laps I used the front tire a lot more to protect my position and after that I was just saving the rear tire. But it was really difficult to decide when to attack at the end of the race – I thought I could have charged a bit earlier, but I couldn’t really feel what is going to happen with the rear tire. It wasn’t easy, but I was strong in the end and that was super important. We really needed one good race like this and so, I’m happy about the day.””

Francesco Bagnaia – P7

“Today’s result was the best possible one: if we consider the 21st place on the grid, it was difficult to imagine that I would have done better than seventh. It’s true that, had I had this type of pace already on Friday or Saturday, maybe I would have been quicker today, but this is the situation and we must focus on the next event, knowing that we can do it and working as usual. Yesterday we made some adjustments to the bike and I was feeling better in this morning’s warm up, so much so that I ended up fifth quickest. The feeling was better also in the race. Now we need to keep calm and see how the next races will be like.”

Luca Marini – P8

“Good weekend overall, we have to be happy to do like this at a track which is usually a difficult one for us. Throughout every session we have been in a good position. In the race I made another fantastic start, then I had a big battle with Zarco and Fabio. I tried to catch Acosta when I saw he was dropping with the soft but I think this used up my tyres too much and I arrived in the last four laps without as much as the other guys so I couldn’t defend. Still, we were able to try and fight for something more and understand how everything reacts in a different situation. Like I said, the weekend here, not just for me but also for Zarco and Mir, shows the progress we are making as a manufacturer.”

Miguel Oliveira – P9

“It was a pretty solid weekend. Close to the points yesterday, in the top ten today, good pace, no mistakes, and a few overtakes. I‘m happy with the result. There was some chaos at the start — I tried to stay on the outside, but then the domino effect kicked in when one rider picked up the bike and hit another. I lost a lot of momentum going into Turns 2 and 3, so I couldn‘t make any progress there. From that point, I just focused on starting my race and staying calm, and it worked. I expected the track to be worse, but I managed to save the tires and, in the end, I came close to the top five, even if it was too late to try and catch them.”

Jorge Martin – P10

“The assessment is rather good. Tenth place for me is almost like a podium because, in any case, I started seventeenth. I had contact with a rider who hit me from behind on the first lap and ended up at the back of the group, and then I also had a problem with a device and had to take a shortcut, costing me several positions. However, I am still leaving with outstanding sensations and a good race – it was the best session of the weekend.”

Raul Fernandez – P11

“I’m pretty frustrated. We had an issue with the brake today – on each lap I had to play with the position of the brake lever and I couldn’t manage the race. I started, more or less, good and closed the gap to Fabio (Quartararo), Pecco, Marini and Ai and when I was very close to them, I started to have some problems with the brake. I was wide and I started to destroy the front tire and to save it here, is very important. It was very difficult to do this race well and I hope we find something to solve this in Misano.”

Joan Mir – P12

“My pace during the race was really good, always better than the riders in front of me so I was able to have an offensive race let’s say. Everything further back in MotoGP is much more interesting! It was a really good battle throughout the whole race. Starting 20th was our big limit today, we also didn’t make the best start, but we really needed to do something more on Friday and Saturday. We have been testing quite a few things this weekend, settings, parts, so we lost maybe a little bit from the race weekend to gain in the overall picture.”

Maverick Viñales – P13

“It was an interesting weekend, very tough, but we accomplished our target. Physically, it was difficult. We started the race a bit calm to understand our condition, and as we saw we were feeling ok, we increased the pace a bit step by step when I saw that I could finish the race. I am happy overall, we will keep working in Misano.”

Jack Miller – P14

“It’s a pity. Unfortunately, I got hit at Turn 4 and went through the gravel, so I just had to work my way up from last position. The pace was decent, and the bike was working well, even if it was still difficult to pass when I caught someone, even though I was definitely faster. I pushed until the end, trying to be as quick as I could, and I feel we made a step forward this weekend with the bike in terms of our base setting — more fine-tuning rather than big changes. I‘m happy with how the bike is performing, and I think we have a good strategy for the next couple of races.”

Somkiat Chantra – P16

“I’m happy with today’s race. I managed the situation well and had a stronger pace. I’m quite satisfied with the improvements we’ve made, and physically, I felt better than in the Sprint. Now I’ll focus on recovery over the next few days to be fully ready for Misano.”

Aleix Espargaro – P17

“Today was really tough, the long race was super demanding from my physical condition like I knew it would be. I did my best and at the start of the race we were able to stay with everyone, then I had to focus more and more. It has been a good weekend, and we’ve been able to get through a lot of the items we had, now I need to recover a bit more and get ready for our next events with the Test Team. It makes me really happy to see the other Honda riders getting stronger each weekend, this is a new kind of satisfaction you feel when you’re a test rider.”

Brad Binder – DNF

“For some reason I didn’t get off the line well. I was mugged into Turn 1 and then pushed through the field to try and catch-up. Everything was working incredibly well. The bike was amazing…but braking into Turn 7 and as I cut back for the corner I must have touched the white line. It was enough to close the front. A bit of a pity because I felt really good. We have to take the positives of the weekend and I think with a ‘normal’ weekend we can be really strong again.”

Johann Zarco – DNF

“Overall, it was a positive race and a clear step forward compared to yesterday. Of course, I’m disappointed about the crash. I wasn’t taking unnecessary risks; I was just trying to catch the rivals, but at Turn 10, I hit the bumps and went down. In those conditions, it’s difficult to control the bike. The important thing is that I felt stronger and made progress during the race, and that gives me confidence. The goal now is to keep this momentum going into Misano next week.”

Fabio Di Giannantonio – DNF

“Today I had a slow start even though I did the same things as yesterday, so I lost a few positions in the first corners. Then there was a chain reaction from a contact in front of me. I had to brake to avoid hitting the rider in front, and without the right weight on the front, I crashed. Luckily, I’m okay, it was a slow-speed crash. We’ve been having a bit of bad luck the past few Sundays, so I hope to have a smooth weekend in Misano, where we’ll try to make a turnaround.”

Franco Morbidelli – DNF

“It was a very difficult weekend. I had a complicated start, but the feeling with the bike was good, I was coming back strong and riding very fast, quicker than the group of riders I was fighting with. But at Turn 10, I lost the front and I went down. The positive thing is that we showed a good pace this weekend, and we did a great job overall. That should give us confidence heading into Misano, where we hope to have a good weekend.”

Marco Bezzecchi – DNF

“It was a complicated weekend. Expectations were extremely high on Friday but then in qualifying I was unable to do a good time, which is why I started so far back. After a weekend like this, there is no better solution than to race in Misano. At the end of the day, we can’t sit around and cry over spilled milk; we simply need to work hard and analyse everything carefully to then pick up where we had left off.”

Lorenzo Savadori – DNF

“I had two long-lap penalties to do, but the pace was still good and similar to the group ahead of me, so I was catching up. Unfortunately, four laps from the end, the front end closed up and I crashed on turn 10. The entire team worked well this weekend in the first wild card with the test team, and we were still close to the factory riders in terms of performance. Anyway, we need to see the glass half full. The bike is growing and now we’ll continue with the upcoming tests we have scheduled in Misano.”

Team Managers

Aki Ajo – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager

“Generally, a really positive Grand Prix for us: the Saturday Sprint with three riders in the top six and then a podium and P4 today. There is always something to learn and to understand. We had challenging grip conditions, and they were not easy to handle but it was important to evaluate this situation and with our new package. A solid weekend for all the riders and in Maverick’s case it was part of his recovery. I think the other three can be happy with the performance levels. It was a shame for Brad today but we’ll keep our progress going and we’ll be back on track already on Friday in Misano.”

Nicolas Goyon – Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Manager

“What an unbelievable race Enea Bastianini produced in Catalonia. This first podium of the season has been coming for a few rounds now, and it is a great reward for all the work done with the team. Hungary was not meant to be, but he really wanted to show his potential here in Barcelona. He took this podium with the manner, and we are all very happy for him! The weekend was really tough physically for Maverick Vinales, but we are really happy for him to have completed that weekend, we know it was not easy on many aspects, so we really want to thank him for that! 3 points were not expected, but we are really proud of him, and we know he is on the good path to recovery. Congratulations to both our riders, and let’s head to the next one in Italy!”

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha Team Director

“We anticipated a challenging race, and it was. Fabio executed a disciplined strategy: he maintained proximity to the front riders early on, defending his position effectively on the opening laps, all while managing tyre wear across the 24 laps. While not as dynamic as Saturday’s Sprint, it was a mature performance that completed a strong weekend following the turnaround on Saturday morning. Álex faced a tougher outing, with the FP2 crash impacting his grid position and overall momentum this weekend. Starting from P19 today, he was able to engage in more battles than in previous rounds and felt better on the bike than he did yesterday, which is encouraging. With another GP coming up, we’ll focus on building consistency and making further progress.”

Davide Brivio – Trackhouse Aprilia Team Principal

“Of course, a very good race for Ai. I think this race was very difficult in terms of tire management – you have to be very careful and I think he managed it like an expert rider despite the fact that he’s a rookie. Congratulations to him for the big job! He was able to save the tire when it was the time to save and then by the end, he made a few overtakes and gave his all. P6 is very good and we are so happy to see Ai back in the top positions. Hopefully this is a beginning of a good end of the season. Also, Raul was going well. He was managing very well the tyre, he was doing everything, but then he had some issues and he had to slow down. But his pace was to stay in the top 10, where he was for most of the race. We go away with a good result and now we’re looking forward thinking about Misano already.”

Massimo Rivola – Aprilia Racing

“Two Aprilias in the top ten is small consolation for a weekend where we certainly expected more. It was great to see Ogura with a brilliant performance in the race. My compliments to him. Friday we struggled in FP1, but at this point, we clearly need to rebuild our set-ups with the RS-GP25 on Fridays. It’s a real pity about Marco, knocked down by other riders on both Saturday and Sunday, given the pace that we knew he would have in the race. We’ll head to Misano with plenty of motivation to ride in front of our home fans.”

Gino Borsoi – Prima Pramac Yamaha Team Principal

“Overall, this has been a really good weekend for Prima Pramac Yamaha, in which both riders did an excellent job. After finishing 10th in the Sprint, Miguel confirmed his growth and connection with the M1, bringing home a great 9th place. I‘m really happy for him. I‘m also happy for Jack, even though he was very unlucky with that contact with Binder on lap one, which pushed him wide and ruined his race. Without that incident, he too could probably have fought as well for a spot in the top ten, as his pace showed. All in all, I‘d say we did a really good job. And so did Quartararo and his crew in the neighbouring garage, further proof that Yamaha made a step forward this weekend.”

Pablo Nieto – VR46 Team Manager

“I believe that in any race weekend, we must always find the positives, and one of them is that we have two fast riders. That’s very important. We were on the second row of the grid, and yesterday we claimed the podium in the Sprint with Diggia. Today, Fabio crashed in the early stages, and Franky had a Long Lap Penalty. When you have that kind of penalty, the race is almost lost. Unfortunately, that’s racing, and we saw how crucial the first laps are. Now Misano is coming up, it’s the team’s home race, and it will be crucial to perform well there.”

Piero Taramasso – Michelin

“The Catalan Grand Prix always represents a unique challenge for our tyres. The circuit is technical and varied, but above all very demanding due to its low grip levels and the significant wheelspin generated by the surface. In such conditions, finding the right balance between grip, stability and performance consistency is crucial.

“We knew temperatures would be high and that tire thermal management would play a decisive role. Our allocation included three front options, among them the new reinforced-carcass Hard front. In the end, riders favoured the Medium version, which they considered better suited to the track’s demands this weekend.

“Combined with a Soft rear in the Tissot Sprint or a Medium rear in the Grand Prix, the Medium allowed riders to achieve a very good balance, and teams to fine-tune their electronic settings to compensate for the lack of rear grip. Both solutions proved effective, as shown by record-breaking times on Saturday and exemplary consistency from the first to the last lap on Sunday.

“In MotoE, we also witnessed two excellent races, with strong performances and a very high level of spectacle. It is a great satisfaction for Michelin to demonstrate that sustainable innovation, with an ever-growing share of renewable and recycled materials, goes hand in hand with performance and entertainment.”

Catalunya MotoGP Results

Catalunya MotoGP Race Top Speeds

The average is from the best five speeds

MotoGP Championship Standings

Constructor Championship

2025 MotoGP Calendar

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