Alex Marquez gave his Moto2 championship hopes a significant boost with a dominant victory in Sunday’s Catalunya Grand Prix. The Spaniard led every lap on his way to an unchallenged win and with series leader Franco Morbidelli only managing sixth, Marquez is now just twenty points off the overall lead.
The tone for the race was set immediately with Marquez storming off into the distance in the opening laps, opening up a two second lead over Mattia Pasini within two laps. Morbidelli held third at this point but despite briefly edging ahead of the Mugello winner, the championship leader would gradually fall backwards as the race unfolded.
Much of the damage was done on lap eight as Thomas Luthi took third from his title rival with Morbidelli almost losing the front end of his Kalex at turn five as he mounted a comeback. This loss of momentum allowed Miguel Oliveira’s KTM to ease past into fourth and the situation got worse ten laps from home with Lorenzo Baldassarri pinching fifth.
Marquez was serene at the front though, eventually settling with a 3.5 second advantage and controlling the pace out in front. Pasini enjoyed a similarly comfortable race in second with Luthi claiming a sixth podium in seven races in third, moving him to within seven points of Morbidelli’s championship lead.
Oliveira claimed fourth ahead of Baldassarri and Morbidelli with Jorge Navarro making more progress with a career-best of seventh, one year on from his maiden Moto3 win at the same venue. Fabio Quartararo was another rookie to impress in eighth, edging out Tech 3’s Xavi Vierge while Hafizh Syahrin rounded out the top ten.
Moto2 Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya – Race Result
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