By falling halfway through the race, Alex Marquez missed the opportunity to give Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS a podium at the finish of the Catalan Grand Prix. A disappointing result for the Spanish driver who was still able to restart to move into eighteenth position under the checkered flag. Franco Morbidelli ranked eleventh.
The Italian, who was hoping for a top ten finish, was slowed down by a grip problem following the efforts he had to make at the start of the race after starting from 18th place on the grid.
After three crashes on Saturday during practice, Morbidelli was determined to bring his bike back to the finish of the race. The Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS driver is nevertheless disappointed not to have been able to take advantage of the very good pace he displayed this morning during the warm up. Tenth on the sixth lap, he then secured a place in the points.
Meanwhile, Marquez thought he could finally get his first Moto2 podium. While only conceding 0,8 seconds to third-placed Tom Luthi, the Spaniard unfortunately fell at turn ten. Starting from seventh place and fourth for eight laps, Marquez crashed on lap twelfth before recovering to cross the line in eighteenth position.
The race took place on the circuit usually used by Formula 1 for safety reasons taken after the tragic accident which cost the life of Luis Salom during the first day of testing.
Franco Morbidelli: 11st
“I didn't do anything at the start of the race because I wanted to be sure to finish the race for the team after my three falls on Saturday. But I made a mistake on the first lap which didn't allow me to keep in touch with the top ten group. With a new tire I was comfortable and fast, but after a few laps I had a lot less grip and so I concentrated on getting the best possible. In the end I'm happy to have achieved it. I'm only ten points away from the top five in the championship, which is my goal this season. »
Alex Marquez: 18th
“I understood absolutely nothing about my fall, I had no warning. Everything was going well and then suddenly I found myself on the ground. I think I had a good race, I was comfortable on the bike... In the end it's like that. We have a very fast and stable bike, but we have this problem in the race. This lack of alert, this lack of feeling when it clicks. »
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“On several levels, this race is a disappointment for us with the fall of Alex who was then fourth and who could claim his first podium in Moto2 today. Ending with another fall for your national Grand Prix is obviously not ideal. For Franco, we thought he would be able to run with guys like Folger who finished seventh, but unfortunately we weren't able to find the settings that would have allowed him to better manage his tires over the race distance. We need to find a solution to this problem. »
