By Talyta França
The Catalunya circuit revived memories from the 2023 heart-stopping race when the MotoGP World champion Bagnaia went down after crashing on Turn 5 of the final lap.
The Italian champion, who had the lead of the race taken by the home favorite Aleix Espargaro after his crash, was the third to fall after Raul Fernandez and Brad Binder's earlier incidents.
Bagnaia, who was in a comfortable lead until the last lap, and eager for a victory in the circuit that pulled him out last year in a frightening accident, describes the crash circumstances as “strange” since he would not have committed mistakes that could have resulted in such dramatic exit.
“I was just faster. It’s true that exiting corner 5 I had a little problem with the gearbox, but apart from that I didn’t make any other mistakes,” said Bagnaia in an interview reported by Crash.
For the Ducati team, Bagnaia's lead had symbolized a flame of hope, especially considering their drought at the Catalunya track podium, which has taken six long years since Jorge Lorenzo's triumph in 2018.
The confusing crash of Bagnaia, so close to the finish line, leaves speculations about Ducati’s unlucky on the Barcelona circuit. “It looks like I have problems here finishing the races. But it will be important to do it,” said Bagnaia.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Espargaro, who recently announced his retirement by the end of this season, took an emotional win on his home soil with 20m 1.478s. The podium, dominated by local heroes, saw Greisini rider Marc Marquez secure second place, with +0.892s behind the leader, followed by Red Bull star Pedro Acosta, trailing by +1.169s.
As the preparations start for the MotoGP Grand Prix today in Spain, the expectations turn to the awaited battle between the standing leader, Jorge Martin, and the world champions Bagnaia and Marquez. At 3 pm (Doha Time), the fans will watch the rise of the next winner of the Catalunya GP, and if it will be, finally, a Ducati rider.