BY NEIL MORRISON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
D
o weekends come any sweeter? It
was hard to envision a better one
for Monster Energy Yamaha's Fabio
Quartararo. The reigning World Champion
put pen to paper to stay with the team for
2023 and 2024, before crushing the op-
position in a performance that left no one
in doubt as to who is the fastest rider in the
world at this moment.
Not only that; the challenge of the
Frenchman's main rivals disintegrated under
the stifling Catalan sun. First Francesco
Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) was taken down by
a wayward Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda)
at the very first turn in a spill that also
claimed Alex Rins (Ecstar Suzuki). Enea
Bastianini (Gresini Ducati) then crashed out
of a second race in succession. And last
but not least Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Rac-
ing) produced a piece of self-sabotage that
verged on comedic.
ROUND 9 / JUNE 3-5, 2022
CIRCUIT OF BARCELONA / CATALUNYA, SPAIN
P80
MOTOGP I MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP