MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 6 / JUNE 15-17, 2018
CIRCUIT DE BARCELONA-CATALUNYA / MONTMELÓ, SPAIN
P72
to Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto
Ducati). Trailing in was Pol Es-
pargaro (Red Bull KTM), chased
by Scott Redding (Aprilia), then
miles behind Karel Abraham (An-
gel Nieto Ducati) and Morbidelli.
Marquez now has 115 points,
Rossi 88, and Vinales 77 fol-
lowed by Zarco (73), Petrucci (71),
Crutchlow (69) and Lorenzo (66).
Moto2
French one-time bright hope
Fabio Quartararo illustrated the
strength of "never give up" in
Spain.
First, he qualified on pole posi-
tion. Then he took his Speed Up
to not only his first GP win, but
his first podium since he started
in Moto3.
By then Petrucci had faded,
while as always slow-starting
Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yama-
ha) had found his rhythm in the
latter laps, and was clear in sixth
at the flag, having passed and
outpaced Johann Zarco (Monster
Yamaha), with Petrucci dropping
in eighth.
There had been a good battle
behind, with Jack Miller (Alma
Pramac Ducati) and Rabat
shadowing the Yamahas, along
with Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Ya-
maha), having a strong run until
he crashed. By then Miller had
dropped back, soon to retire,
with fuel pump issues causing a
second successive non-finish.
Iannone had dropped behind
and at the end gave way also
pushing. But Lorenzo had more,
and after lap 10 the gap started
to grow—to almost 4.5 seconds
at the end. By then Marquez's
times had dropped and the gap
to Rossi had been halved to less
than two seconds.
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda)
started well from 11th on the grid,
finishing lap one sixth, and head-
ing the pursuit as Iannone contin-
ued to drop back. Danilo Petrucci
(Alma Pramac Ducati) was push-
ing hard, and was ahead once
on lap eight, and by then Cal
Crutchlow (Castrol Honda) had
caught up. With seven laps left,
the Briton found his way past the
factory Honda, taking fourth four
seconds behind Rossi, but barely
two tenths clear of Pedrosa.
Dani Pedrosa had
a welcome return
to form and only
just missed out on
a top-four in fifth
place.
