MotoGP Barcelona: Crashes and Red Flags, Then Diggia Wins. Martin and Acosta Furious

Race stopped twice in Catalunya due to two crashes, then Di Giannantonio triumphs: all the live updates.

A bit of everything happened today in the MotoGP race in Barcelona. First twist on lap twelve: heading into turn 10, Alex Marquez hit Pedro Acosta, who had a technical issue, and crashed heavily. The BK8 Gresini team’s Ducati was destroyed and the Spanish rider ended up in the hospital (conscious). Fabio Di Giannantonio also crashed, hurting his left hand, but then returned to the garage to try to restart. A red flag was obviously shown to stop the race.

Unfortunately, at the restart there was immediately another red flag due to an incident at turn 1: Johann Zarco, Luca Marini and Pecco Bagnaia were involved. The Frenchman arrived too fast and caused the contact, ending up faring the worst physically. He also went to the hospital for checks on his injured left leg.

The new restart was the “right” one, with Di Giannantonio able to take his first victory with Pertamina Enduro VR46. Also on the podium were Joan Mir with Honda and Fermin Aldeguer with the BK8 Gresini team’s Ducati. In the top 5, Bagnaia and Marco Bezzecchi. They’re followed by Fabio Quartararo, Marini and Binder. Ninth Ogura, who on the final lap took out Acosta and was penalized 3 seconds. The other Trackhouse rider, Raul Fernandez, took out Jorge Martin. Both Pedro and Jorge were very angry, understandably.

LAP 1: Acosta holds P1 off the line, followed by Fernandez, Marquez, Zarco, Martin, Morbidelli, Di Giannantonio, Quartararo and Bezzecchi.

LAP 2: Acosta still leads, then the Fernandez-Marquez-Zarco trio battling. Martin fifth, hounded by the VR46 riders. Bezzecchi eighth. Bagnaia fifteenth.

LAP 3: ferocious duel between Zarco and Marquez, Martin takes advantage and inserts himself between them, moving up to fourth.

LAP 4: Martin passes Zarco into turn 1, shortly after Alex also slips past the Frenchman from the Honda LCR team. Acosta has a 2-3 tenth margin over Fernandez. Bagnaia twelfth.

LAP 5: Fernandez overtakes Acosta with a mega late-braking move into turn 1. Behind, Marquez has passed Martin, who brings Zarco and Diggia along with him. Further back Morbidelli, Mir, Marini, Aldeguer. Bezzecchi struggling, drops to twelfth behind Bagnaia and just ahead of Bastianini.

LAP 6: Fernandez leads the race closely followed by Acosta, who has 1.2 seconds in hand over the Marquez-Martin-Zarco-Diggia group.

LAP 7: Acosta tries to retake Fernandez, who responds decisively and keeps the race lead. Alex Marquez has pulled about 6 tenths clear of Martin, and is 8 tenths behind Pedro’s KTM.

LAP 8: Di Giannantonio overtakes Zarco into turn 1 and can set sights on Martin. Alex has practically caught the leading duo.

LAP 9: Acosta manages to get back in front of Fernandez.

LAP 10: Alex also overtakes Fernandez at the first braking zone. Bastianini crashes out.

LAP 11: Acosta, Marquez, Fernandez, Martin, Di Giannantonio, Zarco, Morbidelli, Mir, Aldeguer, Marini, Bagnaia, Ogura, Bezzecchi, Quartararo and Moreira are the top 15 in the points.

LAP 12: Alex is putting pressure on Pedro. ACOSTA HAS A PROBLEM, ALEX MARQUEZ RAN INTO HIM AND CRASHED HEAVILY. DIGGIA ALSO DOWN, HIT BY THE GRESINI DUCATI’S TIRE AT TURN 10. RED FLAG, RACE STOPPED.

All riders conscious. Alex Marquez came off worst and will have to go to the Medical Center and likely also to the hospital. Di Giannantonio is sore in his left hand but then returned to the box to try to restart.

2:40 pm - Alessio “Uccio” Salucci told Sky Sport MotoGP that Diggia has an abrasion on his left pinky and a bruise on his left wrist: “If he feels up to it,” he added, “we’ll try to restart. If he can’t, he’ll stop, but he wants to give it a try.”

2:44 pm - Alex Marquez will be taken to hospital for further checks.

2:48 pm - Sighting Lap underway, the riders are lining up on the grid for the restart. There will be 13 laps to complete.

3:50 pm - Warm-up lap has started.

LAP 1: Acosta manages to stay in first position. Crash for Bagnaia, Marini and Zarco at turn 1! ANOTHER RED FLAG. The two Italians are back on their feet and are okay; the Frenchman’s condition needs to be assessed. The riders are all declared conscious, which is key. From the images you can see that Zarco came in a bit too fast, touched Marini and then Bagnaia was also hit.

Zarco was treated in the gravel and then loaded into the ambulance to go to the Medical Center.

3:00 pm - The race will restart with 12 laps. Bagnaia has changed his suit and put ice on his left hand. Davide Tardozzi, Ducati team manager, spoke to Sky Sport MotoGP: “Unfortunately, the last soft rear tire we had was on the bike that didn’t come back to the box; Pecco will have to race with the medium. It’ll be a tough race; he’ll be 3-4 tenths per lap slower than those with the soft rear. Also, he’ll have a used medium on the front.”

3:12 PM - Pit lane open, the riders head out on track and then line up on the grid.

3:15 PM - Formation lap underway.

LAP 1: Acosta holds the lead, followed by Martin, Fernandez, Mir and Bagnaia. FERNANDEZ TAKES OUT MARTIN AT TURN 5! ANGER IN THE APRILIA GARAGE. Incident under investigation. Fernandez and Martin get going again, but they’re behind.

LAP 2: Acosta leads Mir, Bagnaia, Diggia, Quartararo, Aldeguer, Ogura, Bezzecchi, Moreira and Marini.

LAP 3: Acosta isn’t pulling away; Mir is glued to him and brings Bagnaia and Diggia along. Quartararo and Aldeguer follow.

LAP 4: Di Giannantonio slips past Bagnaia at turn 10, moves into third and tries to reel in the Acosta-Mir duo. NO PENALTY FOR THE FERNANDEZ-MARTIN INCIDENT.

LAP 6: Diggia has closed in on the leading pair, while Bagnaia has lost ground and now has Aldeguer all over him.

LAP 7: Bezzecchi up to seventh after passing Quartararo. Aldeguer overtakes Bagnaia, who could soon be caught by Ogura as well.

LAP 8: Mir tries to attack Acosta, but he holds firm. Diggia is right there. Ogura has passed Bagnaia, now sixth and 0.8s clear of Bezzecchi. DIGGIA HAS PASSED MIR!

LAP 9: Diggia pressures Pedro, Mir hangs on and Aldeguer and Ogura are closing in too.

LAP 10: Di Giannantonio overtakes Acosta at turn 10, beautiful move! The top 5 are nose to tail. Bezzecchi is on Bagnaia’s rear, eyeing sixth place.

LAP 11: Diggia opens a 0.6-0.7s gap over Acosta, shadowed by Mir, who in turn is followed by Aldeguer and Ogura.

LAP 12: Diggia has a 1-second cushion. Mir passes Acosta at turn 1, then Aldeguer also gets by the KTM rider. OGURA TAKES OUT ACOSTA IN THE FINAL SECTOR!

Ogura drops from fourth to ninth after a 3-second penalty for causing the incident with Acosta.

Under investigation for tire pressure: Mir, Bagnaia, Razgatlioglu, Fernandez, Rins, Miller.