Quartararo Victorious at 2022 Barcelona MotoGP

After signing with Monster Energy for a multi-year title sponsor deal and confirming a two-year extension with the current champ, the ENEOS-sponsored Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team celebrated huge at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya race following Fabio Quartararo’s flawless win. Franco Morbidelli fought a difficult and hot race, finishing 13th.

With a dream start from P3 on the grid, Quartararo attacked the first corner on his M1 with full confidence and last on the brakes, a smart move that paid off dividends as a crash occurred right behind him that took out three of his rivals.

From there he put his head down and broke away from the pack, eager for a win. It was a lonely yet faultless ride for El Diablo, and he put on the kind of performance that netted him a solid win with a 6.473sec advantage.

“I was on the attack right from the start,” Quartararo said. “I knew that if I could get into first place that the race would be great. Leading from the first corner to the end, I’m so happy to have this victory in the bag! We’re constantly improving and I love it.”

Teammate Mordeilli struggled at Catalunya, dropping from P18 on the grid to P22 as a result of the crash during the first corner. Coupled with extreme temperatures, it was difficult for him to overtake without overheating the tires, so he resorted to defensive maneuvers throughout the race. He managed to excel a bit while others struggled, and became part of a group battling for 11th — by the end he crossed the finish line in 13th, 33.168sec from Quartararo.

“While we made improvements in this race, we also struggled,” said Morbidelli. “I managed to catch up to battle for a top 10 position, so this is definitely a positive step forward. We know where we need to make more adjustments and will find the right formula at some point.”

Quartararo extended his championship lead by 22 points with 147 points; Morbidelli remains in 19th with 22 points. Yamaha continues to hold second in the manufacturer standings with 147 points and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP moves to second with 169 points.

NEXT RACE

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP take on the Grand Prix Deutschland at Sachsenring from June 16-19, 2022.