Winners and Losers: MotoGP 2026 Catalan Grand Prix
- Isha Reshmi Mohan
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
The second Spanish race of the season has concluded, featuring an ill-fated session with two red flags: the first at Lap 13 involving all riders in the top five and the second right at the restart in sector one.
All riders were confirmed conscious almost immediately after the incident. Álex Márquez and Johann Zarco were taken to the hospital for further medical checks.
Within a few hours, both riders posted updates on social media confirming they were okay and would undergo their respective surgeries soon.
Here are the winners and losers of the Catalan Grand Prix.
Winner: Fabio Diggiantonio
He snatched the win from Acosta with just two laps to go. He then made it almost impossible to give back, pulling away as soon as he got the lead. It was an unexpected yet well-deserved victory after powering through the pain he caught following his crash caused by getting caught up in KTM debris earlier in the session.
Winner: Joan Mir
Joan Mir initially finished the race on a high, securing a second-place podium finish amidst the chaos, a much-needed result after a brutal first half of the season for both rider and team. However, post-race tyre pressure checks resulted in a 16-second penalty, stripping him of the podium spot.
As a result of the penalty, Fermin Aldeguer moved up to second, with Francesco Bagnaia taking third. Despite the demotion, Mir maintains a spot on the winners' list in this report due to the sheer determination shown during the restarted session, where he briefly contended for victory.
Winner: Marco Bezzecchi
Worth a mention here, as it looked like he would lose his championship advantage for most of the session, until Fernandez took Martin down.
Following post-race tyre pressure checks, Mir was one of five riders handed a penalty. This allowed Bezzecchi to move up in the standings and add two points to his championship total, creating a 15-point cushion to Martín.
Loser: Pedro Acosta
A nightmare Sunday followed a brilliant Saturday of pole position and a Sprint win. He was within reach of a maiden Grand Prix victory, only to lose out to Di Giannantonio in the final few laps before crashing out on the very last lap.
While this might not have been the ideal way for Acosta to claim his first MotoGP victory anyway, it is quite frustrating that he couldn’t finish the session despite fighting through three restarts.
Loser: Jorge Martín
Martín almost secured a podium spot despite the restarts, a result that would have put him in the championship lead. It would have been a crucial moment for his comeback story after an injury-filled final season with Aprilia.
Unfortunately, he was taken out by Fernandez, which triggered an altercation between Aprilia team manager Massimo Rivola and Trackhouse team manager Davide Brivio.
Loser: KTM
KTM faced severe reliability issues as multiple bikes faced technical issues, and Viñales faced issues with his brakes. Brad Binder had to be rolled away before the race start, while Acosta’s bike was involved in the first disruption of the session.
Though the three riders were allowed back on, it was a nightmare run for the manufacturer.
Additionally, Enea Bastianini crashed out in Sector 1 on lap 10, an unfortunate end considering his podium finish at Catalonia last year.
Don’t miss the next race at Mugello Circuit on the 31st of May at 13:00 GMT!
Edited by Dhara Dave
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