MotoGP Spanish GP: Aleix Espargaro Leads Aprilia's First Ever 1-2 as Bagnaia Carshes Out at Catalunya GP

In his home race, Aleix Espargaro put his previous struggles in Barcelona behind him to win and lead a historic Aprilia 1-2 finish. From the start of the Catalunya Grand Prix, Maverick Vinales was in the lead. However, he was constantly followed by his teammate. To claim victory, Espargaro executed a masterclass in tyre management, waiting until the final three laps to pass Vinales for the lead. On the opening lap of the grand prix, Bagnaia, who was in the lead, was horribly injured when he was thrown from his Ducati exiting Turn 2. KTM's Brad Binder had no choice but to run over the world championship leader's leg. Bagnaia's teammate Enea Bastianini sparked an accident at Turn 1 involving multiple riders seconds earlier, including Pramac's Johann Zarco, Gresini's Alex Marquez, Fabio Di Giannantonio, and Marco Bezzecchi. The race was stopped and Bagnaia was taken to a hospital in Barcelona for further evaluation as a precautionary measure. Factory Ducati riders including Bastianini were unable to compete.

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MotoGP Spanish GP: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Race Result

Moments before Bagnaia's crash, five other Ducati riders were involved in a pile-up similar to last year's crash at the same corner, which was sparked by Takaaki Nakagami and included Bagnaia and the currently injured Alex Rins. This time, it was Bagnaia's teammate Enea Bastianini who caused the accident by smashing into Johann Zarco from the inside at high speed. The impact sent the two Gresini Ducatis of Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio, as well as the VR46 Ducati of Marco Bezzecchi, tumbling to the ground.

The Turn 1 incident is currently under investigation #CatalanGP pic.twitter.com/IykJj4GPoL

— MotoGP (@MotoGP) September 3, 2023

Miller, a KTM rider, got off to a strong start and was running sixth, but he had to give way to Marquez and Fabio Quartararo of Yamaha to salvage a respectable result after a disappointing weekend for the M1 bikes and the Japanese team as a whole in MotoGP. Honda's top rider, Marc Marquez, finished 13th, one spot behind Bezzecchi.

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MotoGP Spanish GP: Francesco Bagnaia Horrific Carsh at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

Francesco Bagnaia, the reigning MotoGP champion, was involved in a terrifying crash at the start of Sunday's Catalan Grand Prix. The Italian rider lost control of his Ducati and went down, only to have another rider run over his lower leg. Following his victory over Fabio Quartararo for the 2022 MotoGP championship, the Italian 26-year-old has been defending his title.

Bagnaia's Ducati bike skidded out of control as the field sped into the first corner of the lap, sending him tumbling into the path of oncoming Brad Binder, who was unable to avoid Pecco and ran over his lower leg. Bagnaia, an Italian rider, was thankfully conscious after his horrific crash, but the rider was clearly in pain as he waited for help. 

MotoGP officials have since reported that the 26-year-old's condition has not changed, but further information is still needed. Bagnaia had a large lead in the standings going into the Grand Prix of Catalonia. With an incredible five victories and two P2 finishes so far this season, the Italian had a 66-point lead over his closest championship rival, Jorge Martin.