Alex Marquez overtook polesitter Pedro Acosta to claim victory in the Catalan Grand Prix sprint, while Jorge Martin endured another crash, marking a difficult day for the factory Aprilia team.
Marquez moved to the front on lap 4 of 12 and established a small buffer aboard the Gresini Ducati. Despite coming under serious pressure from the factory KTM of Acosta in the final laps, Marquez maintained his composure and registered his first sprint win since last year’s Valencia GP. Polesitter Acosta had to settle for second, while Fabio di Giannantonio completed the podium for VR46.
At the start of the race, Acosta held the lead into Turn 1 and after moving across to cover a fast-starting Marquez. Franco Morbidelli, who was initially in contention, lost ground early on. Jorge Martin, who started 13th, had another tough race and crashed out, dealing a blow to the already struggling Aprilia team.
Marquez's win is a huge morale boost for Ducati, but Aprilia needs to sort out their issues fast! What's going on with Martin and the team? This can't continue.