Vintage Valentino Rossi races to Catalunya MotoGP victory
Italian veteran and seven-time world champion takes his second win of the season as Marquez’s second place takes him to the top of the standings
Italian Valentino Rossi won the Grand Prix of Catalunya on Sunday after a thrilling duel with Spaniard Marc Marquez that ended with a handshake between MotoGP’s bitter rivals.
Rossi’s Yamaha teammate and reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo lost the overall lead to Honda’s Marquez after being knocked off his bike by Ducati’s Andrea Iannone, the man he will replace next year, on lap 17 at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
It’s a great victory, one of the best of my career
“It’s a great victory, one of the best of my career,” declared 37-year-old Rossi, who started fifth and fell to seventh before fighting back to take the lead on lap seven.
It was his second victory of the season, 88th in MotoGP and 114th of his grand prix career.
Marquez, who traded the lead with Rossi over the closing laps before the Italian made his move stick with two to go, has 125 points to Lorenzo’s 115 and Rossi’s 103 after seven rounds.
“I was struggling a lot with the front [tyre],” said Marquez, who ended last season as Rossi’s arch-enemy after the pair clashed on track and the Italian accused him of helping compatriot Lorenzo win the title to keep it in Spanish hands.
“I had a few moments, in the end I was on the limit. I tried but when I saw also Lorenzo out the mentality changed a little bit.