Balance of power:

Will Viñales hold or fold on home turf?

The lead is bigger than ever as the grid look to tip the scales back against the Championship leader

After the natural beauty and perfect curves of the Autodromo del Mugello, the MotoGP™ World Championship now heads for another breathtaking part of Europe – the Mediterranean city of Barcelona, on the Catalonian coast. Art, history, culture, sun – and passion for speed. With so many on the grid hailing from the region and nation, it’s another jewel of the calendar – with the stakes high, and the balance of power tipped firmly in favour of a home hero as the paddock arrives to the slightly modified venue.

“I’m thinking of the Championship.”

After another podium and having fought for the win at the Italian GP, points leader Maverick Viñales’ (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) current position may well leave him thinking of nothing else: the rider from Roses is now 26 points clear, and next up is another home race – and another big challenge.

The temptation to push for the win at home will be big, and Viñales will need to walk the line between glory and the long game. After having issues in Jerez that forced him more into damage limitation than attack mode, the Catalan GP could be the first we see of Viñales unleashed on home turf. And it’s always good to be ahead, but it’s certainly never easy.

So what of last year’s winner? Mugello may not have gone to plan for the number 46 after he had a motocross crash before his home race, but with a few more days to recover, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) will be hoping to return the favour from the Italian GP and beat Viñales on his territory. A P4 was a good haul of points in the circumstances last time out, but the number 46 isn’t one to race for points – a win would be just what the ‘Doctor’ ordered.

Whilst Movistar Yamaha had a good weekend last time out, it was a tough Italian GP for key rivals the Repsol Honda Team. Marquez came home sixth after struggling with the front, and Pedrosa crashed out on the final lap. They will want that to change at their second home race of the year, with the stakes always higher at home and this year even more so: Marquez took a big hit of points in France, and Pedrosa in Italy. However, both men have good records at Montmelo – and winning ones. The goal for the factory Honda riders will be simple: tip the scales back towards them, and as far as possible.

Another man looking to tip the balance back in his favour will be Ducati Team’s Jorge Lorenzo. After a podium in Jerez for the ‘Spartan’ to follow his teammate’s rostrum finish in Qatar, Lorenzo will be pushing hard for a bigger bite of the points this time out, eager to add some more silverware following Andrea Dovizioso’s win at Mugello. The Catalan GP has always been good for the Mallorcan, much like Jerez, and Lorenzo was the fastest Ducati in the recent test there. And Dovizioso will certainly be buoyed by his win as the next race gets in gear so soon after, but is equally sure to keep his same mentality: start positive, and see what the weekend brings.

The Independent Teams took some more impressive finishes in Italy, and Catalunya will be another battle royale. At Mugello it was Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) and Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) who shone, but some key protagonists from the season so far will be out to hit back: Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), victim of a last lap wipeout in Tuscany, and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), who came home in P7, will be pushing hard to get back in the battle – as well as those coming onto home turf such as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), who had a tough Italian GP with a jump start and subsequent penalty.

Back in the battle quite literally should be Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), another local, who is expected to return from injury – subject to being passed fit on Thursday. His teammate Andrea Iannone will be back to full strength following illness at Mugello, and Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Jonas Folger has time to recover from a big crash at the Italian GP during practice to get back to his best.

Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) suffered a DNF with a problem in Italy and he’s also back on home turf, as well as first time Q2 entrant in Italy Tito Rabat (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), who took an impressive P11 last time out.

Perfectly placed to make it one of the best fan weekends on the calendar as Barcelona welcomes thousands to the Catalan GP every year, the sightseeing of the city fades as the visors go down – but the home pressure remains. Hold, or fold?

FP1 begins at 9:55am (GMT +2) on Friday, before the roar of racing gets underway in Barcelona at 14:00 on Sunday.

MotoGP World Championship Classification

1 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) 105 points

2 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) 79 points

3 – Valentino Rossi (ITA – Yamaha) 75 points

4 – Marc Márquez (SPA – Honda) 68 points

5 – Dani Pedrosa (SPA – Honda) 68 points

Morbidelli leads as Marquez eyes another win on home turf

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya awaits the Moto2™ grid

Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) still leads the World Championship in the intermediate class by a good margin, but the Italian found himself finishing off the podium in his home race, as teammate Alex Marquez fought Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) and Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten) for the win – and it was veteran Pasini who came out on top at home.

Mugello marked the end of the EG 0,0 Marc VDS team’s 100% win rate in 2017, but what will Catalunya bring? With hotter temperatures and a very different layout – modified, even – the Catalan GP is sure to be another thriller.

Last time on home turf Marquez took the win, in Jerez, and Morbidelli crashed out – but the Italian showed he’s not “win or bin” in Mugello as he came home in a solid P4 for more points towards the Championship. Marquez has also won at the track in Moto3™, Lüthi closed in on points last time out, and Pasini took a stunning first victory since 2009 after having shown speed all season – so the showdown will surely strike another match at Montmelo.

Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is another who will be looking to get back on the podium, as well as Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – victim of a crash for Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Racing Team) last time out and now in need of points.

Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) was another who crashed out but has pace, as does fellow contender for top rookie Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), who had a top six finish in Italy. Reigning Moto3™ World Champion Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was also back from injury with a bang at Mugello, and took a top ten – deepening the field even more as the next race appears on the horizon.

Moto2™ head out for FP1 at the Catalan GP at 10:55am (GMT +2) on Friday, as we race back-to-back – will it be another home sweet home GP for Alex Marquez?

Moto2 World Championship Classification

1 – Franco Morbidelli (ITA – Kalex) 113 points

2 – Thomas Lüthi (SWI – Kalex) 100 points

3 – Álex Márquez (SPA – Kalex) 78 points

4 – Miguel Oliveira (POR – KTM) 70 points

5 – Francesco Bagnaia (ITA – Kalex) 53 points

Can the Spanish strike back in Moto3™?

Home turf time for many – the opposite many to Mugello

There was a point to prove at Mugello for a host of riders riding on home turf in the Moto3™ field, and the victory went to the home nation as Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46) took a stunning first win. Now we race in Spain, with another armada of local riders wanting the same glory in their territory.

Migno tamed the mayhem of Mugello to take his first ever victory, just ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3), and some of the hereto key title contenders suffered a little more. Joan Mir (Leopard Racing), the points leader, and Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3), a big rival, will be looking to hit back quick at the Catalan GP – and know the crowd will be behind them this time.

There’s a host of riders for that home crowd to cheer: Juanfran Guevara (RBA BOE Racing Team), who took his first podium at Mugello, is going into his home race on a roll – and Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) may not have been on the podium but he was one of those who gained most; now second in the standings as we head for Barcelona. And Mir’s lead, despite a more difficult finish for the Mallorcan at Mugello, remains the same – with compatriot Canet behind him by 34 points.

The Brit amongst the Italians and Spanish, John McPhee (British Talent Team), is also now back in the groove after a solid sixth in Mugello, and after recent races, the fight at the front can surely not count out Platinum Bay Real Estate pairing Marcos Ramirez and Darryn Binder. Or Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers), who always plays a role once the lights go out.

Mugello was one of the races of the millennium. Now, can Montmelo deliver the same?

Moto3 World Championship Classification

1 – Joan Mir (SPA – Honda) 108 points

2 – Aron Canet (SPA – Honda) 74 points

3 – Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA – Honda) 71 points

4 – Romano Fenati (ITA – Honda) 68 points

5 – Andrea Migno (ITA – KTM) 68 points