Grand Prix of Catalunya

The Grand Prix of Catalunya (also known as the Catalan GP) is a flagship round in the MotoGP calendar, with the world championship visiting Barcelona yearly since 1996.

In fact, the 500cc world championship first raced at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in 1992 after moving the European Motorcycle Grand Prix from Jarama. The Montmelo track continued to hold the European GP yearly until the inaugural Catalan Grand Prix come 1996.

MotoGP has established a firm home on the outskirts of Barcelona as the Catalan GP track is renowned for exciting motorcycle races. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is also carved in MotoGP history thanks to Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo at the 2009 Catalan Grand Prix.

History of the MotoGP Grand Prix of Catalunya

The 500cc world championship made its debut visit to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in 1992 for the European Grand Prix, one year after the track opened its doors. It proved to be such a hit that the track earned the region its own race with the Catalan Grand Prix in 1996.

Yamaha relished the championship moving the European GP from Jarama to Barcelona with Wayne Rainey winning the first two editions for Team Roberts on the Japanese outfit’s bikes. Luca Cadalora extended Yamaha and Team Roberts’ dominance of the European GP in 1994.

But Alex Criville changed the tune in 1995 by winning the European GP for Honda, which set the foundations for a new period of dominance. Honda won each of the first four editions of the Catalan Grand Prix before Suzuki shuffled to the front in 2000 through Kenny Roberts Jr.

Honda also saw their riders finish the 1999 Catalan Grand Prix just 0.061 seconds apart with Criville thwarting Tadayuki Okada. Barcelona native Criville even stole the lead into Turn 10 on the last lap with a late dive on the brakes against his teammate to spark a track invasion.

Valentino Rossi dominated the Catalan Grand Prix with Honda and Yamaha

But Suzuki’s time in the Catalan spotlight would be short-lived as Rossi would embark on his own personal period of dominance. From 2001 to 2009, the Italian swept six Catalan Grand Prix victories on Honda and Yamaha bikes, and Rossi would add one more in the 2016 race.

Rossi’s maiden Catalan Grand Prix victory with the Nastro Azzurro Honda team in 2001 even came amid a rare lull for the Italian en route to his first of seven premier class titles. His win followed Rossi’s only DNF of 2001 at the Grand Prix of Italy and for his only win in four races.

Tohru Ukawa plus Sete Gibernau came close to scuppering Rossi’s dominance at the Catalan Grand Prix yet took the finish 0.880 and 0.159 seconds back in 2002 and 2004 respectively. Loris Capirossi would stop Rossi from winning six straight visits in 2003 with a gap of 3.075s.

Casey Stoner also stopped Rossi from extending his reign at the Catalan Grand Prix in 2007 as the Ducati ace beat his Yamaha rival to the flag by just 0.069s in an all-time classic. Rossi took pole with a lap record, but could not bite back after losing the lead with two laps to go.

Valentino Rossi stunned Jorge Lorenzo to win the 2009 Catalan GP with the greatest last lap in MotoGP history

Rossi and Lorenzo then produced what is widely regarded as the greatest last lap in MotoGP history as the Yamaha teammates and fierce rivals fought for the 2009 Catalan Grand Prix. It was round six that season, and saw Rossi arrive trailing Stoner and Lorenzo in the standings.

Lorenzo started the last lap staring at the rear of Rossi’s bike for the perfect run onto the pit straight, gifting the Spaniard the slipstream for a breeze-by pass before Turn 1. He even left Rossi with zero room as Lorenzo drifted straight across his rival’s nose into the braking zone.

But as soon as Lorenzo turned in, Rossi saw a door open and shot back into T2. Yet Lorenzo sat his bike on Rossi to claim the corner, before cutting under the Italian as he tried another dive into T4. It seemed the win was Lorenzo’s until Rossi stunned his rival into the final turn.

Aleix Espargaro avenged his almighty 2022 clanger to win the 2023 Catalan Grand Prix

The final lap of the 2022 Catalan Grand Prix produced very different fortunes for Granollers native Aleix Espargaro, though. Born nearly 30km (18.5m) from Barcelona, Espargaro had a home win in the bag until the Aprilia rider dropped one of MotoGP’s biggest-ever clangers.

Espargaro mistakenly took the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya’s iconic timing tower moving to no laps remaining as him taking the chequered flag to win the 2022 Catalan GP and lifted off the throttle to celebrate. But the race still had one lap to go and Espargaro slipped to P5.

Having cost himself an emotional home win, Espargaro was a man on a mission at the 2023 Catalan GP. He was fast throughout practice and qualified P2, yet a poor start left the Aprilia rider in P6. A red flag would save his blushes after Enea Bastianini caused a five-rider crash.

Espargaro took advantage of the full restart and sat third until pulling a pass on Jorge Martin into T10 on Lap 3. The home favourite then followed teammate and fellow Catalan Maverick Vinales until L20 of 23, slipping up his inside into T1 to do the double after taking the Sprint.

What is the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya like?

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya which staged the European Motorcycle Grand Prix from 1992-1995 plus the Catalan Grand Prix since 1996 is one of the most highly-regarded tracks on the MotoGP calendar. It tests a rider and their bike with a mixture of fast and tight turns.

MotoGP riders have established Turns 1, 2, 4, 10 and 14 as the top overtaking areas through the history of the Catalan Grand Prix. But no turn is quite as fruitful as T1 with the first bend the Catalan GP’s major overtaking point due to its heavy braking after a 1km (0.6m) straight.

Riders have also proven that Turn 5 can yield overtakes but it is a risky corner to pass a rival, with the bend sloping downhill with a tight apex. It is very easy to run wide on the exit of T5 and spoil the rider’s run through to Turn 7, where a pilot can easily snatch the position back.

Winners of the MotoGP Grand Prix of Catalunya

Below, MotoGP News has listed every premier class rider to win the Catalan Grand Prix…