Catalunya MotoGP: Oliveira holds off Zarco for victory, Quartararo loses podium

Miguel Oliveira claims sensational third MotoGP victory as he held off a fast charging Johann Zarco, while Fabio Quartararo lost third place to Jack Miller after receiving a three second penalty.
Miguel Oliveira, Catalunya MotoGP race, 6 June 2021
Miguel Oliveira, Catalunya MotoGP race, 6 June 2021
© Gold and Goose

Miguel Oliveira took his and KTM’s first MotoGP win of the 2021 season in sublime fashion, as he came out on top in his battle wit🐠h pre race favorite Fabio Quartararo, before holding off a fast charging Johann Zarco. 

It was Jack Miller who ma꧒de the perfect start as he took the lead from Quartararo into turn one. But both riders ran a touch wide which allowed the fast starting Oliveira into second behind Miller. 

However, the best start came from the reigning world champion Joan Mir as he finis♊⛦hed lap one in fourth after starting tenth. 

Miller led for a couple of laps before Oliveira took th𝔍e lead - a lead he didn’t relinquish until lap 11. 

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The KTM man got the gap out to over a second on Miller, before Joan Mir and Fab♋io Quartararo made their way🦋 through on the Australian. 

Quartararo then made light wܫork of Mir on lap six and pulled in the gap to under half a second after nine laps. 

Quartararo finally took the lead from Oliveira wit𝕴h 12 laps remaining, while Miller and Zarco closed back up on the front thr🐲ee. 

But the ཧlead didn’t last long for championship leader as Oliveira retook the lead with a great move into turn one. 

Miguel Oliveira, Catalunya MotoGP race, 6 June 2021
Miguel Oliveira, Catalunya MotoGP race, 6 June 2021
© Gold and Goose

Olive𒊎ira got alongside Quartararo heading into the braking zone and parked his RC16 on the inside of th♔e 22 year-old. 

Mir began to struggle the most out of anyone in the f🧜ront group as Maverick Vinales got ahead of the current world champion. 

But out front,🗹 Oliveira surprisingly started to pull away from Quartararo while the Ducati pair of Zarco and Miller reeled the Yamaha rider. 

Zarco then moved past Quartarဣaro with three laps remaining going into turn one, as Quartararo had a big moment on the front end. 

That started another issue for the 22 year-old as his leathers came undone and comp♚leted the final laps in that fashion.&🍸nbsp;

Miller was soon onto the back of Quartararo and tried to take third place at the beginning of the penultimate lap. However, Quartararo was able to perform t൲he switch back and finish in what should have been third.

But Quartararo was given a three second penalty on the final lap w💜hich elevated Miller into third. Quartararo was far enough ahead of fifth place to remain in fourth. 

Mir regained fifth from Vinales late on whileꦫ Francesco Bagnaia came out on top in his battle with Brad Binder who finished eighth. 

Franco Morbidelli finished ninth while rookie Enea Bastianini claimed teꦐnth pos🧸ition. 

There was a slew of crashes as Marc Marquez, Aleix Espargaro and Valentino Rossi all fell at turn ten, while Pol Espargaroꦺ, Danilo Petrucci an♑d Iker Lecuona also crashed. 

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