Expensive emotional error from Espargaro in MotoGP: Spaniard stopped racing lap early | other sports

French motorcycle racer Fabio Quartaro consolidated his lead in the World Cup standings with a victory in Catalonia. The Yamaha rider first took the lead on the Barcelona circuit and then drove with great force for his second win of the season.

The 23-year-old Quartarro, who claimed the World Championship title in Class One last year, had 147 points. He benefited greatly from the mistake of Espargaro, the second seed in the Spanish standings. Espargaro, who started from first place, advanced to second place in front of his fans. However, on the last lap he thought the race was already over. Aprilia’s driver got up, slowed down and waved to the crowd. It wasn’t until some of the other drivers rushed in at high speed that Espargaro realized he had another lap ahead.

The Spaniard crossed the finish line disappointedly in fifth and saw his World Cup lag in Quartararo rise to 22 points. The winner was joined on the podium by Spain’s Jorge Martin (second) and his compatriot Johann Zarco (third).

Italy’s Francesco Bagnaia, who triumphed in front of his home crowd in Mugello last week, has already fallen into the first corner by Japanese Takaaki Nakagami. She slipped and took Bagnaia and Spaniard Alex Rains into the gravel. Italian Ina Bastianini, ranked 3 in the World Cup standings, also crashed in Barcelona and was left without points. Bastianini saw a gap with Quartararo rising to 53 points after nine of the 20th Grand Prix.

Enthusiastic Espargaro received a lot of support from his team and family after the race:

This incident is reminiscent of an event during the 1981 World Speed ​​Skating Championships. It was then that it was Dutchman Hilbert van der Dom who stopped the tour early. Leen Pfrommer’s comment at that moment became legendary: “Hilbert, you still have to go for another round!”

Watch the end of MotoGP in Barcelona below: