Oh, the Catalan GP. So many classics, so many head-to-heads between rivals, so many last lap showdowns and so many unforgettable moments – including THE last lap showdown that 17 years on is still talked about. So, without further ado, let’s take a trip down memory lane and enjoy some of the greatest moments from the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
2004: Rossi vs Gibernau in a head-to-head
Valentino Rossi’s first year at Yamaha provided some of the best battles, and Catalunya-Barcelona in 2004 was no different. Swapping places throughout the final four laps, it’s one of many classics in Catalonia with Rossi pipping Sete Gibernau by 0.159s at the flag.
2007: a three-way fight for victory
Casey Stoner vs Valentino Rossi vs Dani Pedrosa. It doesn’t get much better, does it? Despite The Doctor’s best efforts on this occasion, though – including a dress-rehearsal final corner pass – it was Stoner who stood firm for a fourth win of the season.
2009: the CLASSIC of classics
Some say that it’s not just the best MotoGP Grand Prix of all time but perhaps the greatest motorcycle race of all time. A last corner shoot-out and a last lap pass at the place they said impossible, do we need to say anymore? Valentino Rossi vs Jorge Lorenzo, take it away.
2014: the fantastic 4 put on a show
Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. Two Hondas. Two Yamahas. Three home heroes and one past master in Barcelona, all sprinkled with some late drama on the final lap. A true modern classic from Catalonia as Marc Marquez took victory in his sophomore season.
2016: Rossi vs Marquez and a handshake
It was their first head-to-head since Sepang in 2015, and what a Grand Prix it was, going all the way until the end between the #46 and 93. Rossi may have got the verdict, but it seemed like what was in the past was now firmly there, with a handshake in Parc Ferme...
HONOURABLE MENTIONS: historic achievements
Back in 2003, Loris Capirossi delivered Ducati its first-ever World Championship victory for Ducati whilst a few years on in 2006, it was different fortunes for the #65 after a huge Turn 1 incident. Then, in 2019, another memorable incident when Jorge Lorenzo took out Rossi, Andrea Dovizioso and Maverick Viñales early on, allowing teammate Marc Marquez to cruise to victory. Then, in 2020, Fabio Quartararo’s first-ever MotoGP win in a Grand Prix that got tense all the way to the end.
That’s not to forget our last instalment, where Alex Marquez clinched a heroic victory over brother Marc Marquez. Just 1.740s separated the pair at the chequered flag as the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya continued to deliver the goods. Join us this weekend, where Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin look to continue their remarkable form!