Di Giannantonio Wins Wild Catalunya MotoGP After Red Flags

Fabio Di Giannantonio claimed victory in the 2026 Catalunya MotoGP after an extraordinary race in Barcelona interrupted twice by major crashes.

With Valentino Rossi watching from the VR46 Racing Team pit wall, Di Giannantonio delivered a remarkable performance despite being struck by debris during the earlier accident involving Alex Marquez and Pedro Acosta.

The Italian rider eventually overtook Acosta with three laps remaining before securing his first MotoGP victory since Qatar 2023.

Baca JugaDi Giannantonio Menang di Catalunya usai Tiga Drama Besar

"First of all, I really hope that everyone is safe," Di Giannantonio said in parc ferme after the emotional win.

After losing the lead, Acosta also lost podium positions to Joan Mir and Fermin Aldeguer, who completed the Barcelona podium.

Acosta’s difficult afternoon worsened further when he made contact with Ai Ogura at the final corner and crashed moments before reaching the chequered flag.

The FIM Stewards later penalised Ogura, costing him fourth place, while six additional riders remain under investigation for possible tyre-pressure infringements.

The riders under investigation include Joan Mir, Pecco Bagnaia, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Alex Rins, and Jack Miller.

The original race had already been stopped on lap 12 following a huge accident when Alex Marquez clipped the back of Acosta’s KTM after the Spaniard suffered a technical issue on the back straight.

Marquez was later transferred to hospital for further examination despite initially being reported conscious.

The first restart also ended prematurely after Johann Zarco crashed heavily into Turn 1 while becoming involved in an incident with Bagnaia and Luca Marini.

Zarco became tangled with the rear wheel of Bagnaia’s Ducati before riders and bikes scattered through the gravel trap.

Further drama also unfolded inside the Aprilia camp when Raul Fernandez collided with fellow Aprilia rider Jorge Martin at Turn 5.

The crash marked Martin’s fifth fall of the weekend and destroyed his opportunity to reclaim the championship lead from Marco Bezzecchi.

The 2026 Catalunya MotoGP ultimately became one of the most dramatic grands prix of the season and an emotional farewell to the 1000cc era ahead of Monday’s official post-race Barcelona test.