Jerez MotoGP: Quartararo wins as Marquez crashes hard

Maverick Vinales utilised Yamaha’s new holeshot device to seize the lead from second on the grid, and tried to build a lead immediately using the added grip of the soft front tyre he and teammate Valentino Rossi gambled on.

But Marquez went with the Yamaha rider and engaged in battle on the third lap, scything his way up the inside at Turn 5 but running wide.

Marquez used the power of the Honda to draw alongside Vinales in the run into the Pedrosa corner and took the lead.

Displaying devastating race rhythm in FP4, Marquez already began to settle into a rhythm Vinales couldn't match when he lost the front of the Honda through Turn 4.

Pulling a miraculous save and keeping the bike upright, Marquez managed to rejoin in 16th while Vinales was released into the lead.

However, Vinales’ hopes of victory faded along with his soft front tyre as he began to struggle, allowing Quartararo and Jack Miller on the Pramac Ducati to close right in.

Quartararo took the lead away from his Yamaha stablemate at the last corner on lap nine, while Marquez had recovered to 10th and was on podium pace.

The Petronas Yamaha rider instantly used the cornering ability of the M1 to ease away from the chasing pack, his lead standing at six seconds at one stage before he eased off in the last laps.

Marquez’s charge through the field was merciless, and with five laps to go the world champion had dispatched Miller for third, with the ailing Vinales firmly in his sights.

Right on the tail of Vinales on lap 22, the rear of Marquez’s Honda let go as they rounded Turn 3 and the Spaniard clattered into the ground.

Put into a neck brace and looking in considerable pain with his arm, Marquez was loaded into the back of an ambulance.

Quartararo didn’t put a foot wrong over the final laps to ease to his maiden win at the start of his sophomore campaign to end a drought for France in MotoGP dating back to Regis Laconi’s Valencia victory in 1999.

It’s also the first race win for a satellite Yamaha team in the MotoGP era.

Vinales held onto second at the chequered flag, while Andrea Dovizioso put his works team Ducati into third after a late move on Miller.

Miller fended off the sister Petronas M1 of Franco Morbidelli and KTM’s Pol Espargaro for fourth, while Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac), Tech 3’s Miguel Oliveira, Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci and the sole LCR Honda of Takaaki Nakagami completed the top 10.

Johann Zarco’s first race for Avintia Ducati ended with an 11th-place finish, while Alex Marquez was top rookie on the Honda in 12th ahead of Brad Binder (KTM), Tito Rabat (Avintia) and Aprilia’s Bradley Smith.

In a race of high attrition, Valentino Rossi dropped out with a technical issue late one, while there were crashes for Joan Mir on the Suzuki, Tech 3’s Iker Lecuona and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia).

Injuries ruled Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) and Alex Rins (Suzuki) out of the first race.

MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix - Full results:

Cla	#	Rider		Bike	Laps	Gap
1	20	Fabio Quartararo		Yamaha	25
2	12	Maverick Viñales		Yamaha	25	4.603
3	4	Andrea Dovizioso		Ducati	25	5.946
4	43	Jack Miller		Ducati	25	6.668
5	21	Franco Morbidelli		Yamaha	25	6.844
6	44	Pol Espargaro		KTM	25	6.938
7	63	Francesco Bagnaia		Ducati	25	13.027
8	88	Miguel Oliveira		KTM	25	13.441
9	9	Danilo Petrucci		Ducati	25	19.651
10	30	Takaaki Nakagami		Honda	25	21.553
11	5	Johann Zarco		Ducati	25	25.100
12	73	Alex Marquez		Honda	25	27.350
13	33	Brad Binder		KTM	25	29.640
14	53	Tito Rabat		Ducati	25	32.898
15	38	Bradley Smith		Aprilia	25	39.682
	93	Marc Marquez		Honda	21	4 Laps
	27	Iker Lecuona		KTM	19	6 Laps
	46	Valentino Rossi		Yamaha	18	7 Laps
	41	Aleix Espargaro		Aprilia	2	23 Laps
	36	Joan Mir		Suzuki	1	24 Laps
View full results