Next home round for Intact GP rider quartet
At this weekend’s Grand Prix in Barcelona, LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP’s three spanish riders, Manuel Gonzalez, David Almansa, and David Muñoz, can count on the cheers of their home fans once again. But Australian Senna Agius also has a close connection to Catalonia because of his residence in Andorra since many years.
Just a few weeks after a glorious Grand Prix in Jerez de la Frontera for the German team, the series returns to Spain. The date for the Catalonia Grand Prix has shifted back and forth between early and late summer several times in recent years. For this year, mid-May was chosen for the popular event in the northeast of the country.
In Moto2 class, Madrid native Manuel Gonzalez heads to the season’s round six in his home country as championship leader. The 23-year-old was able to slightly increase his lead with a second-place finish last Sunday in Le Mans. Senna Agius, meanwhile, finished seventh in France but remains within striking distance of his teammate in the championship, trailing by 20.5 points. Agius, who feels very much at home at the track on the outskirts of Barcelona, has certainly set high goals for himself this weekend.
Rain on race day in Le Mans was a bit of a buzzkill for Moto3 riders David Muñoz and David Almansa. After a small fall shortly after the start, Muñoz re-joined the race in a hopeless position and despite all effortes, he crossed the line unrewarded outside the points, while teammate Almansa safely brought home his bike in eighth place. Under normal conditions, which are expected this weekend, the two young Spaniards will surely want to have a say in the outcome in Barcelona. Their results from last year - Almansa in fourth and Muñoz in eighth - certainly point in that direction.
The Weekend's Time Schedule (CEST):
Friday 15 May
09:00 - 09:35 Moto3™ Free Practice 1
09:50 - 10:30 Moto2™ Free Practice 1
10:45 - 11:30 MotoGP™ Free Practice 1
13:15 - 13:50 Moto3™ Practice
14:05 - 14:45 Moto2™ Practice
15:00 - 16:00 MotoGP™ Practice
Saturday 16 May
08:40 - 09:10 Moto3™ Free Practice 2
09:25 - 09:55 Moto2™ Free Practice 2
10:10 - 10:40 MotoGP™ Free Practice 2
10:50 - 11:05 MotoGP™ Qualifying 1
11:15 - 11:30 MotoGP™ Qualifying 2
12:45 - 13:00 Moto3™ Qualifying 1
13:10 - 13:25 Moto3™ Qualifying 2
13:40 - 13:55 Moto2™ Qualifying 1
14:05 - 14:20 Moto2™ Qualifying 2
15:00 MotoGP™ Sprint (12 Laps - 55.884 km)
Sunday 17 May
09:40 - 09:50 MotoGP™ Warm-Up
11:00 Moto3™ Race (18 Laps – 83.826 km)
12:15 Moto2™ Race (21 Laps – 97.797 km)
14:00 MotoGP™ Race (24 Laps – 111.768 km)