Catalunya MotoGP, Barcelona - Race Results

* Rookie

Aleix Espargaro completes a dream home double and leads Aprilia's first-ever one-two in a restarted 2023 Catalunya MotoGP at Barcelona.

But reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia was absent from the restart after suffering leg injuries and has been taken to hospital for further treatment.

Winner of Saturday's Sprint, Espargaro stalked team-mate Maverick Vinales for much of the race before going on the attack in the final six laps.

Espargaro pulled alongside Vinales on the main straight with 4 laps to go, forcing Vinales off line at the apex of Turn 1. Replays showed the front tyres looking very worn on both bikes and Vinales was never in a position to retaliate.

The pair then swapped bikes on the slowdown lap!

Title contender Jorge Martin completed the podium in third for Pramac Ducati, having got the better of RNF Aprilia's Miguel Oliveira and then kept Pramac Ducati team-mate Johann Zarco at bay.

The initial race was halted due to a first-turn pile-up, plus a nasty accident for Francesco Bagnaia that left the reigning champion with leg injuries for which he was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.

As the field threaded its way into the turn 1 chicane, Enea Bastianini - starting 14th after a three-place grid penalty - steered for the inside but ran out of room and fell on the kerbing, bringing down Johann Zarco, Fabio di Giannantonio, Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi.

Worse was to follow for Ducati Lenovo when team-mate and pole starter Bagnaia, having escaped the mayhem behind, suffered a massive highside from the lead on the exit of the corner and landed in the middle of the track.

The following bikes did their best to avoid the title leader but KTM’s Brad Binder had nowhere to go and hit the Italian’s legs. Bagnaia, who began the race with a 66-point lead over Jorge Martin, was taken to an ambulance on a stretcher.

Initial reports suggest Bagnaia's injuries are not as bad as initially feared, given the size of the impact to his legs, but that Bastianini might have suffered fractures in his fall.

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All riders except Bagnaia and Bastianini were able to make the restart, from their original grid positions (pole was left empty) with Bastianini given a long lap penalty, which he will now presumably serve at a later grand prix for triggering the initial accident.

Binder, having run out of medium front tyres, was forced to fit the hard for the restart but retired (probably as a result) after just a handful of laps. RC16 colleague Pol Espargaro was likewise out with an early technical issue, while Raul Fernandez pitted with what looked to be a jammed front holeshot device.

Struggling former champions Marc Marquez and Fabio Quartararo were nose-to-tail in the early laps, before Quartararo put his Yamaha under Marquez as the Honda drifted wide and took over eighth place. The Frenchman, running the old M1 fairing. gained a further position by the finish, while Marquez slipped back to 13th.

Third in the standings Marco Bezzecchi (VR46) was forced to fit the soft front for the restart and managed to nurse his bike to the chequered flag in 12th.

Iker Lecuona lowsided from his LCR Honda and fell on the way from the pits to the grid for the initial start, then was 16th at the finish.

The San Marino MotoGP takes place at Misano next weekend, followed by an Official test and then the start of the 'flyaway' rounds outside of Europe.