Lorenzo leads the way as Márquez benefits from officials’ U-Turn

Jorge Lorenzo and Maverick Viñales gave the home crowd plenty to cheer at Catalonia’s Montmeló Circuit on Sunday, winning their respective categories in some style. In the MotoGP category, Lorenzo edged out Dani Pedrosa after a cagey race, sliding past his countryman with six laps to go to rack up his third win of the season. Lorenzo, with 115 points, now leads reigning champion Casey Stoner by 20 points and Pedrosa, who held on to second, by 30. Completing the podium was Andrea Dovizioso.

In Moto3, Viñales won ahead of Sandro Cortese, slashing the KTM rider’s championship lead to seven points. The category is closely contested between the Spaniard and the German, with their nearest challenger, Spain’s Luis Salom, on 55 to Viñales’ 80.

There was less fortune for home interests in the Moto2 category. Four riders jousted for the checkered flag with championship leader Thomas Luthi coming in on the heels of Andrea Iannone. Pol Espargaró, third in the riders’ classification, retired after colliding with Marc Márquez, who was first penalized and demoted to 23rd place before being reinstated in his third-place finish. Márquez now trails Luthi by two points overall.