A bittersweet weekend for Fantic Racing Lino Sonego at Montmeló.
The Catalan Grand Prix ended with mixed emotions for Fantic Racing Lino Sonego, as the team leaves Barcelona with a top-10 finish from Barry Baltus, while Aron Canet was forced to retire after a crash.
The weekend had started with encouraging signs in qualifying: Baltus had initially secured fifth place (later dropped to P14 due to a penalty), showing strong competitiveness, while Canet benefited from penalties handed to other riders to start from seventh on the grid.
In the race, Aron Canet got off to a good start from the third row, setting a consistent pace in the early laps with the aim of managing his tyres for the latter stages. Unfortunately, on lap 11, a crash at Turn 7 ended his race. The Spaniard was first taken to the circuit medical centre and later transferred to Barcelona hospital: medical checks ruled out any fractures, confirming just a heavy knock but no serious consequences.
Barry Baltus, on the other hand, faced a tough start that dropped him to 21st place, but he bounced back with determination. Thanks to a solid comeback, consistent pace, and decisive overtakes, the Belgian rider climbed back through the field to finish in 10th position. A performance that confirms his potential, and a better start might have put him in contention for the podium.
The MotoGP World Championship will be back in action next weekend in Misano for the San Marino GP, where Fantic Racing Lino Sonego aims to return to full competitiveness and fight once again for the top positions.
Barry Baltus: “It’s not the result we wanted, especially because the first lap was tough: I started 14th and dropped back to 21st straight away. Yesterday’s penalty didn’t help at all, but the feeling with the bike was great and the pace was strong. I only struggled a bit in the last two laps with the tyres, but overall, I made a good step forward compared to last year. Confidence is high for the next race: without yesterday’s yellow flag and penalty we could have been on pole, and that shows we are among the strongest. We need to keep that mindset heading into Misano, and I can’t wait to jump back on the bike on Friday.”
Roberto Locatelli, Fantic Racing Lino Sonego Team Manager: “A race with two sides: Aron was fast and making up ground, but first a contact with another rider cost him positions, and then the crash unfortunately ended his race. We knew tyre management would be crucial here in Barcelona, and that made things even more complicated. As for Barry, yesterday’s penalty heavily affected his starting position, but his pace was podium-worthy and his race was very positive. We now look ahead to Misano with the goal of minimising mistakes and showing all of our potential.”
