The first 11 laps of the 18-lap Moto3 Catalan Grand Prix were extremely Moto3. 15 riders were in the lead group, and multiple riders spent time at the front, including Collin Veijer, pole sitter Ivan Ortola, and championship leader Dani Holgado.

Pre-race favourite David Alonso slipped as far back as eighth in the early melee, but eventually worked his way back forwards.

By lap 12, Alonso was in the lead, and this marked a pivot in the race. The Colombian pushed the pace, and reduced the front group from 13 to five on lap 13, before setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 14. Successive 1:47s had reduced the front group to three by lap 16, with only Veijer and Ortola sticking on Alonso’s rear wheel.

A late charge by Jose Antonio Rueda brought him back into the front group on the final lap, and he was able to pass Veijer for third place at turn four, but he could do nothing about Ortola in second, just as Ortola had nothing for Alonso, whose pace was simply too strong for anyone to show him a wheel.

It was the #80’s fourth win from the six races so far in 2024, and he took the championship lead with it.

Ortola hung onto second place ahead of Rueda, who could not get close enough to his compatriot on the final lap after passing Veijer, who took fourth place, missing the podium for the first time since he crashed out in Texas.

David Munoz charged forwards at the same time as Rueda, but had a harder time getting past Dani Holgado than the #99. Munoz was able to dip into the 1:46s on lap 16, but his charge only got him to fifth, which is nonetheless a respectable result after having to serve a long lap penalty. Holgado, meanwhile was initially able to go with Alonso’s late break, but started falling backwards with three laps to go and finished sixth.

Luca Lunetta was the only Honda representation in the front group after Taiyo Furusato served two long lap penalties for cruising in practice and then crashed out. The Italian turns 18 on Monday, and this was by far his best ride in the World Championship to finish seventh.

Jacob Roulstone was eighth, ahead of the second SIC58 Honda of Filippo Farioli in ninth, and Adrian Fernandez who rounded out the top 10.