Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins are ready to face the competition one last time this 2024 MotoGP season at the upcoming Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona held this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The team and riders will also take part in MotoGP’s #RacingForValencia fundraising efforts, donating items for the special auctions (one online and two auctions will take place on site on Friday and Saturday from 4pm to 6pm local time). All proceeds will go directly to the relief efforts for Valencia.
Quartararo showed promising pace in Malaysia a fortnight ago and is keen to give one final push at the last GP of 2024. He ranks 13th in the championship standings and aims to put on a good show in Barcelona to entertain the fans.
El Diablo has had his fair share of success at the Montmeló track. He secured a win there in 2018 in the Moto2 class, followed it up with a second place in the premier class in 2019, and added MotoGP wins in 2020 and 2022.
Rins used the final GPs of this season to work through various setting options. This weekend he plans to put his findings to the test. He is keen to get in strong results at what he considers his home track so he can move up from joint 18th in the overall rankings and end the season on a high.
Born in Barcelona, Rins is a local hero. He stood on the Catalan premier class rostrum in 2020 for a third place, his best MotoGP finish at this track. He also secured two second places in Moto2 in 2015 and 2016, and a Moto3 second place in 2013.
Work to create the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya began in 1989. Two years later the track was opened, and it soon became a crowd favourite after hosting its first MotoGP race in 1992. With an exciting 4.6km layout consisting of 14 corners (six left, eight right), the venue is known to produce thrilling races.
The Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona will be followed by a one-day IRTA test at the Montmeló track on Tuesday, which will be the first opportunity for teams and riders to try their 2025 set-up.