Quartararo wins in Spain to regain MotoGP points lead

Fabio Quartararo won the Catalonia Grand Prix on Sunday to retake the points lead in the MotoGP championship.

It was the third victory of the season for Quartararo, who hadn't been on a podium since his consecutive victories in Spain to start the year.

Quartararo started second but took the lead from pole-sitter Franco Morbidelli nine laps into the race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Spaniard Joan Mir finished second and compatriot Alex Rins was third. Morbidelli wound up in fourth place.

The victory gave Quartararo an eight-point lead over Mir in the riders' standings. Maverick

Viñales was third after a ninthplace finish in Catalonia. Andrea Dovizioso, who entered the weekend with the points lead, dropped to fourth place after crashing on the first lap.

He started at the back of the grid and was taken out when Johann Zarco lost control of his motorcycle in front of him.

Valentino Rossi, looking for his 200th podium, had to retire after falling while running in second place.

Valentino Rossi: Maybe I could have won, we'll never know

Valentino Rossi looked on course for a 200th grand prix podium, in his 350th appearance and just one day after announcing he'll remain in MotoGP by joining Petronas Yamaha next season.

Current Petronas rider Fabio Quartararo was the only person ahead of Rossi as he tipped into Turn 1 at a chilly Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with nine laps remaining in Sunday's race.

The Frenchman had an advantage of just 0.7s, but disaster struck as Rossi flicked his M1 from right-to-left for Turn 2, his front tyre casually sliding away to send rider and bike into the gravel trap.

"It's a great shame because it was a good weekend. I was fast from Friday and we were able to improve the bike, so I was strong," said Rossi, who had qualified on the front row.