Some autorenewing subscriptions have failed to automatically renew. If you find you can't read subscriber articles, or think this applies to you please read this.

Cormac Shoots Barcelona: How To Go Fast When There Is No Grip

By David Emmett |

 
Turn 1 is where a lot of the race is decided. But at Barcelona, tire wear meant the last five laps counted a lot too

 
After nearly two and a half years, Raul Fernandez finally had the kind of weekend we were expecting of him after his meteoric rise through Moto2

 
Nearly a pensioner. Aleix Espargaro chose his home GP to announce he wouldn't be racing in 2025

 
Jack Miller still takes a pretty picture

 
The best initiative of the weekend. Dorna held a competition and a fan got to wave the checkered flag at Barcelona. To be repeated.

 
Alex Rins and his triple wing. New aero helped the bike turn a bit.

 
Has Joan Mir's patience with Honda run out? He can at least see signs of progress. Slow progress, maybe, but progress nonetheless.

 
They say that Valentino Rossi is the Ricky Carmichael of MotoGP

 
Always on the bike. Sometimes even as a wildcard. Stefan Bradl keeps grinding

 
This Pedro Acosta kid might just turn out to be half decent

 
Johann Zarco is a changed man. Patient, more mature, more focused on the long term. But there's only so much a man can take.

 
The prettiest helmet on the grid belongs to Takaaki Nakagami, and it's not even close.

 
Miguel Oliveira demonstrates the delicate art of trail braking. Using front and rear brake to help slow the bike as you tip in. Around this lean angle is where you have the most rubber on the ground.

 
Jorge Martin in race mode. Plenty of lean angle

 
Jorge Martin in practice. Bit of goon riding for the photos

 
Joan Mir gets on the gas. The ride-height devices have transformed how early the riders can get on the gas. The things are missiles out of corners now

 
Marc Marquez says he has a plan. We think it's to conquer the world.

 
It hasn't been the season Marco Bezzecchi hoped for. Braking and corner entry are still not working properly for the Italian

 
This is how you start

If you'd like to have very high-resolution (4K) versions of the fantastic photos which appear on the site, you can become a site supporter and take out a subscription. A subscription will also give you access to the many in-depth and exclusive articles we produce for MotoMatters.com site supporters. The more readers who join our growing band of site supporters, the better we can make MotoMatters.com, and the more readers will get out of the website. You can find out more about subscribing to MotoMatters.com here. You can also see these photos and all our subscriber material on our Patreon page.

If you would like to buy a copy of one of these photos, you can email Cormac Ryan Meenan

If you'd like to see more of Cormac's work, you can follow him on Twitter or Instagram, or check out his website, cormacgp.com.

CormacGP
MotoGP
Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
Aprilia
Ducati
Honda
KTM
Yamaha
Alex Rins
Aleix Espargaro
Jack Miller
Joan Mir
Johann Zarco
Jorge Martin
Marc Marquez
Marco Bezzecchi
Miguel Oliveira
Raul Fernandez
Pedro Acosta

..being a reasonable photographer back in the day (own darkroom and published front page in a UK bike weekly back in the '80s), that last one isn't so much the actual shot but the vision and thought process to slow down the shutter speed, blurring everyone except for the leading bike as it straightens up and heads towards Cormac, genius (bastard..)

Maybe the protagonist can explain (I’d love that) but at this level, like the racing, the photographer is always looking for the edge, something that will get them published, syndicated etc. Whilst anything can be photoshopped it won’t get them very far-especially with time sensitive work-if they’re all altered too much. I believe this was a ‘manual’ shot with a thought process and execution that sets apart the very best..

To read the rest of this article, you need to sign up to become a MotoMatters.com site supporter by taking out a subscription. You can find out more about subscribing to MotoMatters.com here. If you are already a subscriber, log in to read the full text.

This is part of a regular series of unique insights into the world of motorcycle racing, exclusive for MotoMatters.com site supporters. The series includes interviews, background information, in-depth analysis, and opinion, and is available to everyone supporting the site by taking out a subscription.

If you would like to read more of our exclusive content you can join the growing band of site supporters, by taking out a subscription here. If you prefer, you can also support us on our Patreon page and get access to the same exclusive material there.

↑Back to top

Comments

..being a reasonable photographer back in the day (own darkroom and published front page in a UK bike weekly back in the '80s), that last one isn't so much the actual shot but the vision and thought process to slow down the shutter speed, blurring everyone except for the leading bike as it straightens up and heads towards Cormac, genius (bastard..)

Maybe the protagonist can explain (I’d love that) but at this level, like the racing, the photographer is always looking for the edge, something that will get them published, syndicated etc. Whilst anything can be photoshopped it won’t get them very far-especially with time sensitive work-if they’re all altered too much. I believe this was a ‘manual’ shot with a thought process and execution that sets apart the very best..