Tissot Sprint
The first Tissot Sprint was a stunner. 12 laps, 22 riders and a last lap finish! Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) came out on top as the final push came down to a duel, piling the pressure on Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) in the last few laps and finding a way through as the Spaniard headed ever so slightly wide. The fight for third was a mammoth battle from the off, too, with seven riders fighting for the top three throughout and ultimately, the rider on pole taking his first medal of the season: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team).

Marc Marquez got the holeshot despite a spectacular attack from a fast-starting Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), but Bagnaia took over in second early on as a red duel let Martin also pickpocket into third. Marquez, Bagnaia, Martin and Bastianini was the initial leading quartet, with Marquez defending the lead until the final few metres of Lap 1.

Bagnaia and Martin then struck for the front and got past the number 93, with the leading trio enjoying a little breathing space for a few corners. Miguel Oliveira (CryptoData RNF MotoGP Team) had struck back into fourth too, and soon Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was also past Bastianini.

Drama then hit for the number 23, with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) losing the front on the inside and rider and machine sliding into the factory Ducati, leaving the Beast nowhere to go. Meanwhile, further contact a little further back had also seen Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) overcook it against Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha), with the Spaniard making contact and crashing out, and the Frenchman losing time.

Back at the front, Bagnaia led Martin led Marquez, with Miller moving up into fourth past Oliveira. Then came Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) vs Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) vs Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), but Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) was also intent on joining that party. So he did, and Bezzecchi crashed out of it not long after.

With nine to go, Martin slipped past Bagnaia for the lead as Marquez dug in ahead of Miller and Oliveira. Soon enough, the battle was truly on. Miller and Oliveira passed Marquez, and then the Australian picked Bagnaia’s pocket for second. By six to go, Miller hit the front, but Martin hit back. The chopping and changing let the Aprilia Racing pair also catch up, and it all bubbled up to one duel and one serious fight for third.

As Martin and Bagnaia started to inch away, the two-man decider for Tissot Sprint glory was set. The reigning Champion was gaining and gaining, and finally the door opened ever so slightly on the final lap – with Martin wide and Pecco through. It remained close to the line but the #1 remained so on track, taking that coveted first Sprint win as Martin was forced to settle for second.

Miller vs Oliveira vs Marquez, plus two factory Aprilias intent on beating each other, set up a stunning grandstand finish in the fight to join Bagnaia and Martin’s date with Prosecco. Marquez had even enjoyed a two for one as the Australian and Portuguese rider went head to head at Turn 1, and once the number 93 was through, there was no looking back.

Heartbreak for Oliveira later in the lap saw him overcook it and drop back in that fight, with Miller suffering no such bad luck and taking a hard fought fourth. Fifth went to Viñales as he won the factory Aprilia war, with Aleix Espargaro sixth and Oliveira crossing the line seventh. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) pipped Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing) to P8, with that leaving Quartararo just outside the points in the first Sprint. El Diablo made progress after the early drama with Mir, taking P10 and just off the number 73 ahead.

MotoGP Tissot Sprint Portimao Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati
2 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +0.307
3 Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) – Honda – +1.517

Sunday
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) made it double delight in Portugal, backing up a first Tissot Sprint win with the Grand Prix trophy to match. It was far from easy, however, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) pushing the Italian all the way to the flag on Sunday, just 0.687 off that elusive first win with Aprilia. Completing the podium came Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), the sophomore able to pull clear of a gloves-off fight for fourth.

There was drama in that fight at the front early on, with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) heading in hot and making contact with home hero Miguel Oliveira(CryptoData RNF MotoGP Team). Marquez has a suspected fracture in his 1st metacarpal on his right hand but said he expects to ride in Argentina, whereas Oliveira was bruised but rider ok. 

Off the line, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) defended the holeshot but it was close as Oliveira got an absolutely barnstorming start. The shuffling in the pack then began, and the first frisson of drama hit for Marc Marquez as he went past Martin, the number 89 came back and the number 93 was briefly out the seat. Still, Marquez held onto a place near the front of the fight.

At the end of Lap 1, it was Oliveira leading over the line in front of his home fans, ahead of Martin and Bagnaia, but the number 1 struck at Turn 1 to head through on Martin. Not long after, the Ducati Lenovo machine attacked for the lead as well, and not long after that came the drama.

Marc Marquez clipped Martin before making contact with Oliveira just ahead of both, with the number 93 and the number 88 both going down as they collided and slid out of the race. Martin was also forced into the run off, losing some time, and that changed the playing field: it was now going to become a race-long duel for the win, with Bagnaia leading Viñales by almost nothing.

Lap by lap, the two remained evenly matched. When Bagnaia pulled away, Viñales pulled it back. Right down to the final lap, as it went from over a second to seven tenths to half a second… but the Aprilia just couldn’t quite strike. Bagnaia kept his cool to finish the season opener in perfect style, taking his first Grand Prix win of the year. Viñales took second and again just tenths from that history-making win on a third different machine, and he’ll likely be targeting that in Argentina. 

Meanwhile, Bezzecchi had been glued to Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), but he was able to pull clear of that scuffle to take a calm, measured and impressed third. The fight for fourth then seriously went off.

After huge gains off the start, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had caught his new teammate and Alex Marquez, and not long after that, Johann Zarco(Prima Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) arrived on the scene too. Not to be left out, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) then also joined the party, with the last few laps a real scuffle to remember.

After a serious final push from Zarco, it was the Frenchman who took P4 – just hundredths ahead of Alex Marquez. Binder was forced to settle for sixth with Miller for close company, with Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro just behind. Fourth to ninth was covered by just over a second. Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) completed the top ten, ahead of Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) after the number 36 also had a Long Lap to contend with. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) gained some points as the final finishers.

After the flag, there was more drama too – or more, another arc to Marc Marquez’ eye-catching weekend in Portugal, full of good speed but ending with that mistake. He’ll have a double Long Lap to serve in Argentina, and have a check up on his hand beforehand. Will he be able to repeat more of his Saturday heroics and race?

Join us next weekend for more as we go racing once more, this time at Termas de Rio Hondo. This time last year, Aprilia made history. Who will do the honours in 2023? 

MotoGP Tissot Sprint Portimao Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati
2 Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia – +0.687
3 Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Ducati – +2.726

Marc Marquez Penalised Over Dangerous Crash

FIM Stewarts Sanction: As per Article 3.5.5 of the FIM Grand Prix World Championship Regulations, the decision taken by the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel on 26 March 2023 at 15:13 following a hearing in the presence of Marc Marquez, Rider #93, is as follows:

Motive: On 26 March 2023, at 14:06:02, during the MotoGP Race of the GRANDE PRÉMIO TISSOT DE PORTUGAL at Turn 3, the Rider #93 was observed as being overly aggressive and causing a crash involving Rider #88. This contravenes the specific instructions given to MotoGP competitors and teams, disrupting the session, and is considered irresponsible riding causing danger to other competitors. It is therefore an infringement of Article 1.21.2 of the FIM Grand Prix World Championship Regulations.

Sanction: For the above reasons, the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel has imposed a Double Long Lap Penalty for the GRAN PREMIO MICHELIN DE LA REPÚBLICA ARGENTINA MotoGP Race, in accordance with articles 3.2.1 and 3.3.2.3.

MARC MARQUEZ: “First of all I’m very sorry to Oliveira, to him, his team and fans because were at the Portuguese GP. I made a big mistake, it wasn’t my intention, obviously, because my intention wasn’t even to overtake Martin. I had a massive lock on the front, maybe the hard front option was not ready, after that lock I released the brakes and the bike went inside. I could avoid Martin but not Oliveira. The first thing I did was try to understand his condition, looks like he is ok. For that reason I am more quiet because he is ok. Of course I’m sorry to him. Yeah, I made a big mistake. I will be penalized in Argentina and I completely agree. Sometimes these things happen in races and this time I made a big mistake. I have a few injuries, but that’s not important. Most important is Miguel is ok. I will come back when I feel ready.”

Moto2
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) started the 2023 season as he likely means to go on, holding off some serious pressure from Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) to come out on top and take the first spoils of the season. Canet was right with the number 37 until the last few laps, however, and takes 20 valuable points, with Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) overcoming a tougher qualifying and start to complete the podium.

Canet made a lighting start taking the holeshot into Turn 1, with Filip Salač(QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2) and Acosta following the Spaniard closely in the opening stages of the race. One lap later and Acosta was on the move, slotting his way up the inside of Salač to take second. Soon after, he made an incredible dive for the race lead, and it didn’t take long until he began stretching out the gap in an attempt to break away. Canet stayed with him though, applying the pressure lap after lap. Only in the last few was Acosta able to pull clear, the number 37 proving the pre-season hype with an inch-perfect performance to take his first win of the year.

The battle for the final spot on the rostrum was just as intense as Salač began to drop down the order, under attack from Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46) before Arbolino arrived and conquered. The Italian also cut into the gap to the leaders but couldn’t get much closer than seven tenths, crossing the line third but that a solid start to the season after a tougher weekend beforehand. 

By the flag, Salač fought his way back through to catch and overtake the late-fading Gonzalez, taking fourth and pushing the Spaniard back to fifth. Jake Dixon(GASGAS Aspar Team) fought hard through the pack to take sixth, ahead of Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Jeremy Alcoba (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2).

Moto2 Portimao Top Three (Full results here)
1 Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex
2 Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) – Kalex – +1.358
3 Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex – +4.460

Moto3
Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) is now a Grand Prix winner! The season opener was a classic last lap showdown and the Spaniard put in an impressive performance to start his sophomore season on the top step, holding off David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) under some serious pressure. Moreira’s podium is his first and the first for a Brazilian rider in the lightweight class, and Holgado’s win is the first in Moto3 for Tech3 as the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal hosted some history.

There was early drama for Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as he couldn’t get away for the Warm Up lap, the Turk forced into a pitlane start. Once the lights went out though, Joel Kelso (CFMoto PrüstelGP) took the holeshot from the front row and immediately started to put the hammer down, but it didn’t take long for the chasing pack to close back in. Holgado and Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) both made for close company at the head of the freight train, and Moreira was soon on the scene too,  despite that tough qualifying for the Brazilian.

The classic group then formed, and by the last few laps the top 10 were glued together in a fight for the podium. They had some company soon enough though, with Öncü on an absolute charge to come back from his pitlane start. By the last few laps the Turk was into that group.

At the front of it though, it became a battle of five for the podium: Holgado, Moreira, Muñoz, Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) and a stunning performance from rookie Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Holgado was inch perfect, however, and was able to withstand the pressure for that first win, with Muñoz getting past Moreira for second. The Brazilian’s podium is still his first, and the first for Brazil in the class!

Rueda was just forced to settle for a fourth place as he begins his full-time Grand Prix career, but he managed to stay a few hundredths ahead of Masia. Fellow veteran Sasaki will want more than sixth next time out, with Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), Xavier Artigas (CFMoto PrüstelGP), Kelso and Öncü completing the top ten. Now it’s next stop: Argentina, so join us for more next weekend!

Moto3 Portimao Top Three (Full results here)
1 Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) – KTM
2 David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) – KTM – +0.160
3 Diogo Moreira(MT Helmets – MSI ) – KTM – +0.175

The post MotoGP Portimao: Crashes, The First Sprint Race & Ducati Domination at Rd1! appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped the times on day two by just 0.009s ahead of six-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) as four riders went under the lap record set by Rea in 2022.

The pace was rapid from the get-go on Wednesday in the final European test before teams and riders head to Australia, with Bautista posting a 1’39.035s to obliterate Rea’s Superpole lap record from last year’s Portuguese Round. Bautista’s day, with the Spanish rider looking at bike stability, was disrupted by a crash at Turn 7 which brought out the red flag. His teammate was one of the four riders to go below the lap record with a 1’39.144s to take third place; backing up his top spot from Day 1.

Rea, the lap record holder with a 1’39.610s from last year’s Tissot Superpole, took second spot and was only 0.009s slower than Bautista at the end of the day’s running with the six-time Champion testing some new items from Showa and looking at chassis balance. His teammate, Alex Lowes, was tenth fastest on Day 2 as he worked on his ZX-10RR machine, posting a best time of 1’40.559s on Day 2, as he looked to work on exiting corners.

2021 Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was fourth fastest as he also went under Rea’s existing lap record, posting a 1’39.441s on his way to fourth spot. As at Jerez, there was a lot of focus on the rear of his Yamaha YZF R1 machine in order to improve grip exiting corners. Teammate Andrea Locatelli was fifth fastest with the two Yamaha riders separated by around three tenths of a second; Locatelli was lapping only a tenth outside the lap record.

With Ducati, Kawasaki and Yamaha taking up five of the top six positions, Team HRC’s Iker Lecuona was able to put a fourth manufacturer in the top six on Day 2 at Portimao. Lecuona, who had a crash in the final sector in the morning, posted a 1’39.803s to take sixth spot as Honda looked to work on setups for the CBR1000RR-R machine, including long runs. Teammate Xavi Vierge was in eighth place, with Independent Yamaha rider Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), looking for improvements with the SCX tyre, separating the two with seventh place. A late lap from 2013 Champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) propelled him up the order to ninth ahead of French rider Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) in 11th on his M 1000 RR to ensure all five manufacturers were represented in the top 11, while his teammate, Garrett Gerloff, was 14th.

Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had a focus on new electronics and ran BMW’s brake covers on Day 2 on his M 1000 RR as he searched for more time on corner exit. The Dutch rider finished the day in 12th place after setting a 1’40.711s, while teammate Scott Redding was 16th on his machine with a best time of 1’41.002s. In between the two BMW riders was Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) in 13th place with the German rider working on the new Panigale V4 R including a different fork for rear grip as well as Gerloff and Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK), whose lap time of 1’40.844s put him in 15th.

Aegerter’s WorldSSP rival, Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha), was 17th and around four tenths slower than the two-time WorldSSP Champion. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) took 19th spot with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), in his first test of 2023, in 20th spot. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was 20th ahead of MIE Honda Racing Team duo Eric Granado and Hafizh Syahrin in 21st and 22nd respectively; Granado suffering a technical issue in the afternoon on his bike.

WorldSSP
Like his Ducati counterpart in WorldSBK, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba Racing WorldSSP Team) took top spot in WorldSSP running on Day 2 as he smashed the lap record. Bulega posted a 1’42.636 which gave him the quickest lap time, ahead of compatriot Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team); Ducati locking out the top three positions in WorldSSP. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) continued testing four machines in Portugal and set the fourth best lap time, a 1’43.583s for fourth place, with Raffaele De Rose (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) in fifth.

New Ten Kate Racing Yamaha recruit Stefano Manzi took sixth spot ahead of Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) in seventh and Manzi’s teammate, Jorge Navarro, in eighth. Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing) was the lead rider from his team with ninth spot after setting a 1’44.978s, with Federico Fuligni (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) and Maximilian Kofler (D34G Racing) rounding out the field; Kofler had a crash in the afternoon which briefly brought out the red flags. Both Adam Norrodin (MIE – MS Racing Honda Team) and Tarran Mackenzie were on track on Day 2, but with no times recorded.

Check out all the results here…

The post WorldSBK Testing: New Lap Record On Day Two At Portimao! appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Read the full race report here…

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In a day to remember for France, Quartararo was joined on the podium by Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) in second, whilst Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro benefitted from late drama involving Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) to take third. Quartararo is now leading the Championship although tied with points with Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins, who put in arguably the ride of the day by recovering from 23rd on the grid to finish fourth.

Off the line it was Mir with the perfect launch, firing clear of the rest of the grid to take the holeshot and gain some early breathing space. Another strong start came from Quartararo too, who quickly moved through on his compatriot Zarco to take second halfway around the opening lap. Meanwhile, further back, Alex Rins had somehow launched his Suzuki up an incredible 13 places on the first lap to go from 23rd to inside the top ten.

At the front, it didn’t take long for Quartararo to get into his rhythm. The Frenchman was flying and had quickly reduced Mir’s early advantage down to nothing before then, at the start of Lap 4, he made his move on the 2020 World Champion at Turn 1. Mir had no response and Quartararo was leading a race for the first time this year.

Nobody could match the metronomic pace of the reigning World Champion, Quartararo, as he edged further and further into the lead. A new fastest lap and lap record, a 1:39.435, came in on Lap 10, by which point Mir had seemingly been forced to throw in the towel and was starting to instead look over his shoulder in the fight for second. Quartararo would eventually cruise across the line over five seconds clear of second place for his first victory since the British Grand Prix in August of last year and, as a result, he jumps to the top of the MotoGP World Championship standings.

It was much closer in the fight for the final podium places, with Mir defending hard as Zarco applied more and more pressure. The Frenchman took advantage of a tiny error by the Spaniard out of the final corner to power past him down the start-finish straight and take over in second, but the Frenchman ran wide at Turn 1 – allowing Mir to swoop back through. A lap later though Zarco got the job done, again capitalising on a small wheelie from Mir out of the final corner to dive through on the brakes into Turn 1, this time making it stick.

Soon enough, only six laps remained and Miller was now challenging Mir for third.  And then came the biggest drama of the race as the Australian pulled alongside the Suzuki man down the start-finish straight and they headed into Turn 1 side-by-side on the brakes… before the front end of Miller’s Ducati let go. He went down and he took an innocent and unsuspecting Mir with him, both riders ok but scoring a painful 0 points each.

That elevated Aleix Espargaro to third as he eyed only the third MotoGP rostrum finish for Aprilia, with the number 41 having shown good pace to get into the podium postcode. The Argentina winner closed onto the rear wheel of Zarco on the final lap too, but just couldn’t find a way through. Zarco took second, the thirteenth of his premier class career, and Aleix Espargaro had to settle for third – but one step closer to Aprilia losing out on concessions as their successes continue.

Fourth across the line was arguably the man of the day, however: Rins. A quite incredible performance from the factory Suzuki man saw him come through from 23rd and, in doing so, the number 42 lifted himself to equal  on points with Quartararo in the Championship chase. Another strong comeback ride came courtesy of home hero Miguel Oliveira, as the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing man clinched a top five to bounce back from two crashes on home soil in 2021.

Behind that, it was Marquez vs Marquez. For the first time in MotoGP we were treated to a 73 vs 93 battle on the final lap of the race, with LCR Castrol Honda’s Alex Marquez holding off older brother Marc quite brilliantly as the laps ticked by. But on the last lap, the gloves came off. The eight-time World Champion squeezed his way through to take sixth place, but it was by just 0.020 ahead of Alex as the number 73 absolutely nailed the final corner and the two crossed the line side by side.

Only half a second back on that duel, Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia was gritting his teeth through the pain barrier to salvage eighth place too, thanks to a last lap move on Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro. Bagnaia started dead last, making up a pile of positions on race day despite a painful shoulder injury.

Aprilia’s Maverick Viñales took the final place inside the top ten as the 12-Noale combination continues to gain some traction, with a gap then back to Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP). The veteran held off Mooney VR46’s Luca Marini, with Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) next up. Two rookies completed the points as Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) pulled clear of Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team).

There were crashes for Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP), and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Idemitsu Honda), although the Japanese rider finished. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) also crashed out, bringing to an end a run of 18 straight point-scoring finishes. Perhaps most notably, the former World Championship leader, Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) tumbled out – but the Italian remains in touch in the standings, only eight points off the top.

From the Algarve to Andalucia, MotoGP now gets back on the road to head for the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, can Quartararo get ahead in the championship? It’s only next weekend too, so get ready for more as the Circuito de Jerez-Angeli Nieto welcomes the paddock back once more.

Fabio Quartararo: “Pushing myself to the limit. To be honest, I pushed the same in Austin and Argentina but mainly here our bike feels good, the straight is not so long and we had grip so we could go hammer time! Today I felt amazing from the Warm Up but in the race I made an amazing start. I wanted to be aggressive from the beginning because I knew if I was behind the Ducatis I would struggle so much. I’m super happy because I managed to get that first victory of the season and it’s the most important thing for me, to you know, never give up and it was the most important.”

MotoGP Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – Yamaha – 41’39.611
2 Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +5.409
3 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia – +6.068

Moto2
Italtrans Racing Team’s Joe Roberts is a Grand Prix winner! Grabbing a golden opportunity in a red-flagged and dramatic intermediate class encounter at the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal, the American bolted nearly three seconds clear in only a seven-lap sprint, taking the first intermediate class win for the USA in 32 years, and the first in any class since 2011. Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) took second to extend his points lead by a margin after drama for key contenders, with Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP 40) completing the podium.

A first start saw Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) take the holeshot from Aron Canet (FlexBox HP40) before the Spaniard then hit the front, but an isolated rain shower at Turn 2 then caught out eleven riders, including the top six at the time.

The leading trio of Canet, Beaubier and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) were joined in the gravel trap seconds later by Chantra, Arbolino, Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing), Albert Arenas (Autosolar GasGas Aspar), Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW Racing) and Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) as the sudden shower caused some chaos, with the red flag shown immediately thereafter.

None of the riders involved in the Turn 2 pile-up were able to take part in the 7-lap restart, meaning we had a revised grid of 18 riders: Autosolar GasGas Aspar Team’s Jake Dixon fired from pole position and took the lead on the opening lap, with Roberts starting second, but disaster struck for the Brit at Turn 7 as he slid out.

Roberts then put the pedal to the metal, and the American was absolutely hammering clear. The Californian was three seconds ahead of the fight for second in the blink of an eye, before managing his nerves on the final couple of laps to take a historic win – eleven years on from the last American Grand Prix victory and 32 years on from the last in the intermediate class.

Championship leader Vietti fought his way back into second for a valuable 20 points as key rivals were denied the chance to score, making the most of his slice of fortune as he extended his title lead out to 34 points. The Italian managed to find a way through on Navarro on the penultimate lap, before defending well on the final lap to secure his fourth podium in the opening five races of 2022. Navarro was delighted with third though, a first rostrum visit since Silverstone last year. Strong rides came in from Marcel Schrötter and rookie Manuel Gonzalez (VR46 MasterCamp) to take fourth and fifth.

Fellow rookie Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) ended up sixth after Fermin Aldeguer (Lightech Speed Up) was demoted a place to seventh on the final lap afetr a track limits infringement, and rounding out the top ten were Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), Barry Baltus (RW Racing) and Gabriel Rodrigo (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team).

Moto2 heads for Jerez next, with a fair few serious contenders looking to bounce back and get some serious points. Who will come out on top in Andalucia? We’ll find out next weekend! 

Moto2 Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) – Kalex – 12’09.757
2 Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Kalex – +2.818
3 Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – +2.991

Moto3
Sergio Garcia (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) took his second win of the year in the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal, first escaping in the lead and then fighting it out in a five-rider battle that went down to the final lap. COTA winner Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was back on the podium in second as he gets into the 2022 groove, and likewise Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) in third as the Japanese rider continues his speed this season.

Polesitter Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) got a great start to take the holeshot, but it was a storming start for Garcia and the number 11 was soon right on the Turk’s tail. Even sooner, he was past and making a gap at the front as Öncü slipped back into the clutches of Izan Guevara (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team), Sasaki and Masia.

As the laps ticked on, Guevara was tucked in and hunting down his teammate. A gap of over a second and a half gradually disappeared until, with 12 laps to go, the number 28 GASGAS machine took over at the front, and the troops had arrived alongside too to create a five-rider fight for the win.

Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), meanwhile, was still facing a fight for a bigger points haul. The number 7 faded back to outside the points early on and then had to pick his way back through, up to just outside the top ten with 10 to go. By then, the battle at the front was heating up although the quintet remained over five seconds clear. Masia and Garcia bashed fairings into Turn 1 as both went for the same bit of track, no harm done, but the elbows were out and they remained so.

Onto the last lap, Sasaki was ahead but Garcia nailed the final corner to tuck into the slipstream, shooting past and leading into Turn 1. Masia attacked too and got past Sasaki, then able to start homing in on the number 11 ahead, but it was soon close as ever. By the final corner for the final time, Garcia, Masia, Sasaki, Öncu and Guevara were absolutely glued together, and hammering towards the line each was just able to hang on in that order. No moves were made, but it was a spectacular finish. 

That’s a second win for Garcia this season and it puts him into the Championship lead by two points ahead of Foggia, and it was victory in a different style to his perfect pickpocketing in Argentina. Masia takes back to back podiums as he comes home second two weeks on from his COTA win, with Sasaki back on the box once again as his consistency continues in 2022.

Öncü just misses out on the podium once more but showed good speed, with Guevara forced to settle for fifth and the final spot in that fight at the front. The battle behind saw Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) come out on top in P6, with he and Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) able to get a little breathing space and turn that into a duel.

Foggia pushed his way through to eighth to do some damage limitation, with Australian rookie Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) taking P9. Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) was top debutant for much of the battle and crossed the line nearly alongside Foggia, but the Brazilian was then docked two positions for exceeding track limits and is classified P10.

Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) and British rookie Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) were the last of that group in P11, P12 and P13, with Lorenzo Fellon (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) completing the points scorers – Fellon despite a late Long Lap Penalty for track limits, and Nepa just pipping front row starter Mario Aji (Honda Team Asia).

That’s a wrap on the rollercoaster for another season – and it’s next stop Jerez with home hero Garcia back on top in the standings. It’s only two points in it though, so can Foggia hit back on enemy turf? We’ll find out next weekend!

Moto3 Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Sergio Garcia (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – 38’17.725
2 Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – KTM – +0.069
3 Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) – Husqvarna – +0.110

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The event began in the town by the waterfront, with fans gathering for a glimpse of their hero as Oliveira took to the stage, with Mayor of Portimão Isilda Gomes and circuit CEO Paulo Pinheiro also in attendance. After talking to the fans and revealing a special helmet design too, Oliveira then went down to the crowd, signed some autographs, and took more than a few selfies. Then it was time to get suited and booted for the ride to the track – for both rider and fans.

Riding alongside and following a MotoGP rider – who is riding a MotoGP bike – is a truly unique opportunity, and an awe-inspiring number of bikers weren’t about to pass that up. Once Oliveira’s RC16 was warmed up and ready to go, the procession took off from the town and the hundreds of bikes slotted in behind as the parade snaked its way up towards the track. With the journey taking more than half an hour, there was more than enough time for the fans to soak in the experience… and the experience was still far from over.

This time, the track wasn’t simply a destination. It awaited with another unique opportunity: a lap of the venue, with a MotoGP rider on a MotoGP bike. Thundering through the gates and up towards the paddock, the parade headed from the road onto the circuit for a lap of the iconic rollercoaster, with Oliveira remaining front and centre.

Miguel Oliveira: “We had a good comparison last year with fans and without, and for sure this season we wanted to also to make something special, a pre-event and it had to involve the fans. It was a great opportunity, the last time I rode a MotoGP machine on the street was in August after my win in Spielberg, so now we got the chance to ride it again and it’s quite special – this time even more because they can follow me, and it’s really cool.”

“I think everyone who loves motorcycles and riding… I mean, if I put myself in their shoes I wouldn’t miss this chance! It’s a huge opportunity to ride, see these bikes close up, which are amazing and quite unique. I wouldn’t want to miss it! It’s a great day. My expectations for the weekend is to enjoy the weekend and get a good result, haha. Being in Portugal gives me an extra boost and motivation that whatever happened before doesn’t really matter, it’s all about enjoying the weekend and doing the best we can.”

MotoGP is its own orchestra when the revs go up and the lights go out every Sunday, but the grid full of fans gave even the world’s fastest motorcycle racing Championship a run for its money on sheer energy and noise. If Portugal’s love of MotoGP and Miguel Oliveira needed an introduction, in 2022 it got one in serious style. And now it’s time for the rest of the grid to line up alongside the home hero and take on the former winner on familiar turf, so make sure to tune in for the 2022 Portuguese on Sunday at 13:00 (GMT +1).

The post Oliveira Leads Awe-inspiring Parade From Portimão appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Read the full race report here…

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Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) completed the podium as the race ended slightly prematurely, with Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashing at Turn 13 and bringing out the red flags. Riders ok, Oliveira also headed to local hospital for further checks.

Rewinding to the start, Miller propelled his GP21 off the line very well and grabbed the holeshot diving down the hill into Turn 1, but the Australian was slightly wide, allowing polesitter Bagnaia through and into the lead. Lap 1 saw Mir then pass Miller at Turn 8, the Spaniard making his front row start count, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) losing a couple of positions in the latter half of the top ten.

Bagnaia and Mir had the hammer down at the front, soon nearly a second clear of Miller. The Australian had Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Quartararo in hot pursuit too, with a duel followed by a group how it was looking early doors. And Bagnaia really started to get the hammer down on Lap 7, his lead up to seven tenths over Mir, who in turn was a second up the road from Miller. Third place soon went to Alex Marquez though, the double World Champion getting the job done at Turn 1 at the beginning of Lap 12.

As things stood then, with Bagnaia leading and Quartararo seventh, Ducati would be crowned Constructor Champions. And Pecco’s lead was stretching. With 12 laps to go, it was up to nearly two seconds over Mir, who in turn had a second and a half over Alex Marquez. For the Ducati in the lead, it only increased and Bagnaia was nearly two and a half clear with nine to go.

Mir, meanwhile, was holding Alex Marquez and Miller at bay by just over a second, with Martin, Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Quartararo a second and a half down on the podium fight in turn. A fantastic fight between Marquez and Miller was unfolding for the final podium spot too. Turn 1 witnessed Miller dive up the inside of the Honda, but Marquez was able to make the cutback work – so it was as you were with six laps to go. Quartararo was struggling to dismiss Pramac duo Martin and Zarco too, with Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) soon joining the scrap for P5.

With five to go, at Turn 5, it was done and dusted for the newly-crowned World Champion though. Quartararo slipped out of contention and suffered his first DNF of the season – rider ok after a fairly drama-free lowside. Focus turned then turned to the Miller vs Alex Marquez fight just up ahead, the Aussie still leading that ding-dong, with everything boiling up for a final lap scrap.

The last lap didn’t arrive, however, as a crash involving Lecuona and home hero Oliveira at Turn 13 brought out the Red Flags. Both riders were conscious and eventually up on their feet, but with three-quarters of the race completed, the race was declared a result at the beginning of Lap 24. It was investigated and no further action deemed necessary. Lecuona made his own error and unfortunately made contact thereafter with Oliveira in some pure bad luck for the home hero.

With that thought, it was done: Pecco’s victory ensures Ducati retain their Constructor crown, and it was a fantastic way to bounce back after the disappointment suffered by the Bologna camp at Misano. Mir returns to the rostrum for the first time since Aragon, and from his first MotoGP top three in qualifying, also turning his fortunes around after a tough Emilia-Romagna GP. Miller too ends a podium drought that stretched back to the Catalan GP, although the Aussie was ready for a 2014 Moto3 re-run, with ‘heaps of tyre’ ready to fight it out.

Still, Alex Marquez’ fantastic weekend ended with the Spaniard unluckily missing out on a chance to attack for the podium, but it was nonetheless a brilliant ride from the LCR Honda Castrol rider – a best result of the season for the number 73. Zarco claimed a lonely P5 in the end, but it’s a result that confirms the Frenchman as the top Independent Team rider in 2021. Pol Espargaro’s P6 was a job well done for the Spaniard, and talking of jobs well done, the rookie in seventh impressed.

Only a few months on from his Turn 7 horror crash, Martin returned to Portugal and picked up an impressive result to help Pramac Racing become Independent Team Champions – with Martin now just three points down on Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) in the Rookie of the Year fight. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) finished eighth ahead of Bastianini in ninth, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rounding out the top 10 from the near back of the grid.

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia), Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Andrea Dovizioso (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Marc Marquez’ stand-in Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) completed the points, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) the other finishers in Portimão as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) suffered DNFs.

One round now remains, and Pecco is back on top! The Italian has secured the silver medal in the MotoGP World Championship, as well as helping Ducati secure the Constructor crown. Now, Ducati Lenovo Team and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP go head-to-head for the Team Championship in Valencia. The season finale is just around the corner – don’t miss out on all the action as MotoGP returns next weekend!

Francesco Bagnaia: “I’m very happy, we did an enormous job this weekend. I enjoyed every session, from the start my feeling with the bike was incredible. I enjoyed the race a lot, but the Red Flag was scary but fortunately everyone is ok. I’m happy about that, it was better to finish with the chequered  but I’m glad everyone is ok. Enormous job, we won the constructor’s Championship which is so important for us, we’re leading the Team Championship, another great thing. And I think I’m definitely runner up in the Championship now so we did a good job this weekend.”

MotoGP podium (Full Results Here)

1 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 38’17.720
2 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki –  +2.478
3 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +6.402

Moto2
Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) secured what’s likely the most important victory of his career at the Grande Prémio Brembo do Algarve and now takes a 23-point lead into the final round in Valencia. The Australian got the better of rival and teammate Raul Fernandez as the Spaniard had to settle for P2 despite an early lead. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) completed the podium, ultimately less than a second away from Fernandez.

As the lights went out, Raul Fernandez and Gardner both made good starts and they launched into Turn 1 as they lined up on the grid – P1 and P2. Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) made a lightning start from seventhto push his way up into P3 in the opening exchanges too, and the Italian was soon ahead of Gardner to boot. The top three – Raul Fernandez, Bezzecchi and Gardner – were split by just over a second in the early stages, with Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) in an impressive fourth, two seconds down on the podium fight.

After shadowing Bezzecchi for a few laps, Gardner was back up into P2 on Lap 9, with Raul Fernandez’ lead standing at just over a second. As things were, the gap between the Red Bull KTM Ajo pair would have been 13 points heading to Valencia, but Gardner was starting to reel his teammate in…

Turn 1, Lap 13. Gardner, with more grip, was truly on the scene and passed Raul Fernandez down the hill. Bezzecchi was three seconds further behind, so it looked set to send in a duel, but Gardner wasn’t pulling away. The number 25 of his teammate was latched onto his rear tyre, with Lowes the new threat in P3 as the Brit caught and passed Bezzecchi. Heading into the final five laps, Raul Fernandez was still hanging in there but couldn’t get close enough to make a move. But with three to go, the gap went up over a second, and it only increased from there…

By the last lap, Lowes was lapping nearly a second a lap quicker than Raul Fernandez too, and if the number 22 overtook the number 25, that would hand the title to Gardner. And the Brit got close but not quite close enough, with Gardner taking 25 points under extreme pressure and in a fair bit of pain after his crash on Friday. Fernandez hung on in second, and Lowes completed the podium after another good ride at the front, pulling a little more clear in fourth overall heading to Valencia.

Aron Canet (QuieroCorredor Aspar Team) ultimately pipped Beaubier to P4 but the duo crossed the line just 0.005 apart, and the American equalled his best Moto2 result. Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) claimed P6 as the Italian once again impresses, the rookie beating Jorge Navarro (Termozeta Speed Up) by eight tenths. Bezzecchi slipped from P2 to P8 at the chequered flag. Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) rounded out the top 10.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) couldn’t covert a front row start into a podium, finishing P11, with Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP40), Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP40), Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) and Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) grabbed the final points.

Gardner’s victory sees him have one hand and four fingers on the 2021 Moto2 World title, but it’s not over until it’s over. A phenomenal season finale is coming up in Valencia between the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo… so who comes out on top after a thrilling season?

Moto2 podium (Full Results Here)

1 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 39’36.275
2 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – +3.014
3 Sam Lowes – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Kalex – +3.899

Moto3
In an unbelievable Moto3 Grande Prémio Brembo do Algarve, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took both victory and the 2021 World Championship in a dramatic penultimate round of the season. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) was taken out at Turn 3 on the final lap after leading for much of the race, the Italian experiencing some late heartbreak after a sensational run of form. After that incident, Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46 Academy) came through to complete the podium behind Acosta.

Polesitter Sergio Garcia (MuchoNeumatico GASGAS Aspar Team) grabbed the holeshot into Turn 1, with Adrian Fernandez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) getting the better of John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) down the hill. Foggia lost a couple of places on the first lap but the pocket rocket slipstreamed his way to P1 at the beginning of Lap 2, with Acosta 12th at the end of the first lap.

However, Acosta was carving his way through the pack and soon enough was 6th. Foggia, up front, had a stellar Lap 3 to set the fastest lap of the race and stretch a lead over Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) to over half a second, but Acosta remained on the march and was up to P4 after passing Fernandez and McPhee – the latter crashing unhurt at Turn 13 on Lap 5. 

By Lap 9, Acosta finally got the better of Binder into Turn 5 and the top two in the title chase were now 1-2, with Foggia leading Acosta. Diving down the hill into Turn 1 on Lap 10, the number 37 then led for the first time. However, he was wide, allowing Foggia and Binder to get back past. Now though, Acosta had his teammate Jaume Masia with him in the fight at the front too…

Just like that, Masia was past Acosta at the start of Lap 13, then shoved his way up the inside of Foggia at Turn 3. Masia sat Foggia up, the Spaniard taking the lead and Acosta following him through. Turn 5 on the same lap saw the Championship leader then take the lead again too, but Masia returned the favour on the front straight. Acosta then looked behind him and lost some time, dropping to sixth as Foggia got back into the lead.

Five to go it was Foggia-Binder-Acosta, and at his favoured Turn 13, the number 37 grabbed second from Binder and once again the two title contenders were leading the group. With four to go, it was as you were. With three to go, not quite. Turn 3 saw Acosta overtake Foggia, and Turn 5 then saw Masia crash out of the battle.

Two to go. Foggia reeled in Acosta and a brilliant move up the inside at Turn 11 gave the Italian the lead once more as the riders clocked onto the final lap: Foggia 1st, Acosta 2nd. But then the drama came at Turn 3. Acosta dived up the inside for the lead, and behind them Binder was in hot. The South African collided with the back of Foggia, who crashed, with Garcia also getting caught up in the incident. And that, ultimately, was all she wrote for Foggia’s title chances.

Acosta kept it pinned up ahead and making no mistake on the last lap, took victory. From P14 on the grid to the top step, he is the 2021 World Champion. Migno and Antonelli avoided the Turn 3 drama to come through, the Italians getting the better side of luck this time around to complete the podium.

Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) picked up P4 ahead of Izan Guevara (MuchoNeaumatico GASGAS Aspar Team) and Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3) – the latter duo producing fine performances after taking Long Lap penalties in the race. Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing), Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Filip Salač (CarXpert PrüstelGP) rounded out the top 10.

Fernandez, Carlos Tatay (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3), FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship riders Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power), and Alberto Surra (Rivacold Snipers Team) completed the points. Binder, after causing the crash that saw Foggia and Garcia go down on the last lap, crossed the line in P4 but was then disqualified from the race.

So there we have it – Pedro Acosta is the 2021 Moto3 World Champion. A young Spaniard taking the world by storm, Acosta has been nothing short of phenomenal this season and becomes the first rookie lightweight class Champion since Loris Capirossi in 1990. Commiserations to Foggia, who now heads to Valencia hoping to end his classy campaign on a high, but both riders have given us a title chase to remember. As has Garcia in the earlier season – and the Aspar rider’s record at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo teases a highflying end to the season….

Moto3 podium (Full Results Here)

1 Pedro Acosta – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM – 38’04.339
2 Andrea Migno – Rivacold Snipers Team – Honda – +0.354
3 Niccolo Antonelli – Avintia VR46 Academy – KTM – +0.880

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In what was one of the most intense opening five laps of the season, neither Razgatlioglu or Rea wanted to give an inch as they duelled hard. On lap two, Rea put a superb pass on Razgatlioglu at turn 11 but Toprak held on at turn 12, firing his Yamaha back through. Rea tried again at turn 13 but ran slightly wide, whilst Razgatlioglu scythed back through, colliding with Rea. The fight continued as Rea had a huge moment at turn one on lap five before getting under Razgatlioglu again at turn 11, whilst race leader Scott Redding ran wide at turn 13, with Rea coming back through to the lead. Then, disaster, as Rea tucked the front at turn 15, his Kawasaki ZX-10 RR barrelling through the gravel.

At the front, Scott Redding was leading the way until Toprak took back the lead at turn 1 with just less than four laps to go, and whilst Redding continued to try and retaliate, he couldn’t keep Toprak at bay. Razgatlioglu delivered Yamaha a first Portimao win since Marco Melandri in 2011. 

The fight for third was an ongoing affair throughout the 20-lap encounter with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) starting from third place holding onto that position until around the mid-way point of the race before he dropped positions, with Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) working his way up to third place on lap 12. There was plenty of action between the six riders in contention for a podium, with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK), Haslam and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) all running wide at turn one at various points of the race.

As the race progressed, Bautista was unable to pull out a gap to the chasing pack with Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) and Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) chasing Bautista, Baz making the move at turn one before van der Mark and Locatelli, still chasing third, made contact at turn five with Locatelli retiring and van der Mark bringing his bike back to the pits; the incident will be investigated after the race by the FIM WorldSBK stewards. With the pair out of contention for the podium, Baz and Bautista battled for third place with the Spaniard coming out on top. At turn 15 on the final lap, Bautista crashed out of the race with Baz inheriting third place.

Rinaldi finished the race in fourth place after the incredible battle for third place, with Haslam eventually coming home in fifth place after starting from the front row. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed a solid sixth place, just three tenths behind Haslam in fifth place.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong rookie campaign with seventh place ahead of Argentinean star Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda) claiming eighth place – his best result of the 2021 campaign. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) battled up for ninth with Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha).

Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) missed out on the top ten by just over half-a-second but came home in 11th place, just ahead of Italian Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team); Cavalieri just a second behind Viñales. 2014 Moto2 World Champion Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) scored points on his first WorldSBK race onboard Kawasaki machinery, with Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) rounding out the points.

Lachlan Epis, retired from the race, while Gabriele Ruiu (B-Max Racing Team) was also a retirement from the race, along with Rea, Locatelli, van der Mark and Bautista.

Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.691s
3 Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) +10.628s

Tissot Sprint Race
Almost 3,000 days since their last win in 2013 (Nürburgring), BMW claimed WorldSBK victory as Michael van der Mark mastered tricky conditions at the Algarve circuit at Portugal’s Portimao to take the flag in the Tissot Superpole Sprint, while title contender Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea crashed out. 

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) got the better start of the xhampionship’s lead trio but soon found himself under pressure from Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with six-time world champion Rea taking the lead on the opening lap.

As the leaders approached turn 13, Rea lost the front of his machine and went off the track, the crash forcing him out of the race for the second consecutive race after his race one crash on Saturday, meaning Rea will start from tenth for race two Sunday afternoon.   Razgatlioglu and Redding were the lead duo, but things soon changed in the 10-lap race as Razgatlioglu dropped down through the order while Redding remained clear at the front.

\With all the drama out in front, van der Mark was working his way through the field and moved into the lead of the race on lap 4 after taking advantage of Redding running wide at the left-hander hairpin; BMW leading a race for the first time since Phillip Island 2020. He will therefore start race two from first on the grid, ahead of Redding in second.

Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) claimed third place after withstanding the challenge from Leon Haslam (Team HRC), although Haslam did briefly pass Baz before crashing out on lap 8. A second crash for Haslam on lap 9 meant he brought his machine back to the pits, promoting Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) into fourth place.

Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) was another beneficiary from his teammate’s misfortune to move into fifth place, ahead of championship leader Razgatlioglu in sixth; the Turkish star able to limit his damage in the race after dropping down the order rapidly in the early stages, with Bautista and Razgatlioglu completing the second row alongside Locatelli.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his streak of top-ten finishes since his podium finish in Catalunya with seventh place, withstanding a charge from Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) with the American star just 0.068s behind Bassani. Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was almost two seconds back from Gerloff with ninth as he starts from the third row.

Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) claimed the first top ten of his WorldSBK career as he finished in tenth place, as the top Kawasaki rider, two seconds clear of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) in 11th; although both riders will start from their Superpole result as they missed out on a top-nine spot.

Tissot Superpole Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +4.140s
3 Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) +5.479s

Race Two
The start was delayed due to a technical issue when the riders were lining up on the grid, with the delay meaning the race distanced was reduced one lap to 19 laps. Starting from tenth place, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was on the move from the get-go and was second by the end of the opener, while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) moved into third place.

Rea made his move for the lead through the fast turn nine left-hander on lap two on Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), relegating the British rider who had led from the start. At the start of lap two, Razgatlioglu passed Rea into turn one before the six-time world champion responded. The trio were battling throughout the opening laps, with both Razgatlioglu and Rea able to take advantage of Redding running wide at turns five and ten on the same lap.

Razgatlioglu made a move on Rea down the start-and-finish straight to move into the right-hander of turn one at the start of lap seven, before Rea responded at turn ten. At the end of lap ten, Razgatlioglu crashed at turn 15, the same place Rea did in race one, forcing the championship leader out of the race. Rea went on to take the 110th win and the 210th podium of his career, narrowing the gap in the championship to 24 points. Rea’s victory means both he and Razgatlioglu have scored 25 podiums this season, the first time it has happened in WorldSBK history. The top two in the Championship are also tied with 25 podiums and 11 wins each.

At the start of lap 13, Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) moved up into podium contention after his third-place start in race two after overtaking Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) into turn one; Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) had tried to pass both of them but Baz was wise to it, cutting back on the Spanish rider to re-take third place. Two laps later and Bautista looked to make a move through the opening couple of corners with Baz defending and keeping the position.

On lap 18, Bautista looked to make a move on Baz into the turn five hairpin, with Bautista running wide and Baz looking to reclaim the place. Through the exit of the corner, the pair made contact with Bautista coming off his bike and retiring from the race. Baz held on to cross the line in third place, while Locatelli came home in fourth place after withstanding a late surge from fellow Yamaha rider Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in fifth place. After the race, Baz was sanctioned with a one place position drop, demoting him to fourth place and promoting Locatelli to third; the Italian’s fourth podium of his campaign.

Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was sixth after starting from first place, five seconds clear of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with the Italian suffering from a right ankle sprain and contusion and a right hip contusion following his Tissot Superpole Race crash. He battled with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) throughout the race with the pair separated by just three tenths at the end of the 19-lap encounter.

Italian rookie Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong form with ninth place, after battling with Rea during the open lap of the race, eventually finishing two tenths clear of Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) as he scored points again as he continues to stand in for Tom Sykes.

Laverty finished five seconds clear of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) in 11th place, who was also clear of Spanish rider Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 12th place. Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 13th, just over a second behind Viñales, with Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) and Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) rounding out the points. Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) was the last of the classified runners in 16th place.

Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) was the first retirement of the race after a crash at the start of lap three, with the Belgian rookie taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the incident. Cresson was diagnosed with a concussion and a left knee injury and will be transported to Portimao Hospital for further assessments. Cresson’s teammate, Lachlan Epis, also retired from the race while Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) suffered from technical issues during the early running and brought his bike back to the pits. Wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (B-Max Racing Team) was also a retirement from race two after completing 10 laps.

Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +5.425s
3 Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +12.289s

Championship Standings After Round 11 (Full Standings Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 478 points
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 454
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 424

The post WorldSBK: Race Reports From RD11 At Portimao appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

In what was one of the most intense opening five laps of the season, neither Razgatlioglu or Rea wanted to give an inch as they duelled hard. On lap two, Rea put a superb pass on Razgatlioglu at turn 11 but Toprak held on at turn 12, firing his Yamaha back through. Rea tried again at turn 13 but ran slightly wide, whilst Razgatlioglu scythed back through, colliding with Rea. The fight continued as Rea had a huge moment at turn one on lap five before getting under Razgatlioglu again at turn 11, whilst race leader Scott Redding ran wide at turn 13, with Rea coming back through to the lead. Then, disaster, as Rea tucked the front at turn 15, his Kawasaki ZX-10 RR barrelling through the gravel.

At the front, Scott Redding was leading the way until Toprak took back the lead at turn 1 with just less than four laps to go, and whilst Redding continued to try and retaliate, he couldn’t keep Toprak at bay. Razgatlioglu delivered Yamaha a first Portimao win since Marco Melandri in 2011. 

The fight for third was an ongoing affair throughout the 20-lap encounter with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) starting from third place holding onto that position until around the mid-way point of the race before he dropped positions, with Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) working his way up to third place on lap 12. There was plenty of action between the six riders in contention for a podium, with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK), Haslam and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) all running wide at turn one at various points of the race.

As the race progressed, Bautista was unable to pull out a gap to the chasing pack with Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) and Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) chasing Bautista, Baz making the move at turn one before van der Mark and Locatelli, still chasing third, made contact at turn five with Locatelli retiring and van der Mark bringing his bike back to the pits; the incident will be investigated after the race by the FIM WorldSBK stewards. With the pair out of contention for the podium, Baz and Bautista battled for third place with the Spaniard coming out on top. At turn 15 on the final lap, Bautista crashed out of the race with Baz inheriting third place, his first podium since his WorldSBK return.

Rinaldi finished the race in fourth place after the incredible battle for third place, with Haslam eventually coming home in fifth place after starting from the front row. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed a solid sixth place, just three tenths behind Haslam in fifth place.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong rookie campaign with seventh place ahead of Argentinean star Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda) claiming eighth place – his best result of the 2021 campaign. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) battled up for ninth with Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) claiming tenthh.

Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) missed out on the top ten by just over half-a-second but came home in 11th place, just ahead of Italian Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team); Cavalieri just a second behind Viñales. 2014 Moto2 World Champion Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) scored points on his first WorldSBK race onboard Kawasaki machinery, with Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) rounding out the points.

Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) was the last of the classified riders with the Belgian missing out on a point by just 0.079s. Cresson’s teammate, Lachlan Epis, retired from the race after bringing his bike into the pits, while Gabriele Ruiu (B-Max Racing Team) was also a retirement from the race, along with Rea, Locatelli, van der Mark and Bautista.

Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.691s
3 Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) +10.628s

Tissot Sprint Race
Almost 3,000 days since their last win in 2013 (Nürburgring), BMW claimed WorldSBK victory as Michael van der Mark mastered tricky conditions at the Algarve circuit at Portugal’s Portimao to take the flag in the Tissot Superpole Sprint, while title contender Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea crashed out. 

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) got the better start of the xhampionship’s lead trio but soon found himself under pressure from Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with six-time world champion Rea taking the lead on the opening lap.

As the leaders approached turn 13, Rea lost the front of his machine and went off the track, the crash forcing him out of the race for the second consecutive race after his race one crash on Saturday, meaning Rea will start from tenth for race two Sunday afternoon.   Razgatlioglu and Redding were the lead duo, but things soon changed in the 10-lap race as Razgatlioglu dropped down through the order while Redding remained clear at the front.

\With all the drama out in front, van der Mark was working his way through the field and moved into the lead of the race on lap 4 after taking advantage of Redding running wide at the left-hander hairpin; BMW leading a race for the first time since Phillip Island 2020. He will therefore start race two from first on the grid, ahead of Redding in second.

Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) claimed third place after withstanding the challenge from Leon Haslam (Team HRC), although Haslam did briefly pass Baz before crashing out on lap 8. A second crash for Haslam on lap 9 meant he brought his machine back to the pits, promoting Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) into fourth place.

Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) was another beneficiary from his teammate’s misfortune to move into fifth place, ahead of championship leader Razgatlioglu in sixth; the Turkish star able to limit his damage in the race after dropping down the order rapidly in the early stages, with Bautista and Razgatlioglu completing the second row alongside Locatelli.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his streak of top-ten finishes since his podium finish in Catalunya with seventh place, withstanding a charge from Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) with the American star just 0.068s behind Bassani. Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was almost two seconds back from Gerloff with ninth as he starts from the third row.

Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) claimed the first top ten of his WorldSBK career as he finished in tenth place, as the top Kawasaki rider, two seconds clear of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) in 11th; although both riders will start from their Superpole result as they missed out on a top-nine spot.

Tissot Superpole Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +4.140s
3 Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) +5.479s

Race Two
The start was delayed due to a technical issue when the riders were lining up on the grid, with the delay meaning the race distanced was reduced one lap to 19 laps. Starting from tenth place, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was on the move from the get-go and was second by the end of the opener, while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) moved into third place.

Rea made his move for the lead through the fast turn nine left-hander on lap two on Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), relegating the British rider who had led from the start. At the start of lap two, Razgatlioglu passed Rea into turn one before the six-time world champion responded. The trio were battling throughout the opening laps, with both Razgatlioglu and Rea able to take advantage of Redding running wide at turns five and ten on the same lap.

Razgatlioglu made a move on Rea down the start-and-finish straight to move into the right-hander of turn one at the start of lap seven, before Rea responded at turn ten. At the end of lap ten, Razgatlioglu crashed at turn 15, the same place Rea did in race one, forcing the championship leader out of the race. Rea went on to take the 110th win and the 210th podium of his career, narrowing the gap in the championship to 24 points. Rea’s victory means both he and Razgatlioglu have scored 25 podiums this season, the first time it has happened in WorldSBK history. The top two in the Championship are also tied with 25 podiums and 11 wins each.

At the start of lap 13, Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) moved up into podium contention after his third-place start in race two after overtaking Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) into turn one; Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) had tried to pass both of them but Baz was wise to it, cutting back on the Spanish rider to re-take third place. Two laps later and Bautista looked to make a move through the opening couple of corners with Baz defending and keeping the position.

On lap 18, Bautista looked to make a move on Baz into the turn five hairpin, with Bautista running wide and Baz looking to reclaim the place. Through the exit of the corner, the pair made contact with Bautista coming off his bike and retiring from the race. Baz held on to cross the line in third place, while Locatelli came home in fourth place after withstanding a late surge from fellow Yamaha rider Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in fifth place. After the race, Baz was sanctioned with a one place position drop, demoting him to fourth place and promoting Locatelli to third; the Italian’s fourth podium of his rookie campaign.

Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was sixth after starting from first place, five seconds clear of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with the Italian suffering from a right ankle sprain and contusion and a right hip contusion following his Tissot Superpole Race crash. He battled with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) throughout the race with the pair separated by just three tenths at the end of the 19-lap encounter.

Italian rookie Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong form with ninth place, after battling with Rea during the open lap of the race, eventually finishing two tenths clear of Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) as he scored points again as he continues to stand in for Tom Sykes.

Laverty finished five seconds clear of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) in 11th place, who was also clear of Spanish rider Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 12th place. Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 13th, just over a second behind Viñales, with Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) and Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) rounding out the points. Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) was the last of the classified runners in 16th place.

Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) was the first retirement of the race after a crash at the start of lap three, with the Belgian rookie taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the incident. Cresson was diagnosed with a concussion and a left knee injury and will be transported to Portimao Hospital for further assessments. Cresson’s teammate, Lachlan Epis, also retired from the race while Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) suffered from technical issues during the early running and brought his bike back to the pits. Wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (B-Max Racing Team) was also a retirement from race two after completing 10 laps.

Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +5.425s
3 Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +12.289s

Championship Standings After Round 11 (Full Standings Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 478 points
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 454
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 424

The post WorldSBK: Race Reports From RD11 At Portimao appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Fabio Quartararo converted pole position into victory at the Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal as the MotoGP race saw some big names crash out, but the Frenchman remained cool and calm at the front despite intense pressure from Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar).

It wasn’t to be for the number 42 though as he crashed out, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) then carving his way through to second and just holding off third placed Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). The returning Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) battled through the pain to finish P7 after a few feisty exchanges.

Stay up to date with MotoGP news here…

The initial getaway from polesitter Quartararo was about as good as it gets, but in the second phase of the start, Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Rins got the better of the Yamaha man and it was the Suzuki who actually grabbed the holeshot. Zarco hit back to take over as the early race leader though, and Marc Marquez made a searing start to move up and battle Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) for P3. Mir made a typically great start and was up into the top five, and it was Mir vs Marquez again on the opening lap. Before long, the reigning World Champion shoved his GSX-RR up the inside of the Repsol Honda at Turn 11 for P3.

Zarco led the opening lap and at Turn 3, Marc Marquez and Mir came close again – too close. The eight-time World Champion tagged the back of Mir, who luckily stayed on, but it allowed Quartararo to squirm back through to fourth past Marquez. Miller and then Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) also passed Marquez as the number 93 to P7, with Rins showing a wheel to Zarco at Turn 13 nearer the front.

Lap 3 saw Quartararo make a clean move up the inside of Mir at Turn 1 for P3, the Frenchman making swift progress after getting a bit beaten up at the start. A Turn 13 move on Zarco stuck at the third time of asking a lap later. By Lap 5, Rins was now the race leader, but Zarco blasted back through on the straight. Then, suddenly, the sound of a bike hitting the deck was heard and as the cameras panned out, we saw Miller down at Turn 3 at the beginning of Lap 6. The Australian’s Portuguese GP was over after just over four laps, a disaster for the factory Ducati man. On the same lap, Miguel Oliveira’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) hopes of another dream home round rostrum were also over as the Portuguese star was down at Turn 14. He remounted but it was game over for Oliveira.

Meanwhile, Quartararo had followed Rins through on Zarco and the Yamaha man now had his radar firmly set on P1. Just like he had on the other Suzuki of Mir, Quartararo dived up the inside down the hill into Turn 1 and El Diablo was now at the head of the race. This was now where Quartararo and Rins started to display some superiority and a handful of laps later, third place Mir was one and a half seconds down on the leading duo, with Lap 14 seeing Quartararo set a 1:39.680 – the fastest lap. However, Rins was matching the Yamaha every step of the way for now, and the duo exchanged fastest laps on numerous occasions. Some colossal drama was about to unfold, however,

First, we saw Rins crash at Turn 5 on Lap 19 of 25. The downhill, tricky left-hander caught out the Spaniard who was right behind Quartararo, and it was race over for the number 42. That gave Quartararo a 4.2 second lead over Zarco, with Bagnaia grabbing P3 off Mir at Turn 5. Then, a lap later at Turn 11, the former World Championship leader was down. Zarco’s front washed away the top of the hill and the Frenchman slid out of contention, just after Bagnaia had picked him off at Turn 5.

And so, barring a disaster, victory was Quartararo’s. The podium battle, however, was still well on. Bagnaia was holding P2 and looking good, with Mir having Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) in his mirrors heading into the final exchanges. With two to go, the trio were locked together but Pecco wasn’t buckling, and fifth place Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was less than a second away from Morbidelli’s rear wheel to boot. Mir was pressuring Bagnaia but the Italian was holding firm, and on the last lap, the Suzuki rider looked tempted…

Five seconds down the road, Quartararo cruised over the line to pick up his second win of 2021. A commanding victory for factory Yamaha’s new recruit, and one that sees him take a 15-point lead into Jerez – a circuit he was quite successful at last season. That makes it three from three for Yamaha for the first time since 2010, too. Behind that, Bagnaia was just able to keep it pinned to the line to complete an awesome recovery from P11 to P2 after some qualifying heartbreak, and he’s up to P2 in the standings with his first podium of the year. Mir couldn’t get past the Ducati but he held off the Yamaha of Morbidelli by 0.179s to earn his first podium of 2021, an important result from the World Champion and another rostrum after starting from outside the top two rows. More of his podiums come from further down the grid than not, somehow.

It was a return to form for fourth place Morbidelli as the Italian got back in the podium hunt throughout to hopefully banish his Losail woes. Binder’s P5 proves once again the South African is a Sunday rider through and through, and that’s a morale-boosting result for KTM and Binder ahead of Jerez – where the then-rookie had some serious speed last year. Aleix Espargaro earns Aprilia an equal-best MotoGP result in P6, yet another great ride from the Spaniard, who was 4.3 seconds ahead of the next man on track…

That man is Marc Marquez. The eight-time World Champion completed his first race since the 2019 Valencia GP finale, and emotions were shown by the Spaniard when he arrived back in his box. And in his debrief.

Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) bagged his first top 10 of the year in P8, with reigning Moto2 World Champion Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) picking up his second top 10 MotoGP result in P9. It was another brilliant ride from ‘The Beast’, and what an absolutely superb effort from 10th place Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) too. The battered and bruised Japanese rider has been in considerable pain all weekend since his huge Friday Turn 1 crash, but a P10 sums up just how tough – physically and mentally – MotoGP riders are.

Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) didn’t recover from a horror start, and in the end benefited from a few crashes to pick up P11.Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) slipped to P12 from a P8 start but it was nevertheless a very promising weekend for the Italian, and a job well done after some awesome speed in practice. Injured Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing), Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) completed the points, and Oliveira was the final finisher in P16 after his crash.

Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) crashed at Turn 11, rider ok, with Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) pulling into pitlane in the early stages with a technical issue.

And on we go. Quartararo marches on in the 2021 title race and two wins from three is the Frenchman’s tally heading to Jerez. A weekend off is followed by the Spanish GP at the end of April/start of May, and already the title race is twisting and turning. After all, this is MotoGP… so make sure to come back for more!

Fabio Quartararo: “Good to feel back! I feel full of confidence. Bringing that confidence from Qatar. Now we know what we need work to go fast. I only need to feel the front and I go fast and just focus on my riding. Woah, what a pace, I didn’t expect it, I was less than half a second from my qualifying lap on the pace. It was amazing, also the pressure of Rins in the back, I wanted to make a gap. He made a mistake and then… I was riding well; I was riding easy and still making a gap to Pecco.”

“We did an amazing job, we were P1 all day yesterday, P1 today, thanks to the team. Important points, and now we go to one of my favourite tracks in Jerez. I can’t wait to be there, thanks to my family for watching. It will be a great celebration for my birthday in two days.”

MotoGP podium (Full Results Here)

1 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 41:46.412
2 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +4.809
3 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +4.948

Moto2
Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) just loves the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. After dominating at the track last season to sign off from Moto3 with a win, the Spaniard returned in Moto2 with a podium already under his belt and it seemed somewhat like fate.

Fighting his way through a few big rivals, the Spaniard crossed the line a second and a half clear for his first intermediate class win, underlining his impressive form so far and moving up to second in the Championship. Aron Canet (Solunion Aspar Team) took his first Moto2 podium in second after an impressive ride, with Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) charging past Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) late on to complete the podium. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed out at Turn 1, leaving his key rivals with an open goal…

Lowes was the first big headline, that sending shockwaves through the race. Late on the brakes into Turn 1 after a tough start, the Brit was careering straight towards Gardner’s rear wheel and was forced to pick it up and run wide, the rear end then kicking him off. Rider ok, but some big drama to start the Moto2 race.

At the front, Gardner led on Lap 1 but Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) was the man on the move in the opening exchanges and blasted past on the home straight. Roberts had made a good start from P8 to battle Gardner for P2 as the latter got out of shape coming out of Turn 1. Bezzecchi was able to pull out a healthy one second lead at the front but Canet was making moves and soon, the lead was cut to nothing as Gardner and the five other chasers reeled in the Italian.

Yet more drama unfolded just behind as we saw a huge crash involving Yari Montella (Lightech Speed Up) and Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP40) at the final corner, both bikes catching fire in the gravel trap. Montella, who highsided, was taken to the medical centre for a check-up and later declared fit. And more: at Turn 5, the two Idemitsu Honda Team Asia riders were down as Ai Ogura made contact with American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier. Ogura got out of shape and couldn’t help but crash into Somkiat Chantra, an unfortunate racing incident between the two teammates.

Lap 11 saw Canet take the lead, but Roberts then pounced at Turn 1 as Canet and Bezzecchi went wide. Bezzecchi slipped to P4 as Gardner also passed the Italian, but one of the pre-race favourites then made a couple of mistakes in the soaring Portuguese heat. That saw the Aussie lose valuable ground as Canet and Roberts made a breakaway, but the Spaniard and American scrapped it out for a few laps and Canet also got a track limits warning. Enter Raul Fernandez. The rookie was lapping far superior to his rivals and he soon picked off both Roberts and Canet to take the lead with four to go, late race pace searing him through.

The rookie pulled 0.7s clear in three laps, setting another fastest lap of the race on Lap 21 of 23, a 1:42.86, and his teammate Gardner was finding some late pace too in P4, the Australian reeling in Roberts and Canet. Three personal best laps from Gardner was mega stuff but nothing was going to stop Raul Fernandez, on the final lap his lead was up to 1.2 seconds and it seemed the job was done as attentions turned to the three-way scrap for P2 and P3.

Roberts lunged up the inside of Canet at Turn 11, but Canet then dived back at Turn 13,  but both ran slightly wide to give Gardner an invitation. Roberts switched to the inside for Turn 14 but the narrow line he took saw him open a small gap for the Aussie to squeeze into, an that he did – making some contact but getting through, Roberts staying on but watching the podium fade away.

Up the road though, Raul Fernandez had rounded the final corner to win his first Moto2 race, with Canet cementing his first intermediate class podium with a hard-earned P2, escaping the discussion on whether rubbing is racing raging just behind him. Gardner’s third, however, sees him head to Jerez as Championship leader for the first time.

Roberts was unlucky to lose out on a podium in Portimão but it was nevertheless a great ride from the American. Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) backs up his Doha P6 with P5 as the Spaniard continues to find form in 2021, and Bezzecchi was eventually forced to settle for P6 having led in the early laps. Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) was a second behind Bezzecchi in a solid P7, with Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP40) earning his first points of the season in P8. Beaubier is a top 10 Moto2 finisher after a brilliant ride to P9 on his first visit to the Algarve International Circuit, and Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completed the top 10.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team), Albert Arenas (Solunion Aspar Team), Lorenzo Baldassarri (MV Agusta Forward Racing) and Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) were the remaining point scorers. Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) crashed at Turn 8 unhurt, with Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) taking out compatriot Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) at Turn 1.

Moto2 podium (Full Results Here)

1 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 39:47.377
2 Aron Canet – Solunion Aspar Team – Boscoscuro – +1.600
3 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – +1.968

Moto3
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) has done it again! The rookie sensation took a hard-fought victory at the Grande Premio 888 de Portugal after a brilliant last lap move on Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), keeping it pinned to the line to make a little more history.

After becoming the first rider to win from pitlane in Moto3 last time out, Acosta is now the youngest rider with three Grand Prix podiums in a row and the first rider since MotoGP Legend Daijiro Kato to take podiums on his first three GP appearances. Oh, and Acosta extended his Championship lead to a stunning 31 points after just three races. Behind the duel for the win won by the Spaniard, Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) converted pole into a podium after showing great pace all weekend.

It was Migno who took the holeshot, the Italian off like a shot from pole and into the lead ahead of a storming start from Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing). Foggia slotted into third ahead of Sergio Garcia (GASGAS Valresa Aspar Team), with a lead freight train forming from the off. Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) had his pitlane start first, before five seconds later Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) set off. Then, John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing).

Back at the front, Artigas took the lead at the end of Lap 1, but the rookie’s impressive race would sadly provide the first drama as a touch from Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) sent him tumbling out of contention. Rodrigo was given a Long Lap penalty for the incident, and the freight train rolled on.

Foggia was the man doing a lot of the work in the lead, the Leopard rider looking confident out front and Acosta tagged onto him, up at the sharp end immediately alongside teammate Jaume Masia, Garcia, Migno, Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and a few more familiar frontrunning faces. By nine to go, there was more drama as Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) collected Izan Guevara (GASGAS Valresa Aspar Team) and the two crashed out. The leading train was 11 riders, with Rodrigo back on their tail after his Long Lap.

The next drama came from Adrian Fernandez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) as the rookie collected the veteran, leaving a nine-rider group fighting for the win – and the familiar Leopard and Red Bull KTM Ajo colours at the front. As the laps ticked on the fervour went up a few notches, and with four to go the Turn 1 shuffle was getting brutal as Acosta headed a little wide with nowhere else to go, Migno took back the lead and Foggia had to settle for second.

By the penultimate lap, Foggia led Acosta and that’s how the final lap began as just behind, Garcia somehow saved a highside but that was the Spaniard’s podium hopes over. Meanwhile, Masia was up to P3 but then there was yet more drama at Turn 5 as the number 5 slid down the road, his hopes of a race win over too. Now, it was a straight fight between Foggia and Acosta.

Acosta was a monster on the brakes at Turn 11 and clawed back enough ground and then, at Turn 13, the rookie sensation made his move: late on the brakes, up the inside, full lean angle, clean pass. Just two corners remained before a run to the line, but coming over the crest of the final corner, Acosta’s KTM was squirming. Somehow he didn’t crash, but it did help Foggia as the two pinned it and tucked in for the line.

It was only 0.051, but Acosta held it and won his second consecutive race as he extends his points lead to a stunning 31, making yet another statement with another win. Foggia is back on the podium for the second time on the Algarve, and it was Migno who emerged from the battle to complete the podium to take third, just 0.013 ahead of Sasaki as the Japanese rider was back in the fight at the front.

Rodrigo finished P5 despite his long lap, and he beat Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3) and Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) by less than a tenth as the fastest seven riders finish 0.773s apart after some incredible racing again in Moto3. Garcia was in amongst it throughout but that late, out the seat moment on the last lap cost the Spaniard and he took eighth. Despite the Turn 5 tumble, Masia salvaged ninth to slot in behind the freight train out front.

Ryusei Yamanaka (CarXpert PrüstelGP) picks up another top 10 in 2021 with P10, and he led Stefano Nepa (BOE Owlride) and teammate Jason Dupasquier (CarXpert PrüstelGP) over the line. Filip Salac (Rivacold Snipers Team) took home P13 from Portimao, with Alcoba and Öncü doing well to pick up the remaining points despite pitlane starts on a five second delay.

Moto3 podium (Full Results Here)

1 Pedro Acosta – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM – 38:01.773
2 Dennis Foggia – Leopard Racing – Honda – +0.051
3 Andrea Migno – Rivacold Snipers Team – Honda – +0.584

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