0.088s covering the top three at the end of Day 1 in Portimao? We’ll have some of that. It’s Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) who leads the field thanks to a 1:37.974, as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) hunt the #73 very closely on what turned out to be another brilliant Friday afternoon in MotoGP.
Marquez sets the early pace
After the opening half an hour, Alex Marquez was the session leader by a couple of tenths, with Acosta his nearest challenger. Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) made it three manufacturers in the top three, as Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Tech3) continued to impress while standing in for Maverick Viñales – the KTM Test Rider was fourth ahead of Bagnaia.
With just under 20 minutes left, the rain flags were being waved as spots of rain started to sprinkle the Algarve International Circuit. Rookie Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) had just jumped into P6 to shove Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) outside the top 10, and then more bad news followed for Yamaha because Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) crashed at Turn 5.
There might have been rain in the air, but it wasn’t fazing Acosta. The #37 improved his time to cut the gap to Marquez, but he remained P2. Not for long though. Acosta fired in a 1:38.062 to leapfrog Marquez into P1, meaning the KTM star now led the session by over two tenths.
Plenty of improvements were now coming in. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) all went quicker and jumped up the order inside the top 10, before Marquez landed the first 1:37 of the weekend to go P1 with eight minutes to go.
With under five minutes to go, having been P4 a few moments earlier, Quartararo found himself back outside the top 10. His first attempt wasn’t enough, while a Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) personal best saw the Italian climb to P9, meaning Pecco was now P10 and in danger of missing an automatic Q2 spot. That danger became a reality following Espargaro’s latest lap, meaning Pecco was in P11.
The double MotoGP World Champion responded quickly to catapult himself into P7, that in turn knocked Marini back out of the top 10, as Quartararo’s best efforts weren’t enough. The Frenchman couldn’t find time, as Bagnaia went faster again to get within half a tenth of Marquez.
Your Friday top 10
Behind your top three, Bezzecchi’s last lap saw the Italian head into Saturday as the fourth fastest rider, with Mir completing the top five. Zarco makes it two Hondas in the top six, with Di Giannantonio, Rookie of the Year Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), Espargaro, and Ogura the final automatic Q2 qualifiers – the latter gaining a Friday entry for the fourth time this season.
Coming up: Tissot Sprint Saturday
Well, that sets us up very nicely for Saturday. 0.088s between the top three, half a second covers the top 11, with Q1 – as always – stacked. Come back tomorrow for more.