Oliveira sends home fans wild as Quartararo rescues Yamaha

Despite the miserable weather, there are big smiles on the Portuguese fans' faces thanks to Oliveira's masterful FP3 lap


Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Miguel Oliveira put his extensive track knowledge to brilliant use by setting the fastest lap of the weekend at the Tissot Grand Prix of Portugal during MotoGP™ FP3. The weather might have continued to be miserable in Portimao but the home hero has put smiles on the fans’ faces thanks to his 1:50.583.

The other key moment from Saturday morning's FP3 was yesterday’s pacesetter Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) crashing at Turn 8. The Spaniard was spat over the top of his RC213V, before immediately getting back onto his feet and riding the bike back to the garage, in what was the eight-time World Champion’s first crash since that infamous Indonesian highside.

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Portugal’s Oliveira set the fastest lap of session with half an hour remaining, with the rain easing slightly to give a window of opportunity for the MotoGP™ grid, before then finding a further 0.031 seconds to cement his place at the top of the timesheets.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) got to within half a tenth just five minutes later as the Yamaha man found a 1.5 second improvement following Friday’s disaster. The World Champion was then pushed back to third after Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir moved into second spot.

20 minutes were left when the rain started once again, making the lives of everyone outside of the top ten slightly more difficult. Having just gone fourth fastest, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder went down at Turn 9. The rear of the South African’s RC16 letting go whilst he was on course to take over at the top halfway round the lap.

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Repsol Honda’s Marquez and Pol Espargaro were fifth and sixth, Mooney VR46 Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi seventh, despite suffering a second highside of the weekend, and Pramac Racing’s Johann Zarco eighth but failed to improve. Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro was the final man to improve with 20 minutes remaining, sneaking inside the top ten and, as a result, pushing his teammate Maverick Viñales out of an automatic Q2 place.

Ducati Lenovo Team’s Jack Miller clinched the final guaranteed spot in Q2 later but at the expense of teammate Francesco Bagnaia. The Italian will be joined in Q1 by fellow Ducati men Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini, the World Championship leader.

MotoGP™ Top 10:
1. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) - 1:50.552
2. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.049
3. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) + 0.054
4. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.107
5. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.114
6. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.155
7. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) + 0.584
8. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.618
9. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) + 0.696
10. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.701

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