Revealed: Podium trio’s shock as they chat about Marquez’s incident

Bezzecchi: Corner 3 was difficult with braking.

Bagnaia: The problem was the wind, also.

Bezzecchi to Vinales: You were close…

Vinales: Yes. I braked earlier because I said: ‘They will go wide’. They had already braked late.

• Portuguese MotoGP, Portimao - Race Results
• Aleix Espargaro on Marc Marquez’s crash: “They have to ban him for one race"

Marquez has apologised for crashing into Miguel Oliveira. Both riders are expected to avoid serious injuries. Marquez has been punished with a double long lap penalty for next week’s Argentina MotoGP.

Bagnaia, Vinales and Bezzecchi chatted about the start of the race in Portimao…

Bagnaia: I started very calmly. In the last part of the race I was without a rear tyre completely!

Vinales: In Sector 4 I was catching you a lot.

Bezzecchi: Me too.

And the conclusion to the 2023 season-opener…

Bezzecchi: At one point mid-race, with 12 or 11 laps to the end, I was catching a bit. I made ‘38.8, ‘39.9. But then I destroyed the tyre!

Vinales: I can imagine! Because I was following - ‘38.1 - and I said: ‘I cannot pass, because if I pass, after four laps my tyre is gone’.

Bagnaia: The last corner was very difficult in the end.