MotoGP Portimao, Portugal - Qualifying (1) Results
| MotoGP Portimao, Portugal - Qualifying (1) Results | |||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team |
| 1 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) |
| 2 | Luca Marini | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) |
| 3 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) |
| 4 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Factory (RS-GP) |
| 5 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21)* |
| 6 | Andrea Dovizioso | ITA | WithU RNF Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 7 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) |
| 8 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21) |
| 9 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 10 | Remy Gardner | AUS | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* |
| 11 | Lorenzo Savadori | ITA | Aprilia Factory (RS-GP) |
| 12 | Darryn Binder | RSA | WithU RNF Yamaha (YZR-M1)* |
| 13 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) |
| 14 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* |
* Rookie
Alex Marquez and Luca Marini progress to the Q2 pole position shootout during a dramatic Qualifying 1, as improving track conditions prompt the first slick tyre laps of the Portimao weekend.
But conditions were extremely treacherous, the largely dry asphalt containing not only damp patches but puddles of water.
Rookie Remy Gardner was launched from his Tech3 KTM on the out-lap, while Takaaki Nakagami returned to the pits for wets.
Francesco Bagnaia tried to persist on slicks for a second lap but was pitched brutally from his Ducati after hitting a wet patch at Turn 3. The Italian walked away, but seemed to be nursing a possible upper-body injury.
While Bagnaia returned to the paddock in the back of an ambulance, conditions finally tipped in favour of the slicks with Jorge Martin, Alex Marquez and Luca Marini all using the dry rubber to fill the leading places.
But world championship leader Enea Bastianini was yet another victim of the conditions, suffering a fast accident in the final minute.
Portimao MotoGP schedule (UK time)
Friday April 22
9am-9.45am - Moto3 Free Practice 1
9.55am-10.40am - MotoGP Free Practice 1
10.55am-11.35am - Moto2 Free Practice 1
1.15pm-1.55pm - Moto3 Free Practice 2
2.10pm-2.55pm - MotoGP Free Practice 2
3.10pm-3.50pm - Moto2 Free Practice 2
Saturday April 23
9am-9.40am - Moto3 Free Practice 3
9.55am-10.40am- MotoGP Free Practice 3
10.55am-11.35am - Moto2 Free Practice 3
12.35pm-.12.50pm - Moto3 Qualifying 1
1pm-1.15pm - Moto3 Qualifying 3
1.30pm-2pm - MotoGP Free Practice 4
2.10pm-2.25pm - MotoGP Qualifying 1
3.10pm-3.25pm - Moto2 Qualifying 1
3.35pm-3.50pm - Moto2 Qualifying 2
Sunday April 24
9.20am-9.30am - Moto3 warm-up
9.40am-10am - MotoGP warm-up
10.10am-10.20am - Moto2 warm-up
11.20am - Moto3 race
1pm - MotoGP race
2.30pm - Moto2 race
| COTA: MotoGP World Championship standings | ||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Points | Diff. | |
| 1 | ^2 | Enea Bastianini | SPA | Gresini Ducati (GP21) | 61 | |
| 2 | ^2 | Alex Rins | 0 | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | 56 | (-5) |
| 3 | ˅2 | Aleix Espargaro | 0 | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | 50 | (-11) |
| 4 | ^2 | Joan Mir | 0 | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | 46 | (-15) |
| 5 | = | Fabio Quartararo | 0 | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | 44 | (-17) |
| 6 | ˅4 | Brad Binder | 0 | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | 42 | (-19) |
| 7 | ^4 | Jack Miller | 0 | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | 31 | (-30) |
| 8 | = | Johann Zarco | 0 | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | 31 | (-30) |
| 9 | ˅2 | Miguel Oliveira | 0 | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | 28 | (-33) |
| 10 | ˅1 | Jorge Martin | 0 | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | 28 | (-33) |
| 11 | ˅2 | Pol Espargaro | 0 | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | 23 | (-38) |
| 12 | ^2 | Francesco Bagnaia | 0 | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | 23 | (-38) |
| 13 | ^2 | Marc Marquez | 0 | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | 21 | (-40) |
| 14 | ˅1 | Maverick Viñales | 0 | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | 19 | (-42) |
| 15 | ˅3 | Franco Morbidelli | 0 | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | 14 | (-47) |
| 16 | = | Takaaki Nakagami | 0 | LCR Honda (RC213V) | 12 | (-49) |
| 17 | = | Luca Marini | 0 | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | 10 | (-51) |
| 18 | = | Marco Bezzecchi | 0 | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)* | 7 | (-54) |
| 19 | ˅4 | Darryn Binder | 0 | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)* | 6 | (-55) |
| 20 | ^2 | Alex Marquez | 0 | LCR Honda (RC213V) | 4 | (-57) |
| 21 | = | Andrea Dovizioso | 0 | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1) | 3 | (-58) |
| 22 | = | Remy Gardner | 0 | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | 1 | (-60) |
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
