Portimao MotoGP, Portugal - Free Practice (1) Results
Vinales leads a damp opening practice for the Portimao MotoGP ahead of Rins and the returning Marc Marquez.
Eight-time world champion Marquez was completing his first MotoGP laps since July 25, having been sidelined for the past nine months due to complications with his broken right arm, which eventually required three operations.
The Repsol Honda star ran wide at the start of his first flying lap in 265 days, but was just +0.061s from the top by the end of his opening run. Marquez had dropped to 11th by the time he returned for a second and final run, and again ran wide at turn one, before moving to the top of the timesheets with 5mins to go.
Marquez led the timesheets again on his final lap and was all smiles on his return to the pits, despite being pushed down to third by Rins and then Vinales. Marquez had never ridden a MotoGP bike at Portimao, but did test the RC213V-S production bike at the circuit last month.
Vinales' best lap time was a 1m 42.127s, several seconds off the fully dry pace due to the wet patches.
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| Portimao MotoGP, Portugal - Free Practice (1) Results | ||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff | Lap | Max |
| 1 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | 1'42.127s | 15/15 | 330k |
| 2 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.151s | 18/18 | 333k |
| 3 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.251s | 14/14 | 330k |
| 4 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.255s | 12/12 | 338k |
| 5 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP21) | +0.316s | 20/20 | 343k |
| 6 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Team (GP21) | +0.337s | 20/20 | 334k |
| 7 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.401s | 14/14 | 328k |
| 8 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Team (GP21) | +0.409s | 17/18 | 342k |
| 9 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.654s | 14/14 | 334k |
| 10 | Danilo Petrucci | ITA | KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +0.830s | 12/12 | 329k |
| 11 | Valentino Rossi | ITA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.886s | 19/19 | 327k |
| 12 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.909s | 12/13 | 333k |
| 13 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.933s | 15/15 | 329k |
| 14 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.116s | 20/21 | 329k |
| 15 | Lorenzo Savadori | ITA | Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)* | +1.412s | 16/17 | 331k |
| 16 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP21)* | +1.575s | 19/19 | 339k |
| 17 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.873s | 16/18 | 334k |
| 18 | Luca Marini | ITA | Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* | +2.475s | 14/15 | 333k |
| 19 | Iker Lecuona | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +2.840s | 20/20 | 325k |
| 20 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Avintia Ducati (GP19)* | +3.198s | 13/14 | 332k |
| 21 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) | +3.208s | 10/10 | 330k |
| 22 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +5.647s | 14/17 | 331k |
* Rookie.
Official Portimao MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Miguel Oliveira POR KTM 1m 38.892s(2020)
Fastest race lap:
Miguel Oliveira POR KTM 1m 39.855s (2020)
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.
