Algarve MotoGP, Portimao - Free Practice (4) Results
Second to Fabio Quartararo on Friday, Francesco Bagnaia will head into qualifying having been quickest in both of Saturday's free practice sessions for the Algarve MotoGP at Portimao.
Iker Lecuona, leaving MotoGP for WorldSBK next season, and then Johann Zarco briefly set the pace before Bagnaia returned on a new medium tyre to retake control.
New world champion Quartararo remained on a hard rear and was shuffled from a early second place behind Bagnaia to an eventual fifth.
Rookie Luca Marini again impressed for one-lap speed by snatching third place as 1.2s covered the entire field!
Pol Espargaro fell early in the session, at the fast turn 1.
Warmer afternoon temperatures meant all three rear tyres - hard, medium and soft - were in use, but the medium remained an almost unanimous choice for the front.
Qualifying 1 - for those outside the top ten after third free practice, including Zarco and home star Miguel Oliveira - will now get underway.
Marc Marquez, winner of the past two MotoGP rounds, is missing the event after still feeling 'unwell' several days after sustaining a 'slight concussion' while training on an off-road bike. Marquez is replaced by test rider Stefan Bradl.
The hard front tyre option has been changed from the disliked asymmetric version selected for April's Portimao round, to a symmetric hard compound.
Oliveira, winner of last November's inaugural Portimao race while using a symmetric hard front, was one of those to struggled badly with the revised tyre allocation in April, when Quartararo dominated the race from Bagnaia and Mir.
Although Quartararo has already wrapped up the 2021 riders' title, with Bagnaia and Mir on course for second and third, Ducati and Yamaha remain locked in a close battle for victory in the teams' and constructors' championships.
| Algarve MotoGP, Portimao - Free Practice (4) Results | ||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff | Lap | Max |
| 1 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Team (GP21) | 1'39.665s | 14/16 | 334k |
| 2 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP21) | +0.060s | 11/15 | 343k |
| 3 | Luca Marini | ITA | Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* | +0.095s | 14/15 | 334k |
| 4 | Iker Lecuona | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +0.171s | 9/13 | 329k |
| 5 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.333s | 7/15 | 329k |
| 6 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.400s | 11/15 | 336k |
| 7 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Team (GP21) | +0.491s | 6/14 | 338k |
| 8 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.493s | 10/16 | 332k |
| 9 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.519s | 12/13 | 330k |
| 10 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) | +0.621s | 11/16 | 339k |
| 11 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.672s | 8/12 | 338k |
| 12 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.698s | 14/15 | 336k |
| 13 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) | +0.753s | 12/12 | 332k |
| 14 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP21)* | +0.787s | 12/14 | 336k |
| 15 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.871s | 12/13 | 334k |
| 16 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.904s | 8/15 | 335k |
| 17 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.934s | 10/14 | 332k |
| 18 | Valentino Rossi | ITA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.969s | 16/16 | 334k |
| 19 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Avintia Ducati (GP19)* | +0.983s | 9/13 | 338k |
| 20 | Andrea Dovizioso | ITA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.993s | 13/16 | 331k |
| 21 | Stefan Bradl | GER | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +1.007s | 14/15 | 335k |
| 22 | Danilo Petrucci | ITA | KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +1.199s | 7/13 | 335k |
* Rookie
Official Portimao MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Fabio Quartararo FRA Yamaha 1m 38.862s (2021)
Fastest race lap:
Alex Rins SPA Suzuki 1m 39.450s (2021)
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.
