INDIA in F1

Category: Moto GP

Moto GP, the Motorcycle World Championship

  • Stopping Quartararo: the contenders get ready for Jerez

    Stopping Quartararo: the contenders get ready for Jerez

    The Frenchman is on a charge and his rivals will be delighted to look back at his domination at the venue last season. But this is 2021, and nothing is guaranteed…
    Jerez, 26 April 2021:     Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) is a man on a mission. After not even starting the season with a podium, the Frenchman regrouped and refocused for round two, taking a resounding victory in the Doha GP before in Portimão we saw more of the same. And the same was not simply the fastest man on Sunday, but also a tactical masterclass in when and where to attack, and whom, before deciding where to pull that final pin. His two wins rocket El Diablo to the top of the standings and very much make him the man to beat. The next track on the calendar is one at which he dominated twice last year too, and although it was in the heat of July, that makes good reading for him. So who’s going to stop Quartararo’s roll?

    The closest to doing so in Portugal was Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), and the Italian did it from the fourth row of the grid. Had he not fallen foul of Yellow Flags in qualifying, where an electrifying new lap record got scrubbed off, could he have challenged? It’s a tall order but Pecco has taken a big step forward so far this season. Jerez, however, hasn’t been the kindest to Ducati of late… although that means another podium or challenge at the front would be an even bigger statement. His fellow Borgo Panigale machines of teammate Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) will also want a lot from Andalucia, as both look to bounce back quickly from crashes, for Zarco one that saw him lose the Championship lead.

    Bouncing back is also the mission for Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). After a masterclass in the season opener, Viñales just lost out in Doha and then a difficult qualifying – with two laps scrubbed for the most infinitesimal track limit infractions – in Portugal put him on the back foot. Despite a bad start and getting swallowed by the pack, however, he stays third overall with 11th place doing enough to keep Zarco at bay. Back on home turf, reset and reloaded, can Viñales unleash the pace he showed in round one and take the fight back to his teammate? And what about Petronas Yamaha SRT?

    It’s fair to say the first two rounds of the season weren’t what the grid’s newest Independent Team had been expecting, with both Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi seeming out of position for team and rider. Morbidelli put that to rights in Portugal as he was top Independent Team rider and only just off the podium in fourth, so can he keep that rolling in Jerez? And can the ‘Doctor’, back on familiar turf and with more track time, bounce back from a tough few first races of the season?

    Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), meanwhile, was back on the podium last time out. And last year, that sparked his run for the crown. However, the reigning Champion said the venues so far and a few more aren’t their ideal circuits for starting to go on a similar run just yet, so will it be ‘just’ a podium challenge again? Or more? Teammate Alex Rins will be eager to right wrongs from last time out too after a stunner in Portimão was cut short by a crash out of second, so could he stay in with Quartararo this time around?

    Jerez is also good news for a few others on the grid, and one must be Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Last year as a rookie the results didn’t come, but some of the South African’s FP4 pace was an eyebrow raiser… and that was first time out. Now, his sophomore season started at a tough track for KTM and a venue he’d never raced – the MotoGP™ class didn’t compete in Qatar last year – and then Portimão, where he took an impressive and hard-fought fifth that raised the eyebrows of the podium finishers. Jerez is somewhere he has more experience and a few good memories to boot, having won in Moto3™ from the very back of the grid. Teammate Miguel Oliveira, after a tougher home race this time round, will also be focused on taking the Austrian factory back to the front as the pendulum he’d had since round one starts to swing back towards the other side of the garage.

    There is, of course, an elephant in the room in the shape of eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). His return in Portugal was a successful one as he took seventh, and he was understandably emotional after completing his first race since Valencia 2019. More time has passed since lights out on the Algarve for Marquez to continue his recovery, and now it’s Jerez he’s facing down. Scene of his crash, but also scene of previous glory as well as much more familiar turf. What can he do? And can Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) take a step forward as he fends off Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) in the Honda battle? There’s also test rider Stefan Bradl back on track doing a wildcard for HRC in Jerez, so he’ll be an interesting benchmark as ever.

    Speaking of benchmarks, Portugal saw Aprilia continue to home in on a good few. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) put in another impressive ride to equal the Noale factory’s best result in MotoGP™ in sixth, and he’ll want to continue his roll to underline the steps forward made by the nearly all-new package. After a certain Andrea Dovizioso took the RS-GP for a spin recently at the very same Jerez too, was there any feedback from Dovi to Noale, or was it a taster for rider more than a data-gathering exercise?

    In the battle of the Moto2™ graduate rookies, meanwhile, Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) is now back ahead of Doha podium man Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) as the latter crashed on Saturday in Portugal and is now sidelined until at least Mugello. He’ll be replaced by Tito Rabat, and Bastianini will be looking to gain a little more ground on Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) too. The Beast has been consistent, but Marini did seriously impress in Free Practice in Portugal so it’s starting to come together.

    And so we arrive in Jerez, with one man on a roll and a host of contenders looking to stop him in his tracks. The Gran Premio Red Bull de España is always a classic and 2021 will be no different, with so many storylines already emerging there’s almost too much to take in. But try your best, with lights out for the MotoGP™ class set for 14:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday the 2nd of May!
    MotoGP Championship top five:
    1 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 61
    2 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 46
    3 Maverick Viñales – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 41
    4 Johann Zarco* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – 40
    5 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – 38
    *Independent Team rider
    
    
  • Acosta ravages the rollercoaster for second successive win

    Acosta ravages the rollercoaster for second successive win

    A brutally brilliant last lap move from the Spaniard sees him take to the top step once again on the Algarve

    Portimao, 18 April 2021: Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) has done it again! The rookie sensation took a hard-fought victory at the Grande Premio 888 de Portugal after a brilliant last lap move on Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), keeping it pinned to the line to make a little more history. After becoming the first rider to win from pitlane in Moto3™ last time out, Acosta is now the youngest rider with three Grand Prix podiums in a row and the first rider since MotoGP™ Legend Daijiro Kato to take podiums on his first three GP appearances. Oh, and Acosta extended his Championship lead to a stunning 31 points after just three races. Behind the duel for the win won by the Spaniard, Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) converted pole into a podium after showing great pace all weekend.

    It was Migno who took the holeshot, the Italian off like a shot from pole and into the lead ahead of a storming start from Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing). Foggia slotted into third ahead of Sergio Garcia (GASGAS Valresa Aspar Team), with a lead freight train forming from the off. Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) had his pitlane start first, before five seconds later Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) set off. Then, John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing).

    Back at the front, Artigas took the lead at the end of Lap 1, but the rookie’s impressive race would sadly provide the first drama as a touch from Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) sent him tumbling out of contention. Rodrigo was given a Long Lap penalty for the incident, and the freight train rolled on.

    Foggia was the man doing a lot of the work in the lead, the Leopard rider looking confident out front and Acosta tagged onto him, up at the sharp end immediately alongside teammate Jaume Masia, Garcia, Migno, Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and a few more familiar frontrunning faces. By nine to go, there was more drama as Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) collected Izan Guevara (GASGAS Valresa Aspar Team) and the two crashed out. The leading train was 11 riders, with Rodrigo back on their tail after his Long Lap.

    The next drama came from Adrian Fernandez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) as the rookie collected the veteran, leaving a nine-rider group fighting for the win – and the familiar Leopard and Red Bull KTM Ajo colours at the front. As the laps ticked on the fervour went up a few notches, and with four to go the Turn 1 shuffle was getting brutal as Acosta headed a little wide with nowhere else to go, Migno took back the lead and Foggia had to settle for second.

    By the penultimate lap, Foggia led Acosta and that’s how the final lap began as just behind, Garcia somehow saved a highside but that was the Spaniard’s podium hopes over. Meanwhile, Masia was up to P3 but then there was yet more drama at Turn 5 as the number 5 slid down the road, his hopes of a race win over too. Now, it was a straight fight between Foggia and Acosta.

    Acosta was a monster on the brakes at Turn 11 and clawed back enough ground and then, at Turn 13, the rookie sensation made his move: late on the brakes, up the inside, full lean angle, clean pass. Just two corners remained before a run to the line, but coming over the crest of the final corner, Acosta’s KTM was squirming. Somehow he didn’t crash, but it did help Foggia as the two pinned it and tucked in for the line.

    It was only 0.051, but Acosta held it and won his second consecutive race as he extends his points lead to a stunning 31, making yet another statement with another win. Foggia is back on the podium for the second time on the Algarve, and it was Migno who emerged from the battle to complete the podium to take third, just 0.013 ahead of Sasaki as the Japanese rider was back in the fight at the front.

    Rodrigo finished P5 despite his long lap, and he beat Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3) and Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) by less than a tenth as the fastest seven riders finish 0.773s apart after some incredible racing again in Moto3™.

    Garcia was in amongst it throughout but that late, out the seat moment on the last lap cost the Spaniard and he took eighth. Despite the Turn 5 tumble, Masia salvaged ninth to slot in behind the freight train out front.

    Ryusei Yamanaka (CarXpert PrüstelGP) picks up another top 10 in 2021 with P10, and he led Stefano Nepa (BOE Owlride) and teammate Jason Dupasquier (CarXpert PrüstelGP) over the line. Filip Salac (Rivacold Snipers Team) took home P13 from Portimao, with Alcoba and Öncü doing well to pick up the remaining points despite pitlane starts on a five second delay.

    That’s it from Portugal. Next up: Jerez and another track Acosta knows well. Will the dream Grand Prix debut season continue? You wouldn’t bet against it!

    Moto3 Podium:

    1 Pedro Acosta – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM – 38:01.773
    2 Dennis Foggia – Leopard Racing – Honda – +0.051
    3 Andrea Migno – Rivacold Snipers Team – Honda – +0.584

    Pedro Acosta: “It was an amazing race, no? After this difficult weekend with the conditions and everything. I think that my mechanics did an amazing job to do this. Before the race Aki asked me, ‘what is the race strategy?’ and I said ‘have fun for 25 minutes and then take the trophy!’ It’s amazing to be here again!”

  • Fernandez flies to first Moto2 victory

    Fernandez flies to first Moto2 victory

    Last year he dominated in Moto3™ on the Algarve. This year, the rookie took to the top step in Moto2™ for the very first time – as Lowes crashes out

    Portimao, 18 April 2021: Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) just loves the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. After dominating at the track last season to sign off from Moto3™ with a win, the Spaniard returned in Moto2™ with a podium already under his belt and it seemed somewhat like fate. Fighting his way through a few big rivals, the Spaniard crossed the line a second and a half clear for his first intermediate class win, underlining his impressive form so far and moving up to second in the Championship. Aron Canet (Solunion Aspar Team) took his first Moto2™ podium in second after an impressive ride, with Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) charging past Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) late on to complete the podium. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed out at Turn 1, leaving his key rivals with an open goal…

    Lowes was the first big headline, that sending shockwaves through the race. Late on the brakes into Turn 1 after a tough start, the Brit was careering straight towards Gardner’s rear wheel and was forced to pick it up and run wide, the rear end then kicking him off. Rider ok, but some big drama to start the Moto2™ race.

    At the front, Gardner led on Lap 1 but Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) was the man on the move in the opening exchanges and blasted past on the home straight. Roberts had made a good start from P8 to battle Gardner for P2 as the latter got out of shape coming out of Turn 1. Bezzecchi was able to pull out a healthy one second lead at the front but Canet was making moves and soon, the lead was cut to nothing as Gardner and the five other chasers reeled in the Italian.

    Yet more drama unfolded just behind as we saw a huge crash involving Yari Montella (Lightech Speed Up) and Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP40) at the final corner, both bikes catching fire in the gravel trap. Montella, who highsided, was taken to the medical centre for a check-up and later declared fit. And more: at Turn 5, the two Idemitsu Honda Team Asia riders were down as Ai Ogura made contact with American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier. Ogura got out of shape and couldn’t help but crash into Somkiat Chantra, an unfortunate racing incident between the two teammates.

    Lap 11 saw Canet take the lead, but Roberts then pounced at Turn 1 as Canet and Bezzecchi went wide. Bezzecchi slipped to P4 as Gardner also passed the Italian, but one of the pre-race favourites then made a couple of mistakes in the soaring Portuguese heat. That saw the Aussie lose valuable ground as Canet and Roberts made a breakaway, but the Spaniard and American scrapped it out for a few laps and Canet also got a track limits warning. Enter Raul Fernandez. The rookie was lapping far superior to his rivals and he soon picked off both Roberts and Canet to take the lead with four to go, late race pace searing him through.

    The rookie pulled 0.7s clear in three laps, setting another fastest lap of the race on Lap 21 of 23, a 1:42.86, and his teammate Gardner was finding some late pace too in P4, the Australian reeling in Roberts and Canet. Three personal best laps from Gardner was mega stuff but nothing was going to stop Raul Fernandez, on the final lap his lead was up to 1.2 seconds and it seemed the job was done as attentions turned to the three-way scrap for P2 and P3.

    Roberts lunged up the inside of Canet at Turn 11, but Canet then dived back at Turn 13,  but both ran slightly wide to give Gardner an invitation. Roberts switched to the inside for Turn 14 but the narrow line he took saw him open a small gap for the Aussie to squeeze into, an that he did – making some contact but getting through, Roberts staying on but watching th podium fade away.

    Up the road though, Raul Fernandez had rounded the final corner to win his first Moto2™ race, with Canet cementing his first intermediate class podium with a hard-earned P2, escaping the discussion on whether rubbing is racing raging just behind him. Gardner’s third, however, sees him head to Jerez as Championship leader for the first time.

    Roberts was unlucky to lose out on a podium in Portimão but it was nevertheless a great ride from the American. Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) backs up his Doha P6 with P5 as the Spaniard continues to find form in 2021, and Bezzecchi was eventually forced to settle for P6 having led in the early laps. Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) was a second behind Bezzecchi in a solid P7, with Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP40) earning his first points of the season in P8. Beaubier is a top 10 Moto2™ finisher after a brilliant ride to P9 on his first visit to the Algarve International Circuit, and Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completed the top 10.

    Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team), Albert Arenas (Solunion Aspar Team), Lorenzo Baldassarri (MV Agusta Forward Racing) and Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) were the remaining point scorers.

    Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) crashed at Turn 8 unhurt, with Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) taking out compatriot Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) at Turn 1.

    As we leave the Algarve, the Moto2™ Championship is shaken up after another stunner. Heading to Jerez, three points split Gardner, Raul Fernandez and Lowes – so it’s game on in the Moto2™ title race!

    Moto2 Podium:

    1 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 39:47.377
    2 Aron Canet – Solunion Aspar Team – Boscoscuro – +1.600
    3 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – +1.968

    Raul Fernandez: “Unbelievable. I want to say thanks to my team, they brought me the best bike of the weekend for the race. Yesterday I had bad luck in qualifying with the yellow flag, but this morning in warm up I said ‘eh, I have an incredible bike for the end of the race’. I had this problem in Qatar at the end of the race, I didn’t have too much tyre. It was incredible with my team and my family, it’s incredible. I don’t have words, I want to say thanks. We will see in the next race, this is one of my best tracks and we will see in Jerez.”

  • Quartararo wins dramatic duel in style to lead title-race

    Quartararo wins dramatic duel in style to lead title-race

    Portimão (Portugal), 18 April 2021: As weekends go, they don’t get much better than that for Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). The Frenchman converted pole position to victory at the Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal as the MotoGP™ race sees some big names crash out, but that wasn’t the case for second place Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and third place Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). The returning Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) battles through the pain to finish P7 in Portimao.

    The initial getaway from polesitter Quartararo was about as good as it gets, but in the second phase of the start, third place Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and second place Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) got the better of the Yamaha man and it was the Suzuki of Rins who grabbed the holeshot, but Zarco was the early race leader. Marc Marquez made a wonderful start and was battling Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) for P3. Mir made a typically great start and was up into the top five, and it was Mir vs Marquez again on the opening lap. The reigning World Champion shoved his GSX-RR up the inside of the Repsol Honda at Turn 11 for P3.

    So it was Zarco leading the opening lap and at Turn 3, Marc Marquez and Mir came close again – too close. Marquez tagged the back of Mir, luckily stayed on, but it allowed sixth place Quartararo to squirm through to fourth past Marquez and Miller, the latter and then Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) passed Marquez as the eight-time Champion slipped to P7. Up front, Rins showed a wheel to Zarco at Turn 13 but there was no way through… for now.

    Lap 3 saw Quartararo make a clean move up the inside of Mir at Turn 1 for P3, the Frenchman making swift progress after getting a bit beaten up at the start, with a Turn 13 move on Zarco sticking at the third time of asking a lap later. So on Lap 5, Rins was now your race leader, but Zarco blasted back through on the straight. Then, suddenly, the sound of a bike hitting the deck was heard and as the cameras panned out, we saw Miller down at Turn 3 at the beginning of Lap 6. The Australian’s Portuguese GP was over after just over four laps, a disaster for the factory Ducati man. On the same lap, Miguel Oliveira’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) hopes of another dream home round rostrum were over. The Portuguese star was down at Turn 14, he remounted but it was game over for Oliveira.

    Fabio Quartararo takes second win in style. A MotoGP image

    Quartararo had followed Rins through on Zarco and the Yamaha man now had his radar firmly set on P1. Just like he did on the other Suzuki, Quartararo dived up the inside down the hill into Turn 1 and El Diablo was now at the spearhead of the race. This was now where Quartararo and Rins started to display some Portimao superiority. A handful of laps later, third place Mir was one and a half seconds down on the leading duo, with Lap 14 seeing Quartararo set a 1:39.680 – the fastest lap. However, Rins was matching the Yamaha every step of the way. The duo exchanged fastest laps on numerous occasions, but some colossal drama was about to unfold for two riders.

    First, we saw Rins crash at Turn 5 on Lap 19 of 25. The downhill, tricky left-hander caught out the Spaniard who was right behind Quartararo, and it was race over for the number 42 in Portimao. This gave Quartararo a 4.2 second lead over Zarco, with Bagnaia grabbing P3 off Mir at Turn 5. Then, a lap later at Turn 11, the World Championship leader was down. Zarco’s front washed away the top of the hill and the Frenchman slid out of contention, just after Bagnaia had picked him off at Turn 5.

    Barring a disaster, victory was Quartararo’s. The podium battle, however, was still well on. Bagnaia was holding P2 and looking good, with Mir having Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) in his mirrors heading into the final exchanges. With two to go, the trio were locked together but Pecco wasn’t buckling, as fifth place Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was less than a second away from Morbidelli’s rear wheel. Mir was pressuring Bagnaia but the Italian was holding firm, and on the last lap, the Suzuki rider wasn’t quite close enough to make a move.

    Five seconds down the road, Quartararo cruised over the line to pick up his second win of 2021. A commanding victory for factory Yamaha’s new recruit, and one that sees him take a 15-point lead into Jerez – a circuit he was quite successful at last season. Bagnaia’s recovery from P11 to P2 was awesome, a fantastic Sunday in Portimao for the Italian who rises to P2 in the standings with his first podium of the year. Mir eventually beats Morbidelli by 0.179s to earn his first podium of 2021, an important result from the World Champion and another rostrum after starting from outside the top two rows.

    There’s a pool at Portimão, so of course…

    It’s a return to form for fourth place Morbidelli, the Italian in the podium hunt throughout to hopefully banish the Losail woes. Binder’s P5 proves once again the South African is a Sunday rider through and through, that’s a morale-boosting result for KTM and Binder ahead of Jerez. Aleix Espargaro earns Aprilia an equal-best MotoGP™ result in P6, yet another great ride from the Spaniard, who beats the seventh fastest rider by 4.3 seconds.

    That man is Marc Marquez. The eight-time World Champion completed his first race since the 2019 Valencia GP finale, and the emotions were shown by the Spaniard when he arrived back in his box. A truly commendable performance from Marc Marquez upon his return to MotoGP™, the world salutes his magnificent ride in Portimao.

    Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) bags his first top 10 in P8, with reigning Moto2™ World Champion Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) picking up his second top 10 MotoGP™ result in P9. Yet another brilliant ride from ‘The Beast’, and what an absolutely superb effort from 10th place Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). The battered and bruised Japanese rider has been in considerable pain all weekend since his huge Friday Turn 1 crash, but a P10 sums up just how tough – physically and mentally – MotoGP™ riders are.

    Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) didn’t recover from a horror start, and in the end benefited from a few crashes to pick up P11. A disappointing day for Viñales in Portimao, he was 23 seconds shy of teammate Quartararo. Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Avintia) slipped to P12 from a P8 start but it was nevertheless a very promising weekend for the Italian, a job well done. Injured Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing), Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) completed the points, Oliveira was the final finisher in P16 after his crash.

    Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) crashed at Turn 11, rider ok, with Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) pulling into pitlane in the early stages with a technical issue.

    Quartararo marches on in the 2021 title race, two wins from three is the Frenchman’s tally heading to Jerez, and it’s a soon to be 22-year-old brimming with confidence as rivals fall by the wayside in Portugal. A weekend off is followed by the Spanish GP at the end of April/start of May, and already the title race is twisting and turning. After all, this is MotoGP™.

    Top 10:

    1. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP)

    2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 4.809

    3. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 4.948

    4. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) + 5.127

    5. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 6.668

    6. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 8.885

    7. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 13.208

    8. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) + 17.992

    9. Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) + 22.369

    10. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) + 23.676

    All the action from the MotoGP™ World Championship 2021 Gran Premio Red Bull de España will be LIVE on Eurosport and Eurosport HD. The qualifying race is on Saturday, May 1 and the main race is on Sunday, May 2. The same will be live-streamed on discovery+ app.

  • Fabio Quartararo takes pole number 11: MotoGP Round 3

    Fabio Quartararo takes pole number 11: MotoGP Round 3

    Algarve (Portimão), 17 April 2021: Its pole position Number 11 in MotoGP for Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) after the Frenchman benefits from Francesco Bagnaia’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) misfortune to claim Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal Saturday P1. The Frenchman’s new lap record, a 1:38.862, was good enough to beat Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) by 0.089s as Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) cements a front row start in P3 despite a crash.

    Qualifying kicked off at 14:10 local time and in the first part, we saw MotoGP™ World Champions Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT). Reigning king Mir and Marc Marquez were lapping together at the beginning of Q1, with the Suzuki star the session’s early pacesetter. However, on the second flying lap, tucked right behind Mir, Marquez went 0.146s faster than Mir and it was the duo who sat P1 and P2 at the end of the first flying laps. Fascinating stuff at the start of Portimao qualifying.

    Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) was 0.131s shy of Mir in P3 as the Q1 riders headed out for a second-time attack, with two Q2 spots at stake. The former World Champion then rumbled out of pitlane behind the current World Champion, but Marc Marquez’s first lap on his second run wasn’t going to trouble, anyone. His teammate Pol Espargaro, minutes after a monster highside in FP4, was also searching for a Q2 place – as was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).

    Mir improved his last with just over a minute to go, but he remained P2 – 0.049s behind Marc Marquez. Pol Espargaro moved ahead of Binder to P4 in the session but no one would trouble the returning Marc Marquez and Mir, the two most recent MotoGP™ World Champions sailed into the pole position shootout.

    The last time Marc Marquez was in Q1 was at the 2019 Thailand GP, and that day, he took pole. Would history repeat itself? We were about to find out. Home hero Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was the leader on the road but Aleix Espargaro’s (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) first lap was a quick one – a 1:39.452 put the Spaniard P1, but not for long. The benchmark was set by Quartararo, the best of the weekend so far, a 1:39.028 on his first flying lap. After setting two red sectors, Zarco then crashed unhurt at Turn 11, how costly would that prove for the World Championship leader? Crucially, the Frenchman was able to ride his GP21 back to pitlane.

    Meanwhile, Bagnaia went P2 to cut Quartararo’s advantage down to 0.117s, with the latter having a huge, snappy moment on the entry to Turn 8. That ruined his second flying lap. Bagnaia’s lap got cancelled though, as did Maverick Viñales’ (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) because of yellow flags waving for Zarco’s crash. Mir slotted in behind second-place Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) to provisionally sit on the front row, if the number 36 stayed there, that would be his first front row in MotoGP™. But there was plenty of action left to play in Portimao Q2, as Marc Marquez – who was yet to set a time – emerged from pitlane alongside eighth place Rins.

    Quartararo emerged with fire in his belly after having to scrap his second flying lap. El Diablo was 0.137s under his own time through Sector 3 and coming across the line, it was a new all-time lap record for Quartararo. Oliveira snuck into P5, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) went P2, Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Avintia) shot up to a magical P4 as the cameras panned to Rins, Marc Marquez and Quartararo. Shadowing Rins, Marc Marquez climbed onto the front row and just behind the Spaniard, Quartararo was lurking. The latter couldn’t improve on that lap though but huge drama was about to follow.

    Oliveira suffered a very fast crash at the bottom of the hill at Turn 9, thankfully the Portuguese rider was ok. Zarco, having just crashed himself, suddenly propelled into P2 before Morbidelli went P5 to knock Marc Marquez down to the third row. Bagnaia was the man to look out for though, he was on an absolute charge. Pecco held a three tenth advantage heading into the final sector and the Italian didn’t slow up, setting a blistering new all-time lap record to steal pole position away from Quartararo. However, on the cool-down lap, Bagnaia’s lap was cancelled. Yellow flags were still waving because of Oliveira’s crash when Bagnaia sped through, and a phenomenal time was chalked off, leaving Bagnaia having to start from P11 – heartbreak for Pecco.

    This meant Quartararo starts from pole position for the first time this season, 0.089s ahead of Rins who grabs his equal-best MotoGP™ qualifying result. Championship leader Zarco is in a great position on the outside of the front row, he also benefits from Ducati teammate Bagnaia’s misfortune. Miller will spearhead Row 2 thanks to a P4 in Portimao Q2, he’s joined by Morbidelli and Marc Marquez. The latter couldn’t have hoped for much better than that for his first qualifying session in nine months, now it’s all about what the number 93 can do over race distance.

    Aleix Espargaro qualifies seventh for the second consecutive race in a row, another great job by the Spaniard and Aprilia. Marini recovered from a rapid FP4 crash to claim his best MotoGP™ qualifying result in P8, fantastic for the Italian, who lines up ahead of ninth place Mir on the third row. It’s not a repeat Portugal pole position for Oliveira after his crash, but he was perfectly ok and will be raring to go on Sunday afternoon from P10. Bagnaia was understandably miffed coming back into pitlane, P11 is far from ideal after thinking you’re on pole.

    Far from ideal are three words to describe Viñales’ Q2, two of his laps were chalked off for yellow flags and exceeding track limits by the slimmest of margins. The new track limit sensors were triggered by Viñales, whose last lap was good enough for pole position. Unfortunately for Top Gun, there’s now a lot of work to do from P12.

    All the action from the MotoGP™ World Championship 2021 Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal – Main Race will be LIVE on Eurosport and Eurosport HD from 15:30 hrs. (3:30 PM IST) onwards on Sunday, April 18, 2021. The same will be live-streamed on discovery+ app.

    Q2 results:

    1. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – 1:38.862

    2. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.089

    3. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.129

    4. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.199

    5. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) + 0.241

    6. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.259

    7. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 0.307

    8. Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Avintia) + 0.524

    9. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.536

    10. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.583

    11. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.620

    12. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.945

  • Bagnaia makes his mark as Marquez proves his speed on Day 1

    Bagnaia makes his mark as Marquez proves his speed on Day 1

    The Italian heads the timesheets by three tenths – and Marquez slots into sixth despite nine months on the sidelines

    Portimao, 16 April 2021: Day 1 at the Grande Premio 888 de Portugal belongs to Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the Italian put together a pretty imperious performance to end the day fastest on the combined timesheets. From wet patches in FP1 to a fully dry FP2, the Italian was a force to be reckoned with most of the time he was on track, with red sectors aplenty. He ends Friday three and a half tenths clear of Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), with reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) taking third overall. The headlines were stolen a little, however, by the return of eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team)… and it was quite a return.

    Listening to the number 93 in his pre-event Press Conferences, it seems he had just as many questions as everyone else regarding his return from injury nine months after his crash in Jerez. And Friday gave us a few answers. In FP1 Marquez was third overall and only lost out on the top spot after two very late lunges from Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), and by the end of play the Repsol Honda rider was sixth. Happy, fast, and with a few questions remaining about his stamina as could be expected… but as exciting to watch as ever.

    The first lap was a steady one, before the number 93 started to reel in those ahead of him as Bagnaia trolled those taking it steady with some consistent attacks on the top. With the damp patches still very much playing a part it wasn’t ideal for anyone least of all a rider coming back after nine months on the sidelines, but as the final few flashes of pace emerged in the last few minutes, Marquez most definitely had speed. Cranking it up to take over at the top with only moments remaining, it seemed like the fairy tale initial headline could be about to come true. But no, Rins first and next Viñales did enough to deny the eight-time World Champion by a couple of tenths.

    FP2 similarly bubbled to a fast lap mad dash, although with the weather expected to remain pretty fair for the rest of the weekend – and conditions not changing as much as Qatar – there was a little less fervour than what we saw a couple of weeks ago. Nevertheless, there were some solid time attacks and Marquez was back amongst it. He ran off at Turn 1 and had a couple of twitches on his way to sixth, but a threat at the front he seems to remain… Jaws music, anyone?

    Between Mir in third and Marquez in sixth, Rins slots into fourth as both Team Suzuki Ecstar machines enjoyed a good start to the weekend, looking to make amends for a difficult GP on the Algarve last year. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), despite arm pump surgery ahead of the weekend, was fifth on Friday as he returns to the venue of his most recent podium, and the Aussie was only 0.008 off Rins ahead of him. Marc Marquez’ sixth, meanwhile, was decided by just 0.003 as Miller pipped him by the smallest of margins.

    Viñales, after topping FP1, was seventh and 0.560 off the top, ahead of top Independent Team rider Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) by just 0.064. Championship leader Zarco had an interesting end to the day as he suffered a mechanical problem on a practice start and pulled off the track as his bike began to smoke slightly, luckily finding himself in range of a Miller Taxi service as the Australian picked him up and let the Frenchman ride pillion back to the pits.

    Home hero now and last year as he destroyed the field on his way to the win from pole, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) begins the 2021 edition in P9, and within provisional reach of Q2. The last rider currently on to join him is Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), the Japanese rider sneaking in late on despite a monumental crash earlier in FP2. Coming off on the way into Turn 1, the number 30 slid across the run off at speed and is feeling a little sore but was back out later in the session.

    Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was the rider just denied by his teammate’s last push for the top ten as he ends the day in P11, with Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) shuffled down to P12 by just 0.011 despite having shown a stronger start to the day, only four thousandths off teammate Marquez in FP1. The top rookie was Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) as the Italian moved into a provisional top ten and then got shuffled down a few places to a nevertheless still impressive P13, just 0.013 off Pol Espargaro. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), meanwhile, was 14th and a tenth and a half further back, with Valentino Rossi completing the fastest fifteen on Friday after a tougher day for the Italian and his teammate Franco Morbidelli, who was P19.

    Clouds remain overhead but the forecast says they don’t threaten any more rain. So will the first European schedule FP3 be a classic all-out shoot out for Q2? Find out on Saturday morning from 9:55 (GMT +1), before qualifying from 14:10 to decide the grid for the Grande Premio 888 de Portugal. Last year it was Oliveira on pole, but this year the grid are already within a second of that on Friday… will history repeat itself?

    Top riders on Friday:

    1 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 1:39.866    
    2 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.340
    3 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +0.419
    4 Alex Rins – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki –+0.428
    5 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +0.470

    Top Independent Team rider:
    8 Johann Zarco – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +0.624

  • The most important step is to become a rider again, says Marc Marquez

    The most important step is to become a rider again, says Marc Marquez

    Portimao, 16 April, 2021: It is 260 days after his 2020 Spanish GP crash, that Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was back in the MotoGP paddock with a smile on his face. The eight-time World Champion’s biggest test comes on Friday morning when he returns to the track on his RC213V for the first time in nine months, but Marquez underwent another challenge he’s missed for a while: facing the media on a Grand Prix Thursday.

    More than chuffed to be back, after he’d participated in Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal pre-event Press Conference, Marquez remained in the hot seat to have a dedicated Press Conference in Spanish. Here, the famous number 93 went into great detail about everything that he’s been through in the past nine months, as well as the challenges that lay ahead on track.

    “First of all, I am happy to be with you, with the whole MotoGP family in general, happy with butterflies in my stomach. I was aware that it was a normal weekend… when FP1 passes, it will be more normal,” began Marquez. “I am also uncertain about what it will be like after nine months to ride a MotoGP bike. We come here without an objective at the level of results.

    “The goal is to ride a motorcycle again and do the most important step in my recovery: to be a rider again, to return to competition. From there, burn through the stages. I’m not 100% physically. Together with the doctors we believed that it was time. The bone is already consolidated, which is the important thing. Now comes the physical and mental part, which is feeling like a MotoGP rider again, going at 300km/h and having the first crash after so long. And it will arrive. If I’m here, it’s because it can happen.

    “Logically, you perceive and in the end you feel it that in the media there is great expectation, but you must know how to isolate yourself, focus with your team and not feel more pressure than there should be. There should be none, there will be time, I myself am the one who demands myself to be at the top. Now it is simply going out, feeling it and taking little steps during the weekend. This part of the season is my pre-season and from there we will see.

    “It’s been nine months that… Because of the anxiety of going out on the track and about my future, because of my arm, which was what worried me the most. I have learned that there are many races, life, if you know how to take care of it, there is also a lot. But there is one body and you should know how to understand it without rushing. It is what we have done in this recovery. Until in a meeting with all the doctors we made a unanimous decision to return, I did not. That is why I did not return to Qatar.”

    The first crash… the sooner it arrives, the better?

    “Logically, it will arrive. Hopefully sooner rather than later. It’s one of the things I told the doctor. When I go back to riding my motorcycle, my arm should be ready to crash. I am going to risk and crashes will come and the body must be ready. Then it will be important that I get up, that I get back on the bike and this is part of it. What worries me the most is not the first crash, but riding the way I want again.”

    What riders have you seen grow the most?

    “If you watch it from the TV and the sofa, they have all grown. Mir has grown a lot. He is the current Champion and has the experience of achieving a title. It remains to be seen this season if Quartararo and Viñales make the final leap. Who is the leader in Ducati because it is not clear, Zarco is surprising at the moment. Until four or five races have passed in Europe, not everything is defined. I wouldn’t bet on anyone because I wouldn’t know who to bet on. Then we will see during the season if we can be in the group in front so that we do not rule out anything without setting a clear objective.”

    What was the hardest moment mentally during the injury layoff?

    “Perhaps the hardest was October to November, which had been two months since the second operation, almost three but I saw that something was not working. My feelings, whatever I did – some weeks I worked more, others I had rest – I noticed that something was not right. I decided to have surgery because something was not right and so the doctors advised me. With the infection, it was hard because I did not know exactly what was happening. It was hard for me to get a bottle at home, and my family paid for it. They were hard days with the third operation, but in the end everything happened.”

    The current difference in the Championship is 40 points, what are your thoughts?

    “In regards to the points, I am neither worried nor obsessed. It is clear that you look at it and you see it, because you have to see it, but I am not obsessed at all because from the outset it is not my fight or my main objective. If the first objectives are met, then we will think about the big objective, which is the title.”

    What have you missed more: riding a MotoGP™ bike or winning?

    “We will try to start step by step, but it is true that I carry competitiveness within and during this time at home, with Alex, I think I have spent more hours on the PlayStation than ever. With my arm in a sling, I couldn’t do much. I also tried to enjoy it at home, to go for a walk, a different lifestyle. During this time, what you miss is riding a MotoGP bike. What I want for tomorrow is to come and hit the track.”

    Action MOTO GP Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal Main Race will be LIVE on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD from 15:30 Hrs (03:30 pm IST) onwards on Sunday, 18th April 2021. The same will be live streamed on discovery + app.

  • Expectation, optimism and butterflies: Portimao Press Conference

    Expectation, optimism and butterflies: Portimao Press Conference

    Marquez, Oliveira, Zarco, Quartararo, Viñales and Mir get ready for Round 3, with each facing a different challenge

    Portimao, 15 April 2021: After two hard-racing weekends in Qatar, the grid are ready to get suited and booted for another one as MotoGP takes on the rollercoaster Autodromo Internacional do Algarve near Portimão – and this time they’re joined by Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) as the eight-time World Champion gets back into the fray after nine months on the sidelines. Marquez headlined the pre-event Press Conference, alongside new Championship leader Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), Doha winner Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), his teammate and Qatar GP winner Maverick Viñales, reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and home hero – and last year’s winner – Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).

    Marquez spoke first.

    Marc Marquez: “It’s really nice to be back here with all of you, it was a hard nine months, really difficult. Tomorrow it will be time to make the most important step in my rehabilitation, riding a MotoGP bike. And it’s true I’m nervous, I have some butterflies in my stomach that aren’t normal for me. But I know after FP1 they’ll be gone, and it’s now time to enjoy it on the bike again. Today I met all the team, the Japanese staff as I saw the Spanish staff in a test, and they’re so motivated. And immediately I said, don’t forget we don’t have a target this weekend. I will be not the same Marc right from FP1, I need time. Still my rehabilitation is two things; physical and mental. We’re in the process but I’m really happy to be here and looking forward to riding the bike.”

    Marc Marquez returns

    How was it on the sidelines?
    “It was really strange, especially in the beginning, then in the mid period it was normal already, I was just a fan watching on TV and enjoying it. It was hard to decide to not race in Qatar 1 and 2, I felt ready but not 100% and the doctors stopped me. I followed that advice. But it was hard, nine hard months, with not only the doubt if I’ll ride again but also whether I’ll have a normal arm. I was optimistic, and the people around me helped a lot to keep the motivation there. And we have the target, to ride a MotoGP bike again.”

    Conditions on Friday could be mixed:
    “I wouldn’t like to ride a MotoGP bike for the first time in a long time in the rain! But if I’m here it’s because I’m ready to ride in all situations and if it rains I’ll ride. I did a private test one month ago, that was the last time I rode a bike. I was on a flat track bike last Monday but the last time I rode a proper bike was here a month ago. The circuit was nice, and good. For these guys their confidence is high, my confidence is not high at the moment! I’m in a different situation I’ll start step by step. It doesn’t matter the circuit or the time, now is my preseason and I’m looking forward to riding my Honda.”

    The others were also first asked about the eight-time World Champion’s return.

    Johann Zarco: “I think it’s so good, and the main thing it’s important for Marc. I can’t imagine, the way he is, a guy with so much energy having to stay at home and doubting whether he would have his arm back to normal. I think the fans are happy but the main one is himself. The butterflies he says he has, I think I can imagine. But I’m happy for him that he can remove his doubts.”

    Fabio Quartararo: “It’s great for him, first of all, after such a long time without jumping on a MotoGP bike, and for the Championship. When you’re an eight-time World Champion when you’re not here all of 2020… it felt strange and I think to have him back is great. I feel like for everyone, and the fans, to have the reference from the last years here will be great.”

    Maverick Viñales: “I think it’s great for everyone, for anyone… if a rider is one year away, as a rider for me that would be a very difficult time. So I’m really happy he can be here, for sure our way of enjoying life is riding a bike. That’s our way. So the chance to ride the bike and be back here is something unbelievable, and I think we are all happy because riders can be rivals on track but off track we have a good feeling and that’s important. To have all the riders here, and especially to have Marc here, who’s one of the biggest guys in the Championship, I’m really happy for him.”

    Joan Mir: “I’m happy for Marc that he’s here, the last years he was the reference. To have him here again will be a great opportunity for me to learn from him. I’m happy he’s back, let’s see how competitive he’ll be but to be here is the first step and I’m happy.”

    Miguel Oliveira: “I cannot add anything different to what anyone else said. Obviously happy for him first that he can be a normal individual after he had such a terrible accident and after all getting back to do what he likes to do which is riding bikes, like all of us. I think from the competitive side we are all very excited because despite having good results last year there was still missing the dominator of the class in the last decade so makes it a little bit more motivating for all of us to have.”

    Talk then moved on to the weekend ahead as MotoGP™ returns to the rollercoaster.

    Johann Zarco: “Coming in as leader is pretty nice, it’s a nice feeling. The best position to start the European tour! I think here in Portimão, the bike is working well. We always think it will be more tricky and can be but the podium and second place for Jack last year is pretty important and it means the bike is competitive. And also the feeling I got last year was interesting and I was still on the way to improving my level. So I hope I’ll have this speed immediately from FP1 and keep it to qualifying and the race. I’m quite optimistic and I hope this position of being the leader will give me extra energy to keep pushing for another podium, and if everything is going well why not a step better with victory? But we need to start on Friday and see but I think the potential of the bike is high and I can wish for a nice result.”

    Fabio Quartararo: “Last year I was also in a different situation, we were fighting for the Championship in Valencia and it was difficult even if the bike was not working so well, my spirit wasn’t the same and it was a mistake. It will be good to be here after great races in Qatar, I feel so good with the bike so I think it’s the best moment to see how our potential is on this track. But I’m feeling good, I have a lot of confidence with the bike and I think it can be not as bad as last year… and also a good track for us!”

    Maverick Viñales: “I don’t think last year we had big problems here, we started Friday really strong but then we touched the bike too much and lost the way a bit. I don’t think we understood how to get the maximum potential at the track. But it’s the kind of track I like, where I can go fast, and it’s important. This year we arrive in a different way, last year we arrived from difficult times and even with that we had a really good rhythm at the end of the race. So I can imagine the bike has good potential. We’ll try to work and try to figure out how to get it. Qualifying will be key and we’ll see what we can do but I’m confident and I know the potential we have.”

    Joan Mir: “I think the performance last year didn’t show much because I think we had a lot of problems, technical problems and it was a shame. This track I really like, I enjoy riding here and now we have a good opportunity to make a good result on Sunday. I’m confident, I think we can do great here. So let’s see!”

    Miguel Oliveira: “Qatar was a difficult couple of rounds for us, the second race slightly better but we had a technical issue with the dash… despite that I think we had a stronger weekend. And coming here we’d like to continue on the journey we finished last year. There’s some expectation but we shouldn’t be worried about repeating or improving the result, just enjoying riding a GP that for me is a privilege to race in my home country, And enjoy the normal process of working during the weekend, and enjoy this beautiful track!

  • Lock and load: Marquez returns to race the rollercoaster

    Lock and load: Marquez returns to race the rollercoaster

    After nine months on the sidelines, the eight-time World Champion is back. At a track he’s never raced, to face a field of rivals ready to measure their mettle
    Portimao, 13 April 2021: Nine months since last starting a race and even longer since last finishing one, the time has come for Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to return to MotoGP™. It’s been a long road to recovery following his crash in Jerez, and translating that into racing terms pulls it into focus: Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) are now all premier class race winners. Mir is the first MotoGP™ World Champion in ten years not called Marc Marquez or Jorge Lorenzo. Ducati are the reigning Constructors’ Champions and Team Suzuki Ecstar the Teams’. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) leads the 2021 Championship, many on the grid are in different colours and some familiar sparring partners have gone. Some are new faces entirely and there’s even someone different on the other side of the Repsol Honda Team garage as Pol Espargaro continues to settle in. This has all happened in what feels for many like a breathless, exciting rush – and will likely have felt to Marquez like the longest months of his life. But the wait is over, and the Grande Premio 888 de Portugal can’t start soon enough.

    All eyes will be on Marquez from FP1, and having not raced on the Algarve last year, there will likely be thousands of words given to balancing taking it easy vs track familiarisation vs getting back on a MotoGP™ bike after so long vs expecting the eight-time Champion to put in a lap record in five seconds. Some will expect the answers within five minutes and others within five Grands Prix, but the questions themselves are the bigger draw. How long will it take to see the number 93 on full power? Will it be no time at all? Did everyone raise the bar, or is Marquez returning to do just that?

    Speaking of raising the bar, that’s something Oliveira definitely did last year in his first premier class race on home turf. Already a MotoGP™ winner by the time the paddock arrived in Portugal for what was then the season finale, the number 88 shot out the blocks and couldn’t be caught, making it look easier than ever to make history in arguably the closest era ever. As we return only a few months later though, it’s been a difficult couple of races for KTM on the way in so the Austrian factory will get plenty of attention to see if they can get back to the winning ways that made them a star of 2020, as will Oliveira, who will be eager to put himself and Portugal back on the top step at home. Teammate Brad Binder did take a best KTM Losail finish ever in eighth, as the Qatari circuit has always been a tougher one for the marque, so that’s one box ticked and he’ll be keen for more too. Is this where the 2020 titans start to show more cards?

    The aforementioned Zarco, meanwhile, arrives as Championship leader and is one person who believes the grid got faster in 2020. The layout of Portimão wasn’t the best fit for Ducati last year with the exception of Jack Miller, now at Ducati Lenovo Team, as the Australian took second, but the reason Ducati are the reigning Constructors’ champions was explained by Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti in Portugal last year: a Ducati was extremely fast at every track, it just wasn’t always the same one. So the task will be for the rest of the Borgo Panigale machines – especially Zarco and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – to unlock Miller’s secret to second place in 2020, and for Miller it’s to grit his teeth slightly after arm pump surgery and try and get back nearer the front. The Moto2™ graduate rookies will be interesting too, coming in with a blank slate and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) with a first premier class pole and podium. How can he, Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) and Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) adapt?

    Yamaha have a similar balancing act to take from last year’s first visit to the Algarve. Franco Morbidelli put in a stunner for another podium finish as his machine seemed to edge out the factory riders later in the season, but so far in 2021 fortunes have been slightly reversed as Fabio Quartararo and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP teammate Maverick Viñales arrive with a win apiece; second and third in the Championship. They say a key test of the 2021 machine is how it handles Portimão, so how will it handle Portimão? And can Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT), after a stunning first qualifying in Qatar before a slide down the order, get back to the front?

    For Suzuki there are also plenty of questions left unanswered on the Algarve. After winning the title before the Portuguese GP last year, Joan Mir had a self-described disaster of a weekend as he had issues in practice, qualified well down the order and then eventually pulled in during the race with a mechanical problem. Teammate Alex Rins, meanwhile, said he made the wrong tyre choice – leaving Suzuki at full chat a somewhat unknown quantity. Test rider Sylvain Guintoli said after his very first experience of the track on the GSX-RR that it should suit the bike, so the Hamamatsu factory could be a big threat if all goes a little more smoothly than the 2020 edition.

    At Aprilia, with a nearly all-new RS-GP, nearly every weekend asks new questions, and in the best way. The Noale factory were closer than they’ve ever been before to the MotoGP™ winner courtesy of Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresin) in Qatar, and the new machine is impressing plenty. Arriving into Portimão, it will also have recently enjoyed giving a new VIP a ride round Jerez as MotoGP™ veteran Andrea Dovizioso takes it for a spin. More on that can be expected following their three-day test in Andalucia, but everything seems to be on course for the Noale factory to keep impressing in 2021.

    The closest top ten in history, the closest top 15 in history, and now an eight-time World Champion returns to the fold. For Marquez Portimão is unchartered territory, for the rest it’s somewhat more familiar turf, but for everyone on the grid it’s going to be a very different race weekend to the last one: the previous benchmark is back, and the rollercoaster awaits…

    Tune in for the Grande Premio 888 de Portugal MotoGP™ race at 13:00 local time (GMT +1) to see the third showdown in what promises to be a classic 2021 season.
    MotoGP™ Championship top five: 1 Johann Zarco* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – 40
    2 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 36
    3 Maverick Viñales – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 36
    4 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 26
    5 Alex Rins – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – 23
    *Independent Team rider
    Action from MOTO GP Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal Main Race will be LIVE on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD from 15:30 Hrs (03:30 pm IST) onwards on Sunday, April 18. The same will be live streamed on discovery + app.

  • Marquez gets ready for Portimao comeback

    Marquez gets ready for Portimao comeback

    Portimao (Portugal), 13 April, 2021 : It has finally happened: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) has been given the green light to get back on his RC213V this weekend at the Autódromo Internacional del Algarve. The Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal, the third round of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, will no doubt go down in history as the moment the eight-time World Champion stepped back into the spotlight after nine months away.

    It’s a moment that has been highly anticipated by MotoGP fans around the world but also by lovers of sport. It evokes memories of other great sporting heroes making their return after battling against serious, sometimes career-threatening, injuries. All of whom would return to the absolute pinnacle of their sport, as Marquez will seek to replicate.

    Marc’s return can be compared to that of other former premier class riders, such as MotoGP legend Mick Doohan. The Australian nearly lost his right leg in 1992, after a serious crash at Assen that led to a dangerous infection. A spectacular recovery, missing just four races, would see him try to clinch the title in the final two rounds in Brazil and South Africa. It sadly wasn’t enough, with the crown going to Wayne Rainey by just four points. Despite the fact that he could not manage to clinch the title that year, he would go on to conquer premier class racing for the remainder of the decade, taking an incredible five titles from 1994 to 1998.

    If we look beyond MotoGP™, the examples are numerous. In motorsport in particular, we have some iconic comebacks. First and foremost, we must remember the late, great Niki Lauda and his ability to recover from the injuries sustained after an accident at the 1976 F1 German Grand Prix. Despite receiving serious burns in the horror crash, he would return to the fray just 6 weeks later; a true hero. He was runner-up that year but would win his second title a year later before then taking his final world crown in 1984. We must also remember Michael Schumacher’s accident at the 1999 British GP, in which he fractured his leg and would miss the next six races. He would return stronger than ever, though, winning the world title from 2000 to 2004 in an iconic partnership with Ferrari.

    Alex Zanardi is another inspiring sporting comeback. In 2001, he suffered a terrible accident at EuroSpeedway Lausitz whereby he lost both legs. His grit, determination and reluctance to take the news lying down is inspiring to many. He would compete again just two years later in Touring Cars, adding victories in following years, although his greatest reward would come in the form of medals at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Another example would be the return of Poland’s Robert Kubica. A serious accident during a rally on Italian soil in 2011 almost cost him the amputation of his right hand. He would recover, however, to return to competing at the pinnacle of rallying, before then making his long-awaited return to F1 in 2019.

    In the world of football, we’ve seen some of the sport’s greatest players return from major injuries, such as Ronaldo Nazario and Diego Maradona. The former overcame a number of serious knee injuries, one of which was just before the 2002 World Cup – a competition he helped his country win for a record fifth time. In the case of the late, great Maradona, the famous Argentinian number 10 overcame a serious ankle injury while playing for FC Barcelona. Rather than claiming accident and fall injury compensation, he went onto win the World Cup in Mexico 1986, and eight years later, Maradona would star in the 1994 World Cup in the USA. Two of football’s most treasured athletes.

    Next we’ll come to basketball and world-famous superstar Michael Jordan had to return to the court following numerous injury setbacks. More recently, we can’t forget the late, great Kobe Bryant’s Achilles comeback. The ‘Black Mamba’ scored two free throws for the LA Lakers in the 2013 playoffs, before heading off the changing room as nearly a year away from the courts faced him. Bryant didn’t throw in the towel though, at 35 years of age, Bryant showed his prowess and returned as competitive as ever to post unbelievable statistics in his last two seasons with the Lakers.  

    Tennis has also seen its fair share of major injury comebacks. The three most successful male players of all time – Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic – have all been hit by injury during their illustrious careers. However, the story of Monica Seles is one to tell. In 1993 at just 19-years-old, she amazed the world by winning her eighth Grand Slam title, three years on from becoming the youngest-ever French Open winner at 16. However, in 1993, she was a victim of an on-court attack after a man stabbed her in the back. Understandably, it was something that saw Seles unable to return to the court for two years, but she did come back to win her fourth Australian Open in 1996 – her ninth Grand Slam. In addition, she claimed bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and helped the US Team to win the Federation Cup three times.

    Tiger Woods’ victory at The Masters is one of the great sporting comebacks. Suffering from long term back problems, the American became the oldest golfer to win The Masters since 1986. This was his fifth Masters title and 15th major overall. Fellow American Payton Manning, NFL’s legendary Quarterback, saw his time with the Indianapolis Colts end in 2011 after neck problems saw him go under the knife four times. He signed with the Denver Broncos, with whom he would play his last four seasons as a professional, saying goodbye in style with his second Super Bowl title in 2015.

    The story of cycling’s Greg LeMond is also famous. A year after winning the Tour de France in 1986, LeMond suffered a hunting accident in California that saw him get shot in the back. Nearly costing him his life, the incident ruined his 1987 campaign and the following year saw a fresh injury arise. However, LeMond returned and won the 1989 and 1990 Tour de France races.

    As we can see, we’ve witnessed some incredible sporting comebacks. We now wait and see what Marc Marquez can do after nine months on the sidelines. Three surgeries and a painful time away from the motorcycle, the number 93 is ready to compete again in 2021.

    Action from MOTO GP Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal Main Race will be LIVE on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD from 15:30 Hrs (03:30 pm IST) onwards on Sunday, 18th April 2021. The same will be live streamed on discovery + app.