Bastianini takes pole for Portuguese Grand Prix
The Algarve International Circuit was buzzing with excitement as the MotoGP riders took to the track for qualifying on Saturday. After topping the timesheets in Friday’s practice sessions, Enea Bastianini continued his impressive form to secure his first pole position since 2022.
The Italian rider, who has five grand prix wins under his belt, fended off a late charge from Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales to take pole by just 0.082 seconds. Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin completed the front row, while reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia will start from fourth.
It was a dramatic session for Gresini Ducati’s Marc Marquez, who suffered a scary crash at the final corner early on. Despite the incident, Marquez was able to get back on his bike and make it back to the garage for a new set of riding gear and his second bike. However, he struggled on his second run and could only manage eighth on the grid.
Meanwhile, Vinales set the early pace in Q2, but it was Bagnaia who moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1m37.942s. Martin was hot on his heels, but had his fastest lap cancelled for exceeding track limits. As the second runs began, Martin briefly took over at the top, but it was Bastianini who ultimately claimed pole with a time of 1m37.706s.
Vinales, who was the only Aprilia in Q2 after both Trackhouse riders and the sister factory Aprilia failed to make it out of Q1, put in a strong performance on his last lap but couldn’t quite match Bastianini’s pace. He will start from second on the grid, with Martin completing the front row.
Bagnaia heads row two, followed by KTM’s Jack Miller and VR46 Ducati rider Marco Bezzecchi. Rookie sensation Pedro Acosta impressed by coming through Q1 to qualify seventh on his Tech3 GasGas, while Marquez will start from eighth.
It was a tough session for Yamaha, with Fabio Quartararo the leading rider in ninth. Brad Binder’s crash in the closing minutes of Q2 left him in tenth, followed by Alex Rins and Alex Marquez, who failed to register a lap time on his Gresini Ducati.
In Q1, Aleix Espargaro narrowly missed out on a spot in Q2 and will start from 13th on the grid. VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio will line up alongside him in 14th, followed by the two Trackhouse riders and Franco Morbidelli in 17th.
The four Honda riders, led by LCR’s Johann Zarco, will fill out the last four spots on the grid.
Portuguese GP - Q2 results:
1. Enea Bastianini (Ducati)
2. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia)
3. Jorge Martin (Ducati)
Portuguese GP – Q1 results:
1. Pedro Acosta (GasGas)
2. Marc Marquez (Ducati)
3. Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha)
Resume:
Enea Bastianini takes pole for the Portuguese Grand Prix, with Maverick Vinales and Jorge Martin completing the front row. Reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia will start from fourth, while Marc Marquez suffered a crash but managed to qualify in eighth. Yamaha struggled, with Fabio Quartararo the leading rider in ninth.
