MotoGP’s newly-crowned 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo led the way in the opening practice session of the season’s penultimate race weekend at Portimao.
Key moments
– Quartararo beats Bagnaia late on
– Two Suzukis in top five, three Ducatis in top six
– Top KTM only 14th
The top spot in the session was occupied by either Quartararo or his main rival Francesco Bagnaia for all but a few minutes of the session.
Bagnaia seemed to have taken the final spot for good coming into the final minutes, continuing to respond to any improvements from Quartararo, yet the Frenchman lept ahead at the chequered flag with a 1m40.192s.
It left Bagnaia half a tenth adrift, with his factory Ducati team-mate Jack Miller moving up to third place late on.
Suzuki’s Alex Rins, transmitting some captivating footage from a chest-mounted onboard camera during the session, ended up fourth, but was almost three times as far off Miller as Miller was off Quartararo.
🚨 SHOULDER CAM ALERT! 🚨
A new perspective as @Rins42 heads for a hot lap! 🤩#AlgarveGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/skuY5msDss
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) November 5, 2021
Rins’ team-mate Joan Mir followed him in fifth, having very narrowly avoided a monumental highside while coming out of the hairpin-esque Turn 13 midway through the session.
In case @JoanMirOfficial hadn't woken up fully yet… 😲
That should definitely do it! 🤯#AlgarveGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/ChDo2A6aN7
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) November 5, 2021
Rookie Luca Marini stood out for VR46 Ducati in sixth place, ahead of Pol Espargaro (Honda). The two Aprilias of Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro were eighth and 10th, split by the factory Yamaha of Franco Morbidelli, who will be getting a new crew chief next year.
Of the four-rider KTM contingent, the Honda World Superbike-bound Iker Lecuona was fastest but only 14th, with home hero Miguel Oliveira four places back.
With Marc Marquez absent through concussion, his replacement, Honda’s test rider Stefan Bradl, ended the opening session in the penultimate spot, albeit just 1.462s off the pace.
Practice 1 Results
| Pos | Name | Team | Bike | Gap Next | Gap Leader | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fabio Quartararo | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 1m40.192s | ||
| 2 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati | +0.045s | +0.045s | 1m40.237s |
| 3 | Jack Miller | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati | +0.086s | +0.131s | 1m40.323s |
| 4 | Alex Rins | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | +0.228s | +0.359s | 1m40.551s |
| 5 | Joan Mir | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | +0.138s | +0.497s | 1m40.689s |
| 6 | Luca Marini | SKY VR46 Avintia Team | Ducati | +0.096s | +0.593s | 1m40.785s |
| 7 | Pol Espargaró | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | +0.01s | +0.603s | 1m40.795s |
| 8 | Maverick Viñales | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | +0.058s | +0.661s | 1m40.853s |
| 9 | Franco Morbidelli | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | +0.034s | +0.695s | 1m40.887s |
| 10 | Aleix Espargaró | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | +0.002s | +0.697s | 1m40.889s |
| 11 | Alex Marquez | LCR Honda Castrol | Honda | +0.059s | +0.756s | 1m40.948s |
| 12 | Takaaki Nakagami | LCR Honda IDEMITSU | Honda | +0.047s | +0.803s | 1m40.995s |
| 13 | Johann Zarco | Pramac Racing | Ducati | +0.089s | +0.892s | 1m41.084s |
| 14 | Iker Lecuona | Tech3 KTM Factory Racing | KTM | +0.115s | +1.007s | 1m41.199s |
| 15 | Brad Binder | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | +0.016s | +1.023s | 1m41.215s |
| 16 | Danilo Petrucci | Tech3 KTM Factory Racing | KTM | +0.081s | +1.104s | 1m41.296s |
| 17 | Jorge Martin | Pramac Racing | Ducati | +0.052s | +1.156s | 1m41.348s |
| 18 | Miguel Oliveira | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | +0.027s | +1.183s | 1m41.375s |
| 19 | Andrea Dovizioso | Petronas Yamaha SRT | Yamaha | +0.017s | +1.2s | 1m41.392s |
| 20 | Enea Bastianini | Avintia Esponsorama Racing | Ducati | +0.164s | +1.364s | 1m41.556s |
| 21 | Stefan Bradl | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | +0.098s | +1.462s | 1m41.654s |
| 22 | Valentino Rossi | Petronas Yamaha SRT | Yamaha | +0.426s | +1.888s | 1m42.08s |
