Francesco Bagnaia had it under control to win MotoGP Portuguese GP from Maverick Vinales and Marco Bezzecchi.
It was a clean start from pole-sitter Marc Marquez in his Honda in MotoGP Portuguese GP but quickly lost places in the couple of corners where RNF Aprilia’s Miguel Oliveira shot into the lead from Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin and Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia.
Marquez was fourth from Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales, KTM’s Jack Miller, VR46 Duati’s Marco Bezzecchi, Pramac’s Johann Zarco, VR46’s Luca Marini and LCR Honda’s Alex Rins in the Top 10. Marini, though, dropped out of Top 10 after a wide moment.
At the front, Bagnaia passed Martin and Oliveira to take the lead but a fast Marquez had a big collision with him. The Spaniard out-braked himself in the right-hander and touched Martin before ramming into Oliveira who had to be stretched off.
The incident was put under investigation as Bagnaia led from Vinales, Bezzecchi, Miller in the Top 4 as KTM’s Brad Binder moved up to fifth from Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez – the two gaining multiple positions in this melee.
Zarco was seventh from Marini, Honda’s Joan Mir and Rins in the Top 10 as Martin dropped to 15th. As Oliveira was taken to the medical center, Bagnaia was being caught up by Vinales. Bezzecchi steadied in third as Marquez climbed up to fourth.
He passed Miller and Binder in the process, with Zarco seventh from Marini, Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro and Rins after Mir took his Long Gap Penalty. Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo made a poor start and had to recover again where he ran 11th nearing midway.
Things steadied by midway in the MotoGP Portuguese GP as Bagnaia had a good lead over Vinales where Bezzecchi was a distant third fending from Marquez, Miller and Binder. Miller passed Marquez as well at once but he came back to retake the place.
It happened couple of times as the trio soon had Zarco and Espargaro on their tail too. Quartararo passed Marini behind to ninth as Martin on their tail crashed out. The fight for fourth heated up when Binder passed Miller and pounced on Marquez.
But Marquez came back to retake fourth as Miller fended off Espargaro and Zarco where the Frenchman lost seventh but retook it. Espargaro came back on him to seventh as Quartararo joined the party after Marini crashed on his own.
RNF Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez too crashed out as well a lap later. At the front, Bagnaia eased to win MotoGP Portuguese GP from Vinales and Bezzecchi as Zarco not only passed Miller but picked up Binder and even Marquez to end up fourth.
He was fighting Espargaro but a wide moment from the Spaniard opened up the gap and he picked up four riders to be fourth. Marquez had to settle for fifth from Binder and Miller, as Quartararo was eighth from Espargaro and Rins in the Top 10.
Mir recovered to 11th after penalty, as LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagmi was 12th from MotoGP rookie Augusto Fernandez scoring on debut on his Tech3 GASGAS. Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli was 14th from Fernandez who continued after his fall.
DNF: Marini, Martin, Fabio di Giannantonio, Oliveira, Marquez.
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