4.38pm – Bagnaia, Marquez, Vinales: all on the ground
(Paolo Lorenzi) Two nightmare laps. The last two of the Portuguese Grand Prix will remember it for a long time, Bagnaia, Marquez and Vinales, all ending up in the sand, the concrete and the desperation of a result thrown away. All this while Martin raced towards the finish line under the checkered flag waved by Mourinho (“I’ve done it often in Formula One, it’s the first time in MotoGP, but this summer I’m going back to football” said the Special One). The first twist came on lap 23: Bagnaia, who was struggling to navigate in fourth position, overtaken by a formidable Acosta, who then finished on the podium, collided with Marquez and both ended up in the gravel, off the track. There will be a discussion about the contact: the Catalan attacked Pecco who at that moment seemed to be losing ground, he overtook him on the inside, cleanly, while Bagnaia in an attempt to reply ended up running into the Spaniard, hitting him on the left side , while Marc tried to close the trajectory. Even if it looked like a racing accident, the contact ended up in the sights of the Stuart panel, therefore subject to sanctions.
Vinales, broken gearbox
One lap later it was the turn of an innocent Vinales to despair, due to the broken gearbox of his Aprilia which denied him a now certain podium. In two laps the Portimao Grand Prix also changed the face of the standings which saw the reigning champion slipping to fourth place, displaced by Martin who now leads with 23 points over number one. Binder follows and Bastianini returns to the podium after Saturday’s poor performance. “I wanted to redeem myself – said Enea -, I believed it but Jorge was pushing really hard”. In a race largely lacking in emotions, the finale also brought an aggressive Acosta back into the spotlight who made another great overtaking move against Marquez (as in Qatar) and then caught up with and overtook Bagnaia (“I tried to be kind to him, I didn’t want to do something stupid”).
The Ducati champion rode on defense throughout the race, trying not to lose contact with Martin, Vinales and Bastianini, but he didn’t have the pace of the first three. Like Saturday in the fast race, Sunday also seemed not to be entirely right. Unlike Martin who quickly gained first place, he managed it perfectly, right to the end. «Now we are also here on Sundays – said Martin -. It’s not easy these days to stay at the front in MotoGP. Better to think race by race.”
4.12pm – Order of arrival
1. Jorge Martin (Spain) Ducati in 41’18”138
2. Enea Bastianini (Italy) Ducati at 0”882
3. Pedro Acosta (Spagna) Ktm 5”3
4. Brad Binder (Sud Africa) Ktm a 11”129
5. Jack Miller (Australia) Ktm a 16”437
6. Marco Bezzecchi (Italy) Ducati at 19”403
7. Fabio Quartararo (France) Yamaha at 20”130
8. Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia at 21”549
9. Miguel Oliveira (Portogallo) Aprilia at 23”929
10. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Italy) Ducati at 28”195
Fastest lap: Enea Bastianini (lap 21) in 1’38”685
4.09pm – Bastianini: «If I think back to the accident a year ago… Very happy with the race»
«I am very happy with my race, especially if I think back to last year’s accident on this track. At the start I was nervous and I made a couple of mistakes, but after that I managed to have a good race – this is the comment of Enea Bastianini who finished second – Martin’s pace today was very fast, every time I got closer he managed to increase further . Vinales was also very fast, I didn’t understand what happened to him.”
– Bastianini’s accident in the Sprint Race a year ago
4.04pm – Acosta: «Perfect bike for the whole race»
«I have nothing to say about today: the bike was perfect for the whole race: I never even had tire problems, my team did a fantastic job — is the comment of the young Spaniard from Ktm Gas Gas before getting on the podium — I rode as I know how and I’m happy, today it’s not just the Ducati red up there, but also the Gas Gas one. I know where I still need to improve, for example in qualifying.”
3.56pm – The 19-year-old Acosta is the third youngest to reach the podium
It has been known for some time that it is a two-wheel phenomenon. Pedro Acosta has been considered Marc Marquez’s heir since he raced in Moto3. Dominating, he once won even starting from the pits. He was 2021 and became world champion, as he was a year ago in Moto2. He will turn 20 in May.
3.46pm – The MotoGP ranking
Martin now takes the lead with 60 points, 18 ahead of Brad Binder. Bastianini rises to 39 ahead of Bagnaia, who is stuck at 37.
In front of Bastianini and the prodigy Acosta. Marc Marquez finished 16th and Pecco Bagnaia scored zero points, self-eliminated, like Vinales.
Vinales falls after being passed by Bastianini, now second.
Meanwhile, Bstianini gets under Vinales for the finale. Bagnaia has slipped to 20th position, Marquez is 17th. Bezzecchi finds himself seventh.
Contact between Bagnaia and Marquez, the Spaniard manages to restart. The world champion was looking for the inside line and touched Marquez, pushing him out. Race contact.
Martin, increasingly alone, has 7 tenths of a second on Vinales who sees Bastianini get under him. Bagnaia is now 1.5 seconds behind Acosta, who is very fast, and Marquez is looking to overtake.
Acosta passes Bagnaia quickly. He is now fifth, with the world champion sixth. Marc Marquez also falls on him, but the official Ducatista resists him.
Fast lap by Enea Bastianini, 1’38”793, moving within half a second of Vinales.
Martin makes the elastic. Bastianini sets his best lap and Bagnaia loses two tenths as Acosta approaches again. Alex Marquez, who was last at 47″ after a fall at the start of the race, retires.
The times are lowered, Vinales is 694 thousandths behind the race leader. Bastianini is 1″3, Bagnaia 3″1, with a 3 tenths margin over Acosta.
Vinales responds in 1’38”818. Positions still unchanged among the leading riders.
This time Martin sets the fastest lap in 1’38”830, equaling Bagnaia but extending his lead over Vinales to 8 tenths. Bastianini trailed by another three tenths.
The riders in front all lap in a low, if not very low, 1’39”.
Martin accelerates and extends his lead over Vinales to half a second. Bagnaia sets the fastest lap in 1’38”830 and is a second and a half behind Bastianini and two tenths ahead of Acosta’s Gas Gas.
Great battle between the young Spaniard and the world champion. Acosta even manages to pass him for a moment, before widening too much and having to return the position. Marc Marquez is approaching.
Bagnaia and Acosta, fighting for fourth position, are separated by just one tenth.
Positions and gaps almost unchanged in the first 6 positions. Vinales the fastest on the track.
Vinales comes within two tenths of Martin. Behind, Bezzecchi overtakes Rins and is 11th, catching a glimpse of the top ten.
Fast lap by Acosta, 1’38”901. Almost a second faster than leader Martin in the last lap and Marquez also passes in the enfilade. He is 4 tenths behind Bagnaia.
Acosta also passes Binder and is sixth. At the front, the gaps are practically unchanged, except for Bastianini-Bagnaia who gain on Marquez, now one second behind.
While Vinales almost comes back into contact with Marti, Acosta overtakes Miller in seventh position. The Red Bull Gas Gas talent confirms his competitiveness.
Martin, on the other hand, extends his lead, separating Vinales by more than half a second. Bastianini follows by another 5 tenths, from Bagnaia to Acosta there is a train of five riders in the space of 1”2.
Among the leading riders, the fastest pace is that of Vinales’ Aprilia, which tries to catch Martin’s Pramac. There are around two tenths between Bagnaia, fourth, and Marquez, fifth. Raul Fernandez falls.
Marc Marquez approaches Bagnaia, Binder overtakes Miller for sixth position.
3.03pm – Martin passes in front at the finish line of the first lap
At around 7 tenths there are Vinales and Bastianini and at around a second Bagnaia. Fall for Morbidelli.
3.02pm – Traffic light off
The race starts, good start for Vinales
3.00 pm – Off to the reconnaissance tour
Everything is ready in Portimao for the second race of the 2024 MotoGP.
There will be 25 laps to complete at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
2.51pm – The Portuguese anthem plays
Ceremony 10′ from the start of the Grand Prix, MotoGP class, on the Portimao track.
2.48pm – Martin first in the warm up this morning
This morning Jorge Martin (Ducati Prima Pramac), in 1’39”093, was the best in the warm up. Second time went to Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo, +0”349), while third went to the Australian Jack Miller (Ktm, +0”393).
Fourth place for the winner of the Sprint, Maverick Vinales, (Aprilia, +0″418); therefore, fifth was the Japanese Takaaki Nakagami (Honda, +0”453). Closing out the top ten, in order, are Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder, Raul Fernandez, Alex Marquez, Fabio Di Giannantonio. Bagnaia ends the round in eleventh place; Marc Marquez, however, crashed without suffering any consequences.
2.45pm – Mourinho visits the factory Ducati garage
A “special” meeting for the Ducati riders just a few minutes before the start of the Portuguese MotoGP in Portimao. Pecco Bagniaia and Enea Bastianini have in fact received a visit from the former Roma coach, the Portuguese José Mourinho
1.50 pm – It’s the most extreme MotoGP ever: «Soon we’ll be going at 400 km/h»
MotoGP records are falling and there are those who warn: “Soon we will reach 400 km/h and we will need tracks as wide as airports.” The MotoGP World Championship and the speed problem, among the risks and the new rules that will come into force from 2027
1.41pm – Qualifying and the Sprint yesterday
1.35 pm – The situation
1.30pm – Where to watch the race on TV
After the debut in Qatar, MotoGP returns with the second round in Portugal, on the Portimao circuit
2024-03-24 15:45:00
#live #broadcast #Martin #wins #Bastianini #Acosta #Bagnaia #Marquez #Vinales #fall #Corriere.it
