Jorge Martín dominates in Portugal to take MotoGP lead after eventful race
Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martín won the Portuguese Grand Prix at the Algarve International Circuit on Sunday to take the MotoGP championship lead, while 19-year-old rookie Pedro Acosta earned his first premier-class podium with a blistering charge after starting seventh.
Acosta finished third behind polesitter Enea Bastianini after Saturday’s sprint winner Maverick Viñales, who was in second place, crashed on the final lap due to what appeared to be a technical problem with the gearbox.
After a dominant ride, Martín took over the championship lead from reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia, who also crashed out of the race following a collision with six-times MotoGP champion Marc Márquez on the Gresini Ducati. Martín has 60 points after two races while Brad Binder is second, 18 points behind. Bagnaia was pushed down to fourth in the standings as a result of the crash, 23 points adrift.
“I knew what I was capable of,” said Martín. “I started fast and I was trying to manage the tyres. Maverick and Enea were super close but at the end I saw a gap and it was enough to fight for the win.”
Martín rocketed off the line to take the lead going into turn one and he immediately set the pace for the race out front, clocking the fastest lap and extending his lead over Viñales. Bastianini sat third, with Bagnaia and Márquez behind him as the top five riders peeled away from the rest of the pack.
But behind them, GasGas Tech3’s Acosta was unwilling to sit back and conserve his tyres, first overtaking Red Bull KTM’s Binder before squeezing past Márquez to move up into fifth with a fastest lap of his own. Acosta gave chase to Bagnaia and attempted risky overtakes on the Italian. His persistence eventually paid off with five laps to go when he lunged on the inside and shut the door on the two-times champion.
Tyre management proved to be his undoing in the season opener in Qatar but this time Acosta looked comfortable with tyre temperature as he pulled away from Bagnaia and Márquez. Acosta’s heroics forced Bagnaia and Márquez to fight for fifth but with three laps to go, desperation ended in frustration as both riders collided and crashed when the factory Ducati rider attempted to retake his position on the inside. Bagnaia was unable to finish the
race while Márquez eventually finished 16th, just outside the points.
MotoGP stewards investigated the incident and did not sanction either rider, a decision that was accepted by both six-times champion Márquez and reigning champion Bagnaia. “I told the stewards it’s a racing incident on the very limit. But the stewards must decide what is the limit,” said Márquez.
Bagnaia insisted the overtake he attempted was not risky, saying: “I tried to close the line. He crossed his line and we collided. It’s something that makes me angry, but it’s normal. It’s a racing incident and we have to move on to the next one.”
Acosta looked set for a well-deserved fourth place, but he was gifted a podium finish when Viñales crashed on the final lap. In just his second MotoGP race, Acosta became the third-youngest podium finisher in premier class history. “The bike was perfect. Today there was no problem with the tyres,” Acosta said. “We need to improve but look at this podium – it’s not red Ducatis, it’s a red GasGas!”