Seconds out… round two Portimao
With dust settled on the season opener in Qatar, the MotoGP circus heads to for one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar….
The fastest riders in the world face one of their toughest tests of the season this coming weekend when MotoGP jumps on board the rollercoaster in Portimao.
A stomach-churning mixture of tight turns, steep slopes and high-speed sections, the circuit is one of MotoGP’s ultimate whiteknuckle rides.
Last season’s dominant duo of Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin quickly got back into the winning groove in Qatar and they are the most obvious standouts for success this weekend.
And once again it will be all eyes on Marc Marquez and young upstart Pedro Acosta to see if they can steal some of the limelight.
SURE-FIRE SPRINT SUCCESS?
Death and taxes aren’t the only certainties in life. Add in a Jorge Martin Sprint win. The Spaniard’s explosive speed has seen him win 10 Sprints so far, and he hasn’t finished lower than second in the last nine. Cashing in on a Saturday though isn’t enough, and Martin needs to find a way to start consistently defeating Bagnaia when it’s full points on Sunday. He’s only beaten the Italian once in the last seven feature races and been outscored by 80 points. That needs to addressed and quickly. Starting in Portimao.
CATCH HIM IF YOU CAN
MotoGP 2024 started just as 2023 ended with Pecco Bagnaia on top of the world and his rivals pondering how on earth to stop the Italian. Portimao is unlikely to give Bagnaia’s rivals any respite, with the World Champion taking a dream double in the 2023 season opener. Back-to-back titles have given Bagnaia an air of calm and confidence which, married with his stunning speed, has shown wrestling the number one plate from his iron grip will be one of the hardest tasks in world motorsport. Given his success in Portugal last season, he will sense this weekend as a wonderful opportunity to build some serious early momentum.
BINDER BELIEF
Brad Binder looks the most potent threat again to Ducati’s domination. A close second in the Sprint and GP in
Qatar suggest KTM have crept closer to
Ducati, with improvements in braking and corner entry boosting Binder. Close isn’t good enough though for the fiercely driven South African, but if KTM can find some of the class leading rear grip Ducati has, Binder is in the game. Never higher than fifth in five Portimao starts, this weekend might give us a clearer indicator of how KTM has progressed.
HOME SWEET HOME
If MotoGP was a popularity contest, Miguel Oliveira would win Saturday’s Sprint by 30 seconds and Sunday’s GP by a minute. Only Cristiano Ronaldo is a bigger sporting name in his native Portugal, but since his memorable behind-closed-doors win in 2020, there has been little home comfort for Oliveira, who has failed to score in three of the last four. Crowd decibels reached jet engine levels last year when Oliveira led the opening lap of the season before Marc Marquez cleaned him out of contention.
BACK TO SIMPLY THE BEZ? A podium in the opening round in
Portimao last season was the catalyst for a surprise title tilt in 2023 for Marco Bezzecchi. A repeat this weekend would be very welcome after the Italian mustered just two points in Qatar. Lacking confidence and feel in braking and entry with the Ducati GP23, a quick remedy is required before Bezzecchi begins regretting saying no to a Pramac seat and a ’24 spec Ducati this season.
MAKING HIS MARC
It’s taken just 33 racing laps as a Ducati rider for Marquez to serve warning of the giant sized thorn he could be in the side of Bagnaia and Martin. Fifth in the Qatar Sprint with the fastest lap outing was impressive. A strong fourth in the feature race suggests a first win isn’t far off. Round three at his beloved COTA anyone? Portimao though is a big acid test. He was fast in last month’s Sepang test after nearly three full days of riding. And he was dialled in at Qatar after a two-day test. In Portimao, he starts from scratch. Marquez though did take pole here last year on a Honda so bad it would have been easier trying to win Olympic javelin gold with a tooth pick.
‘Rivals are pondering how to stop Pecco’