Jorge Martin won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portimao, Portugal. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP24, the Spaniard won the 25-lap race by 0.882 second.
Factory Ducati rider Enea Bastianini was the runner-up on his Lenovo-sponsored Desmosedici, and rookie sensation Pedro Acosta took his career-first MotoGP podium finish with third place on on his Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 machine.
The MotoGP World Championship races next on April 12-14 at Circuit of The Americas, in Austin, Texas.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Drama on the Algarve: Martin wins, Acosta makes history as Bagnaia and Marc Marquez collide
Headlines, history and adrenaline on the rollercoaster: Martin takes the Championship lead as the storylines overflow in Portugal
Sunday, 24 March 2024
The 2024 Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal was a stunning lights to flag win for Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) as the number #89 took the victory and the Championship lead with it. But this is the world’s most exciting sport, and there are no single sentence explanations to cover 25 laps of MotoGP™ on the rollercoaster. Martin won, and Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) chased him close all the way until a heartbreaking last lap technical issue. Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) came though to take second and his first podium of the year. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech 3) made history as the third youngest podium finisher in premier class history with an incredible charge past Champions past and present. And?
11 World Championships went toe-to-toe, and all of them slid off into the runoff. Riders ok, but in one of the most dramatic incidents for some time, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) collided with only a handful of laps to go. The FIM MotoGP™ Stewards officially deem it a racing incident, but it seems a moment that will be debriefed for weeks, months, if not years to come.
But back to the start. It was a stunning launch from Martin to take the holeshot, with Bastianini slotting in behind as Bagnaia shot up a place. Viñales initially dropped to fourth then fought back, round the outside of the reigning Champion. Bastianini was then slightly wide and Viñales headed through, with the two Ducatis then shuffling. Marc Marquez tried his luck with a move through too, but it settled down slightly after the adrenaline spike with Martin leading Viñales, Bastianini, Bagnaia and Marc Marquez.
Martin looked to be trying to break, but Viñales responded to stay in touch, and likewise Bastianini. What was a seven tenth gap became five and then three as the Aprilia dug in. Bastianini was holding station in third ahead of Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, with an RC-16 war raging on their tail.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) led teammate Jack Miller led Acosta, but the gloves were off and the South African made his move as Miller was then sent a little wide at Turn 1. His teammate was through, and so was Acosta – before the rookie then also attacked Binder at the same place not long after. The charge to history was on.
From there, it was target lock on Marc Marquez. And he homed in and did the same with a brutal move at Turn 1, pitched perfectly to make his way past but not open the door enough to allow the eight-time World Champion to reply.
At the front, Martin marched on, and so did Viñales as he shadowed. Bastianini held station, close enough to be cooking something up, as behind another titanic battle erupted.
Acosta’s charge didn’t stop at Marc Marquez as the rookie homed in on the reigning Champion next. He chose Turn 1 again, but the rear slipped once, then twice, and he headed just wide enough getting it back under control to let Pecco back through. Not long after, Acosta was able to get past Bagnaia once again, and that left the reigning Champion to go toe-to-toe with Marc Marquez. And then came the drama.
Marquez went for one attempt but the door was shut. This time he wasn’t going to try and push it open a la Sprint, either. Four laps to go saw the Gresini remain an absolute shadow, but Bagnaia gained a little breathing space next time round. Just enough that when the #93 did strike, it was another absolute lunge – and it nearly did work. But Bagnaia is Bagnaia and the reigning Champion had anticipated, took back the inside line as tightly as possible… and that was that. The two diverged on the same space, and two into one doesn’t fit. Contact made, they both slid out as the crowd erupted.
Meanwhile, the rider sweeping past to take that fourth place? Acosta. But there was another twist in the tale for another rider up ahead, with fourth about to become premier class history.
Crossing the line for the last lap, Martin had enough in hand to bet on. But Viñales was suddenly slowing, hanging off the bike and then looking down as he headed into the run off. A late technical issue made it a heartbreaking end to the GP race for the Sprint winner, as he then crashed out as it said no more. And that put Acosta on the podium after his gung-ho charge for glory.
Up ahead, Bastianini was close to Martin, but not close enough to strike. The #89 achieved the 89th victory for Ducati in style, winning holeshot to flag despite the drama and the tension in the chase. Bastianini, after a tougher Qatar GP and Sprint in Portugal, gets that podium to begin his count for the season, and then comes Acosta.
The number #31 is the third youngest premier class podium finisher of all time, getting it done in only his second race to join an exclusive club. Acosta was also the first over the line of the trio of KTM/GASGAS RC16s, with Binder taking fourth and Miller fifth.
Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) took P6 and was able to stay ahead of Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), who took P7 after a weekend getting straight through to Q2 too. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) managed to come through to P8, ahead of home hero Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) in ninth. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) completed the top ten but by hundredths ahead of Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3). Find full results below.
So the dust settles on Sunday evening. Or does it? One incident can become a whole storyline, or a move re-calculated. Or just the calm, certain desire to make sure that when next time comes, you’re coming out on top. The best rivalries build between those on a level that enables them to take each other on – and still back themselves.
Next up? Next up it’s the Circuit of the Americas. Only three riders have ever won a MotoGP™ race in Austin, and only one of them has done it seven times. The rider who’ll most want to stop him making that eight is the same who defeated the eight-time World Champion on the way to his first ever MotoGP™ victory – and the only rider to take back-to-back MotoGP™ crowns alongside his mentor, Valentino Rossi, and that very same Marc Marquez. Join us for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas – hopefully we don’t need to ask twice.
MotoGP™: the biggest sporting event in Portugal
The 2024 Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal had some stunning racing and a dash (or two!) of drama, and a record crowd was there to witness it. A 41% increase in attendance on the 2023 edition saw over 170,000 fans flock to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve across the weekend, making it MotoGP™’s best-attended event yet at the venue and confirming the Grand Prix as the biggest sporting event in Portugal.
Canet takes coveted first Moto2™ win as Aldeguer storms through for a comeback
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) is a Moto2™ race winner! The Spaniard broke his victory drought with a stylish win by two seconds as the podium fight exploded behind him in Portugal. Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) completed a brilliant weekend at Portimao to take second, fighting off polesitter Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) before Gonzalez had his own showdowns to secure that third place. Meanwhile, Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) had to do two long laps after jumping the start, leaving him down the order but still fast as ever as the new Ducati signing set off on a charge.
Aldeguer led into Turn 1, but soon teammate Alonso Lopez hit the front, launching an attack on his teammate even before Aldeguer served the first of his penalties. The #54 then took his first LLP on lap four, dropping down to 11th before the second on lap seven, dropping to 13th.
Canet set the pace early on, stealing the fastest lap of the race while sitting in second – setting sights on a first Moto2™ win. Polesitter Gonzalez sat in third position after finding a way through on the fast-charging Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI). Ogura’s fourth did not last long as Roberts and Albert Arenas (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) found a way through.
As laps ticked down, Lopez maintained an advantage at the front until lap 11, when the race was blown wide open as the Spaniard lost the front at turn 13 – crashing out the lead. That promoted Canet to p1 and Roberts into second at the venue where the American claimed his first win in 2021.
All eyes were now on Canet in the lead and Aldeguer, who was carving through the field and back inside the top 10 in two laps. The Spaniard soon set the fastest lap, circulating quicker than Canet at the front of the field with 10 laps remaining.
Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was having a ferocious battle with Jeremy Alcoba (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team) for seventh position, allowing Arenas to escape in front. They could not match the pace of Aldeguer on his mission to the front, as the #54 flew down the inside and remarkably entered fifth place.
It was beginning to build to be an incredible end to the race with a battle brewing inside the front group. Gonzalez found a way through on Roberts, trying to up the pace and catch Canet at the front.
Now with just three laps to go the gloves were off after Aldeguer launched a brave attack at turn three to pass Ogura briefly before the Japanese rider responded. Meanwhile, Roberts entered second position before Gonzalez quickly responded – putting pressure on the American.
Two laps remained as the dream began to look like a reality for Canet, crossing the line with a lead of almost two seconds with just 2.85 miles to go. You could cut the tension with a knife on the last lap of the race with Canet leading as an all-out battle for the final place on the podium was happening behind.
As the chequered flag loomed, Canet even celebrated round the final corner before finally becoming a Moto2™ race winner. Roberts continues to celebrate success In Portimao, finishing second ahead of Gonzalez, who finally got the better of Aldeguer after Ogura dropped to fifth on the final lap after a near highside on the exit of turn four battling the #54.
Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) battled to sixth place, in yet another impressive race from the Spaniard, ahead of Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Arenas, Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team) and Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) rounding out the top ten. Alcoba and Arbolino continued their battle to the line but dropped down to 11th and 12th at the end of 21 laps.
Now it’s destination: Texas for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, with another 25 points on the table. Who’s taking them? We’ll find out in a few weeks!
0.044 in it: Holgado & Rueda stage a duel to remember
Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) won a classic drag to the line finish at the stunning Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, staying ahead of Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) by just 0.044 as the two battled it out on the last lap. Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) completed the podium as the lead trio turned up the wick in the final few laps to escape former race leader David Alonso (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team).
Rueda took the holeshot and had his turn making a gap, managing to stay ahead of the group until 10 to go. Then Alonso made his move and looked to be trying to make a break as the gap extended. But not so, as Holgado and Rueda duo closed the CFMoto Aspar rider down, got past, and in a handful of laps had been able to make their own gap.
Onto the last lap, it seemed likely it would remain a duel. Holgado led over the line with Rueda for close company, with Ortola just off the back but forced to wait in the wings for any possible drama. Rueda went for a move at Turn 14 and was briefly ahead taking a tighter line, but the number 99 couldn’t keep it as Holgado pinned it and swept back into the lead. It all came down to the final corner and again, the Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 was able to stay ahead and gas it towards the line with just enough metres in hand to take his first Grand Prix win of the year – and the Championship lead.
Rueda may not have taken the win but it’s his best Grand Prix result yet, as well as only his second podium. Ortola completed the rostrum another seven tenths back, but managing to keep more than a second in hand over those on the chase: Alonso, Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) and Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) in that order.
Stefano Nepa (LEVELUP – MTA) took P7 ahead of top rookie Joel Esteban (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team), with David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) beating Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and rookie Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) in a close finish for P9.
After another classic Moto3™ encounter, the field now heads for Austin, TX for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas in a few weeks. Join us there for more!
