Day 1 at Portimao sees just 0.088s cover the top three amid unpredictable conditions in southern Portugal
The Algarve International Circuit lived up to its reputation on Friday, serving up a mix of sunshine, drizzle, and drama — and by the end of the day, barely a tenth of a second separated the leading trio. Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) came out on top after clocking a 1:37.974, holding off Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and the ever-impressive rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in a thrilling opening day at Portimao.
Marquez lays down the marker
From the early laps, Marquez looked sharp and comfortable on the undulating Portuguese layout. Half an hour into the session, the Spaniard had already stamped his authority on proceedings, leading by a couple of tenths over Acosta, while Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) made it three different manufacturers in the top three.
Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Tech3) continued his strong stand-in performance for Maverick Viñales, slotting into fourth ahead of Bagnaia, who was still finding his rhythm on the Ducati.
Then came a twist — literally from the skies. With just under 20 minutes remaining, rain flags began to wave around the circuit as light drops started to fall. Before the shower took hold, rookie Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team)had impressed by jumping to sixth, nudging Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) out of the top ten. Moments later, Yamaha’s frustrations deepened when Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) lost the front at Turn 5 and went down.
Despite the dampening track, Acosta wasn’t backing off. The young Spaniard dug in, slicing the gap to Marquez before producing a blistering 1:38.062 — enough to take provisional P1 and showcase his growing maturity under pressure.
Late shake-up as the times tumble
The final ten minutes brought a flurry of improvements. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol), and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) all found time to climb into the top ten. But as the clock ticked down, Marquez responded in kind — firing in the first 1:37-lap of the weekend to reclaim the top spot with eight minutes to go.
Drama wasn’t done yet. Quartararo, briefly sitting P4, tumbled back outside the top ten as others improved. His next effort wasn’t quite enough either, while Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) put in a personal best to move into ninth — pushing Bagnaia down to the edge of the automatic Q2 cutoff. That threat turned real when Espargaro improved again, shuffling the reigning double World Champion to P11.
Bagnaia’s response was immediate. The Italian regrouped and fired himself up to P7 with a composed final lap, bumping Marini out of Q2 contention once more. Quartararo, meanwhile, was left frustrated, unable to recover ground. Bagnaia had one last push left in him and managed to get within 0.048s of Marquez — setting up a mouthwatering battle for Saturday.
The Friday Top 10
At the close of play, Bezzecchi’s late flyer secured him fourth, while Joan Mir’s best lap of the day earned him fifth. Zarco ensured there were two Hondas in the top six, ahead of Di Giannantonio, rookie standout Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), Espargaro, and Ogura, who grabbed the final automatic Q2 spot — his fourth such performance of the season.
Just half a second covered the top 11, underlining how tight things remain as the weekend ramps up.
Looking ahead: Sprint Saturday on the horizon
The stage is perfectly set for Saturday’s Tissot Sprint. With only 0.088s separating the top three and a stacked Q1 session looming, expect fireworks when qualifying gets underway.
Stay tuned — the fight for supremacy in Portugal is only just heating up.
Follow the stories: Friday in Portugal
Alex Marquez on top: The 2025 runner-up continues to look menacing, setting the benchmark on Day 1.
The battle for bronze: Bagnaia, Acosta, and Bezzecchi remain locked together — the fight for third overall is far from done.
Honda resurgence: Mir and Zarco spearhead the manufacturer’s charge, as the factory team hunts for its first Portimao podium.
Moto2™: Canet commands before the rain
The Moto2™ field saw its timesheets frozen by a late shower on Friday afternoon, meaning the order was settled before the final laps. Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) was the man to beat, topping the session by 0.192s after smartly setting his best time early, just before the weather rolled in.
Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) completed the top three, with Dixon the only rider within two-tenths of Canet’s benchmark.
Championship contender Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) ended the day fourth, while Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) snuck into the top 14 courtesy of a solid P12. Teammate Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) rounded out the top five, with title-chasing Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing) finishing ninth after a quiet but steady day.
Moto3™: Almansa masters the rain in Portugal
In Moto3™, David Almansa (Leopard Racing) proved quickest before the rain struck, posting a 1:47.056 that stood as the benchmark heading into Saturday. The Spanish rider — fresh from a podium in Malaysia — edged out Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) by 0.135s, while Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) secured third.
The returning Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team), fastest in FP1 earlier in the day, and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) rounded out the top five.
Further back, Joel Kelso (LEVELUP–MTA), Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), and Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) all featured inside the top nine.
It was also a strong showing from the stand-ins: Hakim Danish, Casey O’Gorman, and Brian Uriarte each broke into the top 14, underlining the depth of talent across the field.
The Verdict
As the sun set on Portimao, Day 1 delivered everything: pace, unpredictability, and promise. Marquez leads the way, but with Bagnaia, Acosta, and Bezzecchi breathing down his neck — and only fractions separating the front-runners — Saturday’s Sprint and qualifying sessions are shaping up to be unmissable.
