Italian rider Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia, aboard the Ducati Desmosedici GP23, extended his lead in the world championship by securing a second victory. At the Portuguese Grand Prix in Portimão, Spaniard Marc Márquez on the Repsol Honda RC 213 V initially surged to the front, setting a brisk pace in the opening laps.
Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira, aboard the Aprilia RS-GP, and Spaniard Jorge Martín on the Ducati Desmosedici GP23, challenged for advantage as Márquez fought to defend his position. The early pace saw Márquez relinquish pole position and search for any opening to regain ground, ultimately finishing fourth after a dynamic first lap that Oliveira dominated at the start.
Oliveira aimed to play the role of local hero and pushed hard to break the pack, but Martín and Bagnaia clung to his rear, preventing any easy rhythm. The world champion then moved into the lead in the second stint, ahead of Oliveira, Martín, and Márquez, who stumbled on the next sequence and lost traction as the group pressed forward.
In the third round, Márquez attempted an inside pass against Martín but clipped Oliveira from behind, causing a spectacular fall that removed Oliveira from contention. Martín managed to recover some ground but slipped down the order, leaving him far back in the pack.
The crash effectively removed Márquez and Oliveira from the battle, opening the door for Bagnaia to extend a few bike-lengths of safety over a pursuing Maverick Viñales on the Aprilia RS-GP. The laps unfolded with Márquez, Oliveira, and Martín watching the action from behind as the rest of the group surrounding Bezzecchi, Alex Márquez, Jack Miller, Brad Binder, Johann Zarco, Luca Marini, and Aleix Espargaró pressed on from behind.
From that moment on, the race evolved into a direct duel between Bagnaia and Viñales. A potential landmark waited for Viñales: becoming the only rider in world motorcycle history to win a race with three different factories—Suzuki, Yamaha, and Aprilia. Bagnaia remained composed and controlled the pace, denying Viñales any decisive opportunity to overtake in the closing stages.
Alex Márquez seized a chance during the eighth lap by capitalizing on a mistake from Miller, moving up to fourth and keeping the pressure on Bagnaia and Viñales. By the eleventh lap, Bagnaia and Viñales led by 1.7 seconds ahead of a chasing group that included Bezzecchi, Jack Miller, Brad Binder, Johann Zarco, Luca Marini, and Aleix Espargaró. Espargaró had just set the fastest lap of his career a few laps earlier and remained in touch with the leaders.
Bagnaia gradually established a firm rhythm, leaving Viñales unable to close the gap. The Italian pushed for a second win of the weekend, aiming to solidify the championship lead from the outset. Viñales fought to keep pace, but Bagnaia’s pace proved superior as the race progressed, allowing the leader to carve out a comfortable cushion.
Behind them, the battle for the remaining podium positions unfolded. Viñales held second, with Bezzecchi navigating through the group to stay within striking distance. Bezzecchi’s pack pushed hard, attempting to narrow the gap, while Espargaró and Quartararo, hampered earlier by a technical issue during practice, clawed forward to maintain competitive positions in the early stages of the into-Portugal weekend proceedings. Quartararo’s performance reflected the morning’s practice hiccup, yet he managed to regroup and push forward in the race, finishing within the points frame.
Jorge Martín, initially far behind after his earlier setback, mounted a late surge to re-enter the fight, trading places with Marini and then challenging for higher positions as the laps wore on. His determined defense kept him in the mix, although the exact finishing order placed him further down than his early promise suggested.
Spanish rider Raúl Fernández on the Aprilia RS-GP also faced misfortune late in the race when he crashed three laps from the end at Turn 5, mirroring an earlier incident involving Luca Marini. The two riders exited the action as the field closed in, with the remainder of the riders continuing to the checkered flag amid evolving positions and shifting race dynamics.
Alex Rins, competing with the Honda RC 213 V for the Italian squad, finished tenth in the opening Italian event for Lúcio Cecchinello’s team. Joan Mir, another Repsol Honda rider, endured a demanding weekend marked by a punishment in the form of a long-lap penalty stemming from a practice-day issue. Augusto Fernández on the GasGas RC 16 completed the race in thirteenth, rounding out the day’s results in a challenging Portuguese circuit session.