The Portuguese Grand Prix kicked off in Portimão with a wild qualifying session that saw the front row all set for an exciting race.
Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia took the pole position with a lightning‑fast lap of 1:37.556, securing his first chance to start at the front of the grid in MotoGP. He was only a blink behind by Pedro Acosta of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, who clocked 1:37.583 to earn the second spot on the front row. Joining them is Fabio Quartararo of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, who battled through Q1 to finish third in qualifying.
The day began with cooler but tricky track conditions. Quartararo set an early benchmark of 1:40.031. But the red‑sector sessions—meaning riders hit the fastest times in certain parts of the track—quickly erased that lead. The track warmed up and the top riders found themselves in the 1:39 bracket, including Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Nicolo Bulega (Ducati Lenovo Team).
With about two minutes left, Luca Marini from Honda HRC Castrol made a surge, but the jump on the clock proved hard to beat. Quartararo then shored up his position, beating Marini by 0.3 seconds and pushing Jack Miller of Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP into second place.
In Q2, Quartararo struck again, posting the fastest lap of the day at 1:38.518. However, the pace was hot and Alex Marquez of BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP eclipsed him with a 1:38.098 to claim the top spot at the start of the session. Bezzecchi trailed just 0.027 seconds behind, with Acosta within a tenth. The other front‑row places hovered around the 1:38 mark.
By the time the first run finished, Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati was fourth, 0.415 seconds off Marquez’s time. Quartararo and Fermin Aldeguer took provisional fifth and sixth positions. Order shuffled quickly, though: Bezzecchi’s 1:37.556 moved him to pole, Acosta secured P2, and Miller leaped to the top five from P12.
A momentary crash on the Turn 3 of the final session ended Marquez’s pole hopes. The 2025 runner‑up’s time slipped, leaving Acosta ahead of Quartararo and cementing the front row lineup.
The second row was stacked: Pecco (Pecco? likely pecco? maybe Francesco Bagnaia) in P4, followed by Marquez and Johann Zarco of Honda LCR. The third row held Joan Mir from HRC at P7, with Miller and Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 Racing Team completing the line. Behind them, Pol Espargaro of KTM Factory Racing earned the best time of the day on his 44 to climb into P10, while Aldeguer and Ai Ogura of Trackhouse MotoGP began from P11 and P12.
All set, riders will line up for the race, with the front row primed for a high‑speed clash at Portimão. The qualifying results give a clear picture of the threat each rider poses, and the battle for the championship will commence under the Portuguese sun.
Source: ianslive
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