| 2024 Portuguese MotoGP, Portimao – Practice (1) Results | ||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff | Lap | Max |
| 1 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Gresini Ducati (GP23) | 1’40.484s | 18/18 | 343k |
| 2 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP24) | +0.165s | 17/17 | 338k |
| 3 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.205s | 20/22 | 343k |
| 4 | Jack Miller | AUS | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.356s | 17/17 | 341k |
| 5 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Pramac Ducati (GP24) | +0.377s | 21/21 | 339k |
| 6 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP24) | +0.422s | 18/19 | 340k |
| 7 | Alex Rins | SPA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.450s | 15/19 | 338k |
| 8 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP24) | +0.623s | 14/18 | 341k |
| 9 | Alex Marquez | SPA | Gresini Ducati (GP23) | +0.635s | 11/16 | 334k |
| 10 | Joan Mir | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.706s | 15/15 | 339k |
| 11 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.758s | 20/20 | 341k |
| 12 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | VR46 Ducati (GP23) | +0.793s | 16/16 | 338k |
| 13 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP24) | +0.805s | 18/19 | 342k |
| 14 | Augusto Fernandez | SPA | Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 (RC16) | +1.047s | 20/20 | 340k |
| 15 | Pedro Acosta | SPA | Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 (RC16)* | +1.122s | 16/19 | 340k |
| 16 | Johann Zarco | FRA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +1.188s | 16/17 | 338k |
| 17 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP23) | +1.203s | 18/18 | 339k |
| 18 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | VR46 Ducati (GP23) | +1.231s | 13/17 | 341k |
| 19 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP24) | +1.244s | 14/18 | 340k |
| 20 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP24) | +1.300s | 12/16 | 339k |
| 21 | Luca Marini | ITA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +1.493s | 15/17 | 338k |
| 22 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +1.598s | 12/17 | 335k |
*Rookie.
Official Portimao MotoGP records
Best lap: Marc Marquez 1m 37.226s (2023)
Fastest race lap: Aleix Espargaro 1m 38.872s (2023)
Marc Marquez tops opening practice for the Portuguese MotoGP at a damp and dirty Portimao, following overnight rain.
Even without the slippery track conditions, the lack of any pre-season testing compared to the Qatar opener meant this morning’s session was already hard to predict.
Rookie Pedro Acosta defied his lack of MotoGP experience at the circuit to take over from Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo at the head of the timesheets during the middle stages.
Jack Miller, Marc Marquez, home hero Miguel Oliveira, Marc Marquez again and then Maverick Vinales – suffering from “a simple gastroenteritis with very mild symptoms” this morning – put Aprilia ahead.
But it didn’t last long with Qatar runner-up Brad Binder, riding with some new seat aero on the side of his RC16, moving into P1 before Marc Marquez delivered his 1m 40.484s on his final lap.
That time was several seconds off the 1m 38.872s by Aleix Espargaro in last year’s grand prix, with Marquez’s Repsol Honda pole record a 1m 37.226s.
But the eight-time world champion will surely be satisfied with how his base set-up from Sepang and Qatar, where he finished fourth on his Ducati debut, adapted to a brand new circuit.
With no further rain forecast, lap times are likely to be significantly faster as the track cleans further this afternoon.
Nonetheless, Franco Morbidelli – who missed all of pre-season testing after a training accident at Portimao in January – put some demons to rest with fifth place, just ahead of Pramac Ducati team-mate Jorge Martin.
Miller finished the session by entertaining the fans with a big jump over the crest after turn 8.
Revised tyre pressure rules for 2024 mean riders must now stay above a lower front minimum of 1.8 bar (instead of 1.88) for 60% (instead of 50%) of a Grand Prix distance, or 30% of a Sprint.
The penalty for failing to meet this minimum in a Grand Prix will be a 16-second post-race time penalty, or an 8-second penalty for a Sprint/short race.
Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
