Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Motorsport
Motorsport
Sport
Lewis Duncan

Portugal MotoGP test: Bagnaia leads Ducati 1-2 on first day

The countdown to the 2023 season is on as just two more days of running are permitted between now and the start of the new campaign on 26 March in Portugal.

The paddock has decamped to the Algarve International Circuit to wrap up the pre-season, with Saturday’s session running for eight hours.

VR46 Ducati rider Marini was first out on track when the session began at 9:30am local time, but it was Bagnaia who rounded out the first hour fastest of all with a 1m40.551s.

As factory Ducati team-mate Enea Bastianini was forced to park up in hour two with a technical issue, Bagnaia strengthened his position at the top of the timesheets with a 1m40.019s, improving to a 1m39.610s come the end of hour three.

Marini took to the top of the standings at the end of hour four with a 1m39.400s, with the Italian improving to a 1m39.005s as the session ticked into its final hour.

But a 1m38.771s from Bagnaia with just under half an hour remaining was enough for the world champion to end the penultimate day of the pre-season fastest of all.

With a month splitting this test and February’s Sepang action, the pitlane was awash with manufacturers rolling out new developments.

Aprilia courted attention for its radical new aerodynamic concept, with Maverick Vinales third fastest on Saturday with a 1m39.025s.

Alex Marquez continued his adaptation to the Ducati in fourth, as he guided his Gresini-run GP22 to a 1m39.336s ahead of the RNF Aprilia duo of Raul Fernandez and Miguel Oliveira.

Raul Fernandez, RNF MotoGP Racing (Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images)

Marco Bezzecchi was seventh on the sister VR46 Ducati, with Fabio Quartararo the leading Yamaha rider in eighth – 0.843s off the pace.

Gresini’s Fabio Di Giannantonio shadowed Quartararo in ninth, but a late crash has sent the Italian to the local hospital for further checks.

Jorge Martin rounded out the top 10 on his Pramac Ducati ahead of LCR Honda’s Alex Rins, who was the leading HRC rider on Saturday.

Aleix Espargaro was 12th on the second Aprilia ahead of Pramac’s Johann Zarco and Joan Mir on the factory team Honda, with the works KTM duo of Brad Binder and Jack Miller trailing.

Marc Marquez suffered a crash on a busy day for the eight-time world champion, as he put 78 laps on his Honda in 19th.

The final day of testing begins on Sunday at 9:30am local time.

Pos  Rider   Bike   Time   Delay   Laps 
1 F.Bagnaia Ducati 1'38.771   78
10 Luca Marini Ducati 1'39.005 0.234 65
12 Maverick Viñales Aprilia 1'39.025 0.254 88
73 Álex Márquez Ducati 1'39.336 0.565 65
25 Raúl Fernández Aprilia 1'39.460 0.689 64
88 Miguel Oliveira Aprilia 1'39.466 0.695 75
72 Marco Bezzecchi Ducati 1'39.608 0.837 76
20 Fabio Quartararo Yamaha 1'39.614 0.843 90
49 F.Di Giannantonio Ducati 1'39.641 0.870 50
10  89 Jorge Martín Ducati 1'39.643 0.872 63
11  42 Alex Rins Honda 1'39.646 0.875 77
12  41 Aleix Espargaró Aprilia 1'39.648 0.877 60
13  5 Johann Zarco Ducati 1'39.716 0.945 57
14  36 Joan Mir Honda 1'39.776 1.005 74
15  33 Brad Binder KTM 1'39.923 1.152 69
16  43 Jack Miller KTM 1'39.987 1.216 58
17  23 Enea Bastianini Ducati 1'40.009 1.238 52
18  6 Stefan Bradl Honda 1'40.162 1.391 72
19  93 Marc Márquez Honda 1'40.170 1.399 78
20  51 Michele Pirro Ducati 1'40.336 1.565 70
21  21 F.Morbidelli Yamaha 1'40.414 1.643 95
22  44 Pol Espargaró GASGAS 1'40.507 1.736 64
23  30 Takaaki Nakagami Honda 1'40.642 1.871 74
24  37 A.Fernández GASGAS 1'40.771 2.000 72
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.