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The 2023 MotoGP season started at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve on Friday. Jack Miller (KTM) was the fastest rider on the first day of the Portuguese GP, with a time of 1:37.709. The combined timesheets determined the 10 riders who will go directly into Q2 on Saturday.
In addition to Miller, the riders who completed the Top 10 were Maverick Viñales (Aprilia), Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati), Luca Marini (Ducati), Jorge Martín (Ducati), Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), Johann Zarco (Ducati), Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati), Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia) and Enea Bastianini (Ducati).
The riders will have a further practice session on Saturday at 11:10am (CET) before starting the qualifying sessions at 11:50. Later, at 4pm, they will participate in the first sprint race in MotoGP history.
The Repsol Honda team twelfth and fourteenth
Marc Márquez and Joan Mir finished Friday outside the cutoff for Q2 for the time being. Mir finished twelfth, just 0.138 off the final spot, while Márquez was fourteenth and suffered a small crash on his last attempt that prevented him from improving his time.
Combined timesheets: MotoGP Portuguese GP
RIDER | TEAM | TIME |
1. Jack Miller | KTM | 1:37.709 |
2. Maverick Viñales | APRILIA | +0.037 |
3. Pecco Bagnaia | DUCATI | +0.147 |
4. Luca Marini | DUCATI | +0.190 |
5. Jorge Martín | DUCATI | +0.282 |
6. Fabio Quartararo | YAMAHA | +0.306 |
7. Johann Zarco | DUCATI | +0.403 |
8. Marco Bezzecchi | DUCATI | +0.449 |
9. Aleix Espargaró | APRILIA | +0.544 |
10. Enea Bastianini | DUCATI | +0.547 |
12. Joan Mir | REPSOL HONDA | +0.685 |
14. Marc Márquez | REPSOL HONDA | +0.710 |
Rider statements
“All of the Honda riders were quite close today. I was feeling quite good with the bike today and our goal today was to get into Q2 and we just missed that. It will be an intense day tomorrow because everyone is riding very well and at the limit after the test. It wasn’t the best day overall today, it was a standard day, but I am aiming to make a step tomorrow and be a bit faster. The crash I had today was one of those crashes where you know it will come, I was braking too late after Turn 2 – I tried to save it but it didn’t work.”
“We were able to improve a lot from the test to today and I was able to feel a lot better with the bike. I think we left something more out there on track, so I am not fully satisfied. With our second tyre we weren’t able to make the most of it, but the team and I understand what we need to do in the future to improve this. That’s important. Of course, it’s a shame because we were having a great day. Tomorrow is a new day and I think we have a good chance to go through Q1.”