2022 Portuguese MotoGP, Portimao – Full Race Results

* Rookie

Reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo disappeared into the distance to claim his and Yamaha’s first MotoGP victory since Silverstone last season, during Sunday’s Portimao race.

The Frenchman was joined on the podium by Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco and Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro after Jack Miller fell and took down Joan Mir while trying to pass the Suzuki rider for third.

Combined with title leader Enea Bastianini ing out, Quartararo is now tied at the top of the world championship with Alex Rins, who made a stunning recovery from 23rd to 4th.

After wet weather throughout free practice, then a damp qualifying, Sunday morning’s 20-minute warm-up (topped by Quartararo) was the only real dry preparation prior to the race.

Pole starter Zarco lost out to Mir into the sweeping downhill first turn, with Quartararo and Miller also past the Pramac rider by the end of the first lap.

Mir and Quartararo, tipped by Marc Marquez as the riders to beat, began edging away at the front while Rins’ Suzuki team-mate Rins began a brilliant charge from 23rd on the grid, reaching 9th – just ahead of Marc Marquez – after the opening laps!

Reigning world champion Quartararo overtook Mir into Turn 1 at the start of lap 4 to lead, and was soon pulling clear of the GSX-RR for his first victory as world champion.

Mir’s attention turned to defending second from Zarco, with Miller joining the podium battle by the middle stages. Zarco finally made a pass stick on Mir with 9 to go, with Miller then making his attack with 7 laps remaining, under braking for Turn 1…

“4

…But disaster struck when the Australian lost the front of his Desmosedici, fell and took Mir down with him. Mir, having lost what could have been a first podium the season, initially gave a sarcastic clap before going to check on Miller’s condition, the Australian embracing the Spaniard.

Mir’s misfortune promoted Aleix Espargaro and Rins into third and fourth, Espargaro then pulling clear of Rins to threaten Zarco in the closing stages, before completing the podium in third.

Rins might have missed out on a trophy but his 23rd to 4th charge was a remarkable performance.

“5

Bastianini, who began Sunday’s race leading the world championship by five points from Rins, had been another victim of the treacherous Q1 conditions, leaving the Gresini Ducati rider to start from 18th and with a sore right wrist. 

Bastianini made good early progress to twelfth, just ahead of KTM’s Brad Binder, before the pair were held up by the battling Repsol Hondas of Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro.

Disaster later struck for Bastianini when he fell at Turn 8 just before the midway stage, costing him the title lead, with Takaaki Nakagami the next to tumble after clipping the back of Binder.

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Meanwhile, a similarly intense fight was occurring over fifth place between Aleix Espargaro, Rins, Alex Marquez and home star Miguel Oliveira.

Oliveira escaped from the Marquez brothers by the closing stages for fifth, with Marc getting the better of Alex on the last lap and Francesco Bagnaia bumping past Pol for eighth.

After qualifying 25th and last due to a big highside in Qualifying 1, after which he underwent hospital scans on his right shoulder, Bagnaia had been declared fit to ride on Sunday morning.

“7

The Factory Ducati star made slow initial progress, spending the opening laps outside the top 20, before turning up his pace to carve through the order.

Jorge Martin ed out behind Marc Marquez on lap 6, his second DNF of the season, with Brad Binder also on the DNF list.

All riders chose the medium front tyre and most the medium rear, with only Pol Espargaro and Alex Marquez opting for the hard rear.

“8

Tech3 KTM rookie Raul Fernandez was ruled unfit by the MotoGP medical team on Sunday morning due to pain in his hand from his Qualifying 1 accident.

MotoGP now heads straight to Jerez for next weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.