Portuguese MotoGP, Portimao – Sprint Race Results

UPDATE: Enea Bastianini has suffered a fracture to his shoulder.

Reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia has won MotoGP’s first-ever Sprint race, held on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the Portimao season-opener.

The Sprint delivered on its billing as a bar-room brawl with overtakes and action throughout the 12-laps, culminating in Bagnaia snatching the lead from Jorge Martin on the final lap, while home star Miguel Oliveira likewise ran wide and handed third to Marc Marquez.

Surprise pole starter Marquez initially held his advantage while VR46 riders Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi were early casualties, Marini also taking new factory Ducati rider Enea Bastianini down with him at turn 5. 

It wasn’t the only collision with Repsol Honda’s Joan Mir ing out after clattering into the side of Fabio Quartararo at turn 13, leaving Yamaha’s 2021 world champion at the back of the field.

When the dust had settled it was Martin leading Bagnaia and Marquez, but with Friday leader Jack Miller on the charge for KTM!

The Australian – riding with the new rear wing on his RC16 – picked off Marquez, then snatched second from former team-mate Bagnaia and put the RC16 into the lead ahead of Martin by half distance!

But the rest of the seven-rider lead group were still lurking in his wheeltracks.

Martin promptly used his Desmosedici’s power to snatch the advantage back from Miller, then took defensive lines to thwart a counter-attack from the #43.

While Martin began to pull clear, Bagnaia re-passed Miller, who now had Oliveira and Marquez to face. Oliveira put a neat inside pass on Miller at turn 1 at the start of the penultimate lap, only for Marquez to sweep under both of them at the exit!

The split-screen action – Martin vs  Bagnaia for victory, Marquez vs the rest for third – kept fans on their feet, Bagnaia sweeping under Martin when he ran off-line on the final lap, while Marquez pounced on a similar mistake by Oliveira.

Quartararo recovered to tenth, meaning he missed out on a point.

All riders chose the soft rear tyre but only Jack Miller and Johann Zarco also selected the soft front, the rest of the grid using either the medium or hard.

GASGAS Tech3 rider Pol Espargaro has been ruled out of the remainder of the event after suffering injuries to his back, jaw and lungs in a nasty Friday accident.

An airfence has been added at the scene of Espargaro’s accident (Turn 10) after the Spanish rider crossed the gravel trap and hit the barrier.

KTM’s Brad Binder is riding with neck pain from a testing accident, while Aleix Espargaro recently underwent arm surgery.

• Portuguese MotoGP, Portimao – Full Qualifying Results

* Rookie

Rules of MotoGP Sprint races

• Every round of the 2023 championship will have a Sprint race.
• Friday practice is extended, the results determine entry to Q2.
• The starting grids for the Sprint race and for the full Sunday race are both determined by the qualifying results from Saturday.
• The Sprint race is half the normal race distance, and half points will be awarded (12 points for a win, 9 for second… 1 for 9th).
• Results are not listed in the MotoGP history books – they are listed separately.