Bagnaia brilliant in Portuguese MotoGP thriller

Pecco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) will be ruing the mistake that left him crashing out of the lead last time out at Misano, after a perfect weekend saw him win the Portuguese Grand Prix from pole position while Fabio Quartararo (Monster Yamaha) scored his first DNF of the season. The two title rivals had superior pace all weekend, but a yellow-flag infringement during Q2 left the newly crowned world champ starting the 25-lap race from seventh on the grid.

Conversely, Joan Mir (Ecstar Suzuki) scored his best-ever qualifying result on Saturday afternoon, the former world champ picking up his first-ever front row start of the season alongside the two factory Ducatis of Bagnaia and Aussie Jack Miller.

It was Miller with the holeshot, but it was Pecco from Mir and Miller as they crossed the line to start the second lap, and it was Pecco from Mir and Miller when the race was declared with two laps to go after a coming together between Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM) and hometown hero Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) brought out a red flag.

Though, it wasn’t as processional as it seems on paper. Out the front, Bagnaia displayed his impervious consistency up front and had a comfortable 2.5-second lead to Mir who, despite his strong start, had nothing for the speed of the young Italian. But it was the battle for third place which had the crowd on its feet, and it was between 2014 Moto3 title rivals Alex Marquez (LCR Honda) and our own Jack Miller.

With Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez sidelined due to concussion, younger brother Alex put in his best ride of the season. He started from eighth on the grid, and was up to fifth by lap five and the only rider in the top six who’d gambled with the harder-option rear tyre. And as he crossed the line to start lap eight, he drafted past Miller to take third and set himself up for his first podium of the season.

A mistake by Miller on lap 11 increased the gap between the pair, but a fastest lap of the race by Miller with nine laps to go saw the Aussie begin to reel the Spanish rider in. Further back, Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) was in an impressive fifth place given this was the circuit where he suffered those horrendous injuries earlier in the year, doing a good job of keeping teammate Johann Zarco and Quartararo at bay. With five laps to go, Zarco made a move on his rookie teammate for fifth and Quartararo took the opportunity to lunge underneath the Spaniard as well, but lost the front shortly afterwards to chalk up his first DNF of the season.

Meanwhile, Miller had caught and passed Marquez for third place and while some spinning from his rear tyre reduced a small gap back to the Spaniard back to nothing, he used the power of the Ducati to keep the Honda man behind him over the line to start the next lap. And it proved crucial, because a handful of corners later the red flag was thrown and the race was called, handing the Aussie his first podium in 10 races.

It was a shame for Marquez, who would had the pace to mount an attack on the Aussie, but he scored his season-best result in fourth, over a second clear of Zarco, Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda), Martin and Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar). Enea Bastianini (Avintia Ducati), who’s still fighting for Rookie of the Year honours with Martin, finished ninth ahead of Brad Binder in tenth.

The result means Bagnaia (227 points to Quartararo’s 267) secured runner-up position in the standings and Mir’s (195) second place means he’s a safe third-place overall, while Ducati picked up the Constructor’s world title and Zarco (163) wrapped up the best Independent Team Rider honours. Miller (165) moves up one place to fourth overall, just two points clear of Zarco with one round to go.

Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) used his experience and deep pool of talent to claim the victory during the Portuguese Moto2 Grand Prix to head into the final round this weekend with a 23-point buffer over his rookie teammate Raul Fernandez.

It was Fernandez who got the holeshot from pole position, using his softer-option rear tyre to great effect crossing the line with 15 laps to go with a 1.3-second gap back to second-placed Marco Bezzechi (Sky VR46 Racing) and Gardner, who was in third and biding his time as he waited for his hard rear tyre to get up to optimal working temperature.

The Aussie, who came into the round with an 18-point advantage, drafted past the Italian into the tricky downhill turn one and set about catching his runaway teammate. By half race distance he’d caught the young Spaniard and taken the lead, but while other riders who’d chosen the softer-option rear were dropping dramatically, the Aussie couldn’t shake his teammate and the pair were four seconds clear of Sam Lowes (Marc VDS Team) who had taken third from Aron Canet (QuieroCorredor Aspar Team).

With four laps to go, Gardner had a one-second lead and Fernandez started to struggle. Gardner crossed the finish line three seconds clear of Fernandez who came under some late pressure from Lowes. In fact, another lap and Gardner may have been celebrating world championship success with Lowes gaining two seconds on Fernandez in the last lap alone. Cameron Beaubier (American Racing Team) rounded out the top five.

Gardner (305) heads to Valencia with a 23-point advantage over Fernandez (282), Bezzechi (214) is in third ahead of Lowes (181) and Marc VDS rider Augusto Fernandez (158).

Spanish sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was crowned 2021 Moto3 World Champion after one of the most dramatic races of the season, becoming the first rookie to loft the lightweight trophy since Loris Capirossi did it back in 1990.

But it was edge of your seat stuff in the 21-lap race to glory. Title rival Dennis Foggia (Leopard Honda) started from fourth, 10 places ahead of Acosta and while Foggia nabbed the holeshot and the early lead, Acosta had clawed his way up to third by lap six. Acosta made his first lunge for the lead at the start of lap 10, but quickly found himself down in third as teammate Jaume Masia and MotoGP-bound Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta) benefited from a mistake.

But it was when he had a good look behind him with eight laps to go – a move that landed the rookie down in sixth place as Foggia retook the lead – that his inexperience began to show. With five to go, he was back in third, and was lunging back up the inside of his championship rival with just three laps left to run. With two to go, it was advantage Foggia who kept Acosta behind him for the rest of the lap and who led over the line to start the final lap of the race.

Three corners later, Acosta relegated Foggia to second, at the same time Binder was passing Sergio Garcia (GasGas Aspar) and clipped the back of Foggia causing him to crash, taking Garcia with him. Acosta held on to take the win and, with 259 points to Foggia’s 213, was crowned world champ. Binder was disqualified, with Andrea Migno (Rivalcold Snipers) and Nicole Antonelli (Avintia V46) rounding out the podium.

Aussie Joel Kelso, replacing Max Kofler in the CIP Green Power squad he’ll be riding for next year, finished in the points in 14th place.

Garcia (168) and Sterilgarda Max Husqvarna rider Romano Fenati (156) will fight it out for third overall in Valencia in six days’ time.