2025 Portuguese MotoGP, Portimao - Friday Practice Results
Friday practice results from the 2025 Portuguese MotoGP at Portimao, round 21 of 22.
Alex Marquez kicks off the 2025 Portimao MotoGP round with a dominant performance in FP1.
The Gresini rider, who celebrated second in the world championship with victory last time in Malaysia, kept the same set of medium front and soft rear tyres throughout.
Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi made a late leap to second (+0.196s) on a newer soft front tyre. Jack Miller took third for Pramac Yamaha after fitting fresh rubber, front and rear, in the final minutes.
LCR Honda's Johann Zarco (old tyres), Tech3 KTM's Pol Espargaro (new) and VR46 Ducati's Franco Morbidelli (old) completed the top six.
Bulega ahead of Bagnaia
Every MotoGP weekend seems a leap into the unknown for Francesco Bagnaia at the moment, and Portimao started with the factory Ducati rider just 17th - and behind new team-mate Nicolo Bulega.
The WorldSBK title runner-up began his first-ever MotoGP event impressively with 14th (out of 22 riders) and within one second of Alex Marquez.
Bulega's best time came on his 21st and final lap of the session, with a soft front tyre that had done 11 laps and a medium rear with a full 21 laps.
Bagnaia used the same set of medium tyres, front and rear, throughout.
Miguel Oliveira was 20th at the start of his final home weekend as a MotoGP rider.
Espargaro was the first faller of the weekend, at Turn 2. Phillip Island winner Raul Fernandez was later taken to the medical centre after staggering away from a big accident at the fearsome first turn.
LCR rookie Somkiat Chantra saved a huge unintentional wheelie over the rise onto the main straight.
Tyre allocation is the same as last year’s March round, when the hard front was the clear favourite in both races, combined with a soft rear in the Sprint and medium rear in the grand prix.
Rain is a threat throughout Friday, adding urgency to the FP1 work, with rain flags briefly appearing in the closing stages.
2025 Portuguese MotoGP, Portimao - Free Practice (1) Results | ||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff | Lap | Max |
| 1 | Alex Marquez | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP24) | 1'39.145s | 7/19 | 344k |
| 2 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP25) | +0.196s | 20/20 | 342k |
| 3 | Jack Miller | AUS | Pramac Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.233s | 18/19 | 343k |
| 4 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Castrol Honda LCR (RC213V) | +0.349s | 6/17 | 345k |
| 5 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +0.361s | 18/18 | 343k |
| 6 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP24) | +0.389s | 15/18 | 343k |
| 7 | Luca Marini | ITA | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +0.404s | 15/19 | 346k |
| 8 | Joan Mir | SPA | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +0.405s | 16/16 | 344k |
| 9 | Pedro Acosta | SPA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.521s | 18/18 | 343k |
| 10 | Fermin Aldeguer | SPA | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP24)* | +0.540s | 6/17 | 340k |
| 11 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.587s | 17/19 | 338k |
| 12 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP25) | +0.592s | 11/16 | 343k |
| 13 | Ai Ogura | JPN | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP25)* | +0.841s | 18/19 | 341k |
| 14 | Nicolo Bulega | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP25) | +0.928s | 21/21 | 339k |
| 15 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.040s | 19/21 | 346k |
| 16 | Alex Rins | SPA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.076s | 17/20 | 340k |
| 17 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP25) | +1.161s | 16/18 | 345k |
| 18 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP25) | +1.204s | 7/11 | 338k |
| 19 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +1.255s | 18/19 | 344k |
| 20 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Pramac Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.712s | 17/18 | 341k |
| 21 | Somkiat Chantra | THA | Idemitsu Honda LCR (RC213V)* | +2.118s | 14/18 | 341k |
| 22 | Lorenzo Savadori | ITA | Aprilia Factory (RS-GP25) | +2.375s | 5/18 | 342k |
* Rookie
Official Portimao MotoGP Records:
Best lap: Enea Bastianini, Ducati, 1m 38.685s (2024)
Fastest race lap: Marc Marquez, Honda, 1m 37.226s (2023)
Double WorldSBK title runner-up Nicolo Bulega is making his MotoGP debut, in place of injured world champion Marc Marquez at the factory Ducati team, for the remaining Portimao and Valencia rounds.
Maverick Vinales and Jorge Martin - winners of the 2024 Portimao Sprint and Grand Prix respectively - also remain on the sidelines due to injury. They are again replaced by KTM test rider Pol Espargaro and Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori.
While Marc and Alex Marquez are confirmed as first and second in the world championship standings, Marco Bezzecchi starts the penultimate round with a slim five-point advantage over Francesco Bagnaia for third.
Honda will move up from D to C in the concessions ranking, alongside Aprilia and KTM, if it scores 19 more constructors’ points by the end of the season.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
