After a week off, MotoGP returns to the track this week with the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Portugal. Returning to Europe marks the beginning of the end for the 2025 season as only two races remain. The series’ time overseas in Asia was marred by crashes and injuries but it returns to home soil with two new winners. With only two to go, what can we expect at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve?
Back-to-Back Wins for Holgado
Starting 4th, Daniel Holgado was able to stick to the front runners and ended up taking victory in Portugal last year. Josė Antonio Rueda started on pole and led half of the race before conceding position to David Alonso on lap 10. However, with five laps remaining, Alonso’s tires started to go off which allowed Holgado to take the lead. Whilst Alonso started to fade into the pack and had to defend his P4, Holgado had kept his tires alive. He was able to defend from Rueda and clinch the victory – a mere 0.044 seconds ahead. Iván Ortolá took the final podium position in the closing laps.
In contrast to his podium at the opening round, Taiyo Furosato had an unlucky race. Struggling in qualifying, he only managed to qualify 21st. And while he made up positions on Sunday, his P18 finish was a disappointment following his P3 in Qatar. Suffering a poor start, Noah Dettwiler was able to get his bike going but only managed to finish 20th.
Ryusei Yamanaka was the first to fall during the race, colliding with Ángel Piqueras on the opening lap. Piqueras suffered a hand fracture however Yamanaka was okay. Riccardo Rossi also crashed at Turn 5. Luca Lunetta had a crash too but he was able to remount and continue the race.
An Emotional Maiden Win for Canet
Alonso López took an early lead in Moto2 after battling with his teammate Fermín Aldeguer. López came out ahead whereas Aldeguer was deemed to have jumped the start – ultimately receiving a double long lap penalty. Arón Canet had a poor start and initially lost four places. Although, he was able to fight back to the front and on lap 11 inherited the lead when López crashed out. Consequently, Canet was able to nurse his tires and take the win for the first time. After five years in Moto2, he was finally victorious.
Joe Roberts, Manuel González, and Ai Ogura were all battling for the podium places throughout the race but it was Ogura who missed out. Aldeguer was able to recover following his penalty, ultimately finishing fourth after a last lap move on Ogura. Celestino Vietti also received a penalty for overtaking during a yellow flag period, however he was also able to recover and finished P7.
Both Ayumu Sasaki and Xavier Cardelús failed to finish the race – crashing on laps 6 and 12 respectively. Jake Dixon also withdrew from the round ahead of the race as he was still suffering following his accident in Qatar. Filip Salač and Xavier Artigas were both missing too as they were both receiving arm pump surgery.
Martín Takes The Championship Lead
After his win in Qatar, Francesco Bagnaia was starting 2024 as he finished 2023 – leading the standings. But an unfortunate weekend saw him concede the lead to Jorge Martín. It was a close battle for pole but it was Ducati Lenovo Team rider Enea Bastianini who took the best starting position. Teammate Bagnaia had to settle for P4.
In the sprint, favour fortuned Viñales. He took the lead after Bagnaia went wide at Turn 4 – dropping him to fourth. Martín was challenging Viñales, however a wide moment on the penultimate lap gave the leader some breathing room – and provided Marc Márquez with an opportunity. On the last lap, Márquez made a bold move by diving inside of the #89, forcing him to yield position.
Come Sunday, Martín was eager for a win. Getting an excellent start, the #89 took the lead and was able to control the pack, but things weren’t as simple down the grid. Bagnaia and Márquez were battling it out for P4 for the majority of the race. Bagnaia was starting to struggle with his tires and with three laps remaining, Márquez tried a move similar to his overtake in the sprint. It didn’t go to plan though as the pair collided. Whilst the #93 was able to remount and join the grid, the #63 was forced to retire from the race.
Gearbox issues and a highside on the final lap removed hopes of a double podium for Viñales. This promoted rookie Pedro Acosta to the podium in his second MotoGP race.
Coming to Portugal In 2025
Coming to Portugal this year, MotoGP will still be missing its two most recent champions. Ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Marc Márquez announced he would not be returning in 2025 – suggesting he’s learnt to let himself recover fully following his quick returns in previous years. With Aprilia Racing announcing that he’d continue to sit out for Portugal, Jorge Martín will be reassessed ahead of the Valencia finale. Lorenzo Savadori will return to the track to fill in for Martín whereas World SBK rider Nicolò Bulega will make his debut in MotoGP this weekend, filling in for Márquez.
Outside of MotoGP, Moto3 was shaken up in Malaysia when recently crowned champion Josė Antonio Rueda and Noah Dettwiler crashed on the sighting lap – causing a lengthy red flag and a switched up race schedule. Fortunately, both riders are okay – they suffered injuries but are on the road to recovery.
It isn’t just Marc Márquez who makes history this season. With his win in Malaysia, brother Álex Márquez solidified P2 in the championship. This marks the first time in MotoGP history that two brothers have become the champion and runner-up in a season. Whilst Francesco Bagnaia was on the cusp of reclaiming P3, his retirement gave Marco Bezzecchi some breathing room. 5 points separate them – who will come out on top?
Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
Nestled in Portimão in the Algarve region of Portugal, the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve is more than just a circuit. Opening in 2008, the Portimão circuit also plays host to a range of other facilities including a kart track, a five star hotel, a technology park, and more.
The 2.85 miles long track has 9 right-handed corners and 6 left-handed corners. Some have compared it to tracks such as Spa-Francochamps and the old Nürburgring due to its undulating nature and elevation changes. Despite having many places to make an overtake, it can be a challenging circuit for riders because of the low-grip surface and blind corners.
Following a seven year hiatus, Portimão has hosted the Portuguese Grand Prix since 2020. Prior to this, the Autódromo do Estoril was the host from 2000 to 2012. Initially held at the start of the MotoGP season, this year it’s the penultimate round. Valentino Rossi holds five wins at the Estoril configuration whereas Fabio Quartararo holds the most wins at Portimão specifically with two in 2021 and 2022. This is matched with Francesco Bagnaia who holds one race win and one sprint win.
Despite never winning here in MotoGP, Marc Márquez holds the all-time lap record (1:37.226). Last year, Enea Bastianini set the race-lap record (1:38.685).
Schedule
The schedule for the weekend is as follows. Please note that all times are in CET.
Portugal may mark the start of the end for the 2025 season but there’s plenty of action still to come. Can Diogo Moreira take the Moto2 championship or will it go down to the final race? And could we see a third maiden winner in MotoGP? Don’t miss out on the action.