The 2025 MotoGP season enters its final stretch this weekend, with the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimão opening the last European double-header of the year. While the championship has long been decided and Álex Márquez has already sealed second place in Malaysia, the fight for third remains alive, and it’s shaping up to be one of the most compelling battles of the season!
The Intense Battle For Third
Marco Bezzecchi currently leads that contest, though Francesco Bagnaia and the ever-improving Pedro Acosta are both within striking distance. Acosta, just 31 points off third, arrives at one of his strongest circuits.
Bezzecchi, meanwhile, will look to build on his 2023 podium at the track, while Aprilia’s historical pace at Portimão offers reason for optimism. For Bagnaia, the focus this weekend extends beyond the standings. The Ducati Lenovo rider welcomes a new teammate: 2025 WorldSBK runner-up Nicolo Bulega, stepping in for the injured Marc Márquez.
All Eyes On Bulega As The Session Starts
Bulega’s debut comes with limited preparation. The Italian tested briefly at Jerez last week, but FP1 marked his first competitive MotoGP outing. Despite the lack of expectations, interest around him is high. The only rider to have consistently challenged Toprak Razgatlioglu in recent Superbike seasons, Bulega faces a steep learning curve as he adapts to the bike.
Conditions this morning were favourable, with dry skies, 20°C air temperature, and 27°C on track temperature as FP1 began. Riders experimented with various setups, including new seat units for Pol Espargaró and Luca Marini. As the session settled, Acosta quickly laid down the early marker, circulating in the 1:40s, while Márquez and Johann Zarco followed close behind.
A Heavy Crash At Turn 1
Towards the end, the session was interrupted when Raúl Fernández suffered a heavy crash at Turn 1. The Spaniard was assisted by marshals and later transferred to the medical center for evaluation. Rain flags briefly appeared soon after, though the track remained mostly dry until the chequered flag.
In the closing stages, Bezzecchi surged forward with a late improvement to go second-fastest behind session leader Márquez. Jack Miller impressed to complete the top three, followed by Zarco, Espargaró, and Morbidelli. Marini, Mir, Acosta, and Aldeguer rounded out the top ten.
For Bulega, a steady progression saw him finish 14th, 0.928s off Márquez’s leading time — a solid debut effort under the circumstances. Bagnaia, however, struggled for rhythm, ending P17 and 1.5s adrift of his Gresini counterpart.
As FP1 closes, it’s Márquez who once again sets the pace, but all eyes remain on the developing duel for third — and on whether Acosta’s Portimão prowess can yet rewrite the final chapter of the 2025 MotoGP season.