In Portimao the rain fell for a day and a half, but the sun came out in time for the decisive 15 minutes of the day, those in which pole position is assigned. In front of everyone, tomorrow (at 2 pm, live TV on Sky), Johann Zarco will start and he managed to give his best in very complicated conditions, with some wet patches on the now dry asphalt. The Frenchman of the Pramac team gave Ducati a smile on an otherwise bitter Saturday.
If there is a Red in front of everyone, in fact, there is another behind everyone, that of Pecco Bagnaia. The Piedmontese, who had to pass from Q1, was the first to risk mounting slick tires and the gamble did not pay off. He crashed violently in the third corner, hitting his shoulder and finishing the shift at the medical center. He will go to the hospital for a CT scan for safety, even if the first checks on the circuit ruled out fractures.
Bastianini, the championship leader, also crashed in his best lap and closed the third row in 18th position.
Next to Johann, there are Joan Mir with Suzuki and Aleix Espargaró with Aprilia, who after the difficulties in the rain managed to raise his head. Fabio Quartararo (despite a lap canceled due to the yellow flags) is 5th, behind Jack Miller’s Ducati and ahead of Marco Bezzecchi’s. The Italian rookie of the VR46 team achieved his best qualifying result in MotoGP under the eyes of his “boss”. Valentino Rossi, who owns the team, is back in Portugal for the first time since his retirement. The Doctor enjoyed qualifying from the side of the track and was also satisfied with the 8th time of his brother Luca Marini, who placed himself between Alex and Marc Marquez. The Spanish champion will thus start 9th, after having seen his best time canceled due to the yellow flags displayed due to the fall of his teammate Pol Espargaró, 10th ahead of the KTMs of Oliveira and Binder.
We close with the other Italians: Fabio Di Giannantonio set a good 15th time, ahead of Andrea Dovizioso, while Franco Morbidelli is 19th. Lorenzo Savadori, Aprilia test rider in Portimao for the first wild card of the year, is 24th.
