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From the desert to the hills of the Algarve, the MotoGP returns to Europe for its second GP of the season. Portimão will be the stage in which the protagonists of the Premier Class will have to perform this weekend. And it's going to be at first real test for all the riders in understanding the actual numbers on the field. If the two days of winter tests in Qatar helped them get into a rhythm before throwing themselves into the fray, we'll be witnessing a more "normal" Grand Prix in Portugal, with little time to arrange all the pieces of their puzzles.
During the five times that the MotoGP raced in Portimão, Ducati, Ktm, and Yamaha shared victories. Oliveira won in his debut GP in 2020, Quartararo and Bagnaia (with a double GP due to Covid) the following year, then Fabio and Pecco won last season. The Autodromo dell'Algarve is completely different than both Losail and Sepang, the two circuits on which riders have so far tested in 2024 and that will be an important litmus test for them.
Bagnaia is starting off as the favorite (due to his history in Portimão, but also because of his victory in Qatar). The Portuguese weekend will be an opportunity for him (and not only him) in finding out if the GP24 was really born under a lucky star. There were problems in the Sprint Race in Qatar (vibrations on the rear), but they were then resolved in time for the race. Testing it out on such a different circuit will be able to make things clearer.
The same holds true for KTM, after the RC16 had already been on the podium twice. It also needs to be perfected, and the same is true (perhaps even more so) for Aprilia. In truth, the RS-GP is a little mystery, capable of shining bright on Saturday at Losail and then fading on Sunday. The only one who managed to take advantage of it was Aleix Espargarò, but the RS-GP seems to have more arrows in its bow than it demonstrated.
The Portimão track will not only put the mechanics to the test but also the riders. Three names immediately come to mind. The first is Marc Marquez, the star of an intelligent weekend in Losail. The Spanish rider took the right risks, got nothing wrong, and put two important positions in the bag, especially for his confidence. On his first official race on the Ducati, he had been "assisted" by the tests. He won't have time to find his best confidence immediately in Portugal with a bike he still knows little about.
The same holds true for Acosta. Actually, even more so for him who, as a rookie, has to cope with so many new things. Pedro was convincing and entertaining in Qatar, but we'll really see his level in Portugal. He's in no particular hurry or under pressure, but the Spanish rider demonstrated that he doesn't like to waste too much time and prefers learning through scuffles.
Finally, there's Bezzecchi. Marco was the disappointment of the beginning of the championship, after his good performances last year. He's still not able to give it his all on the GP23. Last year's Desmosedici isn't in question (it's the one that finished in the top two places in the World Championship), so it's the VR46 rider who has to succeed in adapting to his new companion as best he can. He'll continue this process on a circuit where he was on the podium last year. So, in theory, a friend to lean on at this difficult time.
