The paddock has returned to Portugal after a mind-boggling initial four races, with Bastianini back in the tough situation.
After the headline maker settles down in Austin, the European leg of the season is about to get started. The race is going to be held at Autodromo International do Algarve as we see Paddocks heading towards Portugal. There is also a lot to talk about race.
Enea Bastianini, Gresini Racing MotoGP, begin racing as a “Beast” blasted back in style in Texas. It was also how the Italian reclaimed the championship leadership and made quite an interesting statement, bringing Ducati's maiden win on the track and assisting the start of the season in Qatar, which was impressive but also a lucky hunting ground at Borgo Panigale. Jack Miller of the Ducati Lenovo Team states that both COTA and Bastianini, with whom he shared the podium in Austin, are different because it is the rider that determines the life of the tire, among other things, and not the engine. It bodes well when the ball from Bologna meets Portimao.
Although Miller took his first podium of the season last time out, it was indeed an impressive and a hard-fought third position. In Portugal, he won the podium twice as well. Due to bad luck, his place on the ranking is being torn up till now. His teammate Francesco Bagnaia also holds two podiums at the track. Among them, one was for winning the race. He was proved to be a powerful opponent last season. Will he take another step forward on a familiar and successful course after returning to fine form following a rather nightmarish first two races?
Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) had an equally strenuous start to the two races before battling for victory in Argentina. However, we saw COTA and his teammate Johann Zarco drop slightly in the closing stages. On the other hand, Martin has claimed to leave bad memories of the bed and return to the podium fight as he insists on making up for lost time He also said that number 89 will never be counted, especially on Saturday when he is relatively busy in the front row.
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), the man who beat Miller in the second place, is also confidently heading towards Portimao. He is doing everything to take Suzuki to 500 Grand Prix podiums and open number entry for the season, alongside some stability from the Hamamatsu factory. He had incredible speed in the Algarve before the disaster, but the 2022 GSX-RR appears to be breaking boundaries that Rins has crossed too often in 2021, letting the Spaniard's pace shine again.
2020 champion Joan Mir is also feeling confident while traveling to Portugal. 2020 champion Joan Mir will also feel confident traveling to Portugal. While still searching for a first podium of the season, number 36 is close and, like Rins, permanent. His track record for theme park trains is also impressive, with two podium finishes on our two visits to the track last year. Is it time for the classical peace order to escalate as we head toward Europe?
After the elimination of Ducati-Suzuki from the top five COTA comes the return of Mark Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). The never beaten number 93 faced a mechanical problem with his Honda that kept him out of the finish line. Later, he had made a choice of returning to racing conservatively after he hinted about it before the event. Perhaps, that was enough to fight for victory without additional obstacles. Marc Marquez was Mark Marquez, and what followed was a goosebumps provocation.
The number 93 is back in the top ten at a level that passers-by might consider a professional insult. However, it is not enough to put the postal code back on the podium. Bastianini’s win was effortlessly the fastest at COTA until now. Therefore, it will not be effortless if the problem didn’t arise. Moreover, Marquez finds himself in another great battle against reigning champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).
Not only does it appear to be sixth place in the race, but there is a lot more at stake in something like a rematch in 2019. The second fight came due to triggering the final stage before the start of Rins launch on Miller. Marquez vs Portimao will definitely be interesting because it is that place where number 93 has not mastered yet because he has so much in the locker. Hence, the question arise, can Paul Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) recapture the catwalk vibe in Qatar?
If there ever was a place where Diablo will run, it will probably be Algarve. When Quartararo won at the Portugal GP track last season, it looked easy – with five seconds remaining on the winning flag. Then, at the end of the year, the points are worth much more than a winning push. So what will be the number 20 this time? It is the podium so far after a difficult start to the season for Yamaha and Quartararo being the only one present in the upper echelons for the Iwata brand. Would returning to Europe be a little happier for the factory and its current champions? So are the hopes of Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) after a difficult start to the season, and the number 21 is no stranger to the podium in Portugal.
Another starter of the season, Miguel Oliveira, number 88, has an impressive wet win from Indonesia under his belt. Otherwise, he has a tough time compared to his teammate Brad Binder. KTM also experienced a challenging time in Texas as the remaining top ten were out of reach on race day. However, Oliveira crushed it on the first day of his home track and disappeared into the valuable master class so that he can find more form on the home court and more significantly for KTM. So, will they find consistency again where they have a few more laps? Binder's Championship position has deteriorated for the last time, and they want to make sure it's a ridiculous weekend with only a few points to lose.
Aprilia also had a tough time in Texas. Noale's manufacturers have struggled on the pitch before, but after a win, they still want more than 10 and 11. With that in mind, if the drift remains overwhelming, as with KTM, there is no reason to continue the expected form in Europe. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) is trying to win the top spot and lead the championship and is also looking to return to a podium fight. But, teammate Maverick Vinales also made a crucial move in Texas, even though it was a more difficult result. He finished ahead of number 41. People are wondering what will they have in their arsenal when the paddock returns to Portugal?
It's been a sad time and again that the picture really does become clearer as this season's European leg kicks off, and after breaking the record number of competitors on the podium this season, there is certainly room for a lot of people to find a better order. But the show is guaranteed to remain stunning as MotoGP heads to the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal and the golden age continues, so be sure to watch it as the lights go out at 13:00 local time (GMT+1) on Sunday.
It's 2 pm in most of Europe, but an hour early for Lisbon and London.