The Portuguese Grand Prix was won by Jorge Martín of Pramac Racing, securing the lead in the MotoGP championship. Pedro Acosta, a 19-year-old rookie, secured his maiden premier-class podium with a stunning charge after starting ninth.

After sprint winner Maverick Viñales, who was in second place, crashed on the penultimate lap, owing to what looked to be a gearbox mechanical issue, Acosta finished third behind pole-sitter Enea Bastianini.

Following an impressive performance, Martín overtook incumbent champion Francesco Bagnaia in the championship standings. Bagnaia also crashed out of the race after colliding with Marc Márquez, the six-time MotoGP champion, riding the Gresini Ducati. After two races, Martín leads the field with 60 points, eighteen points ahead of Brad Binder. The collision dropped Bagnaia to fourth place in the rankings, 23 points behind.

Jorge Martin spoke after his win in Portimao: “I knew what I was capable of, I started fast, and I was trying to manage the tyres. Maverick and Enea were super close but at the end, I saw a gap and it was enough to fight for the win.”

With an incredibly fast start, Martín led the field into turn one and quickly established the front-running pace, setting the fastest lap and increasing his advantage over Viñales. As the leading five riders separated themselves from the rest of the pack, Bastianini was in third place, followed by Bagnaia and Márquez.

However, Acosta of GasGas Tech3 was not about to sit back and save his tyres behind them. He managed to pass Márquez and climb up to fifth place with the fastest lap of his own after first passing Binder of Red Bull KTM. Acosta pursued Bagnaia, making daring overtaking attempts on the Italian. With five circuits remaining, his perseverance paid off as he pushed inside and defeated the two-time champion.

In the season opener in Qatar, tyre management proved to be his downfall, but on this occasion, Acosta appeared at ease with tyre temperature as he moved ahead of Bagnaia and Márquez. Due to Acosta's valiant efforts, Bagnaia and Márquez were forced to battle for fifth place. However, with three laps remaining, their desperation turned to frustration as the factory Ducati rider tried to reclaim his position on the inside, causing both riders to crash. Bagnaia was unable to complete the race, and Márquez ultimately placed 16th, almost missing the points.

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A passionate Irish journalist with a love for cycling, politics and of course Portugal especially their sausage rolls.

Rory Mc Ginn