MotoGP is coming back and it’s doing so in the Portuguese town of Portimao, at the Portuguese Grand Prix. This impressive setting was chosen to start the 2023 season, occupying the first round of the calendar course, instead of the traditional start in Qatar, on the Losail circuit.
The new motorcycle course brings something new to the sprint race, which will have half the points and laps of the usual, which is on Sunday. This innovation changes the entire program for the weekend, as the Friday practice sessions already have a special relevance for the fight for pole position.
It will be held officially on Saturday morning. These grid positions will also play a leading role on Sunday, but will not be relevant for the sprint positions.
Reigning champion Pecco Bagnaia rode his Ducati, which proved superior in pre-season testing. Bagnaia for as a favorite, as well as Honda’s doubts. Marc Márquez is at his best physically, but the mountain has not been with him so far.
The other drivers of the Japanese team, Joan Mir and Álex Rins, continue a difficult adaptation. Also on Yamaha is world champion Fabio Quartararo, who also wants to regain hegemony.
The other options are Spaniards Jorge Martín and Álex Márquez, who are also in the Ducati range. Then there will be Aprilia, with Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales as official riders.
Regarding the Moto2 category, Spanish rider Pedro Acosta starts as a favorite. In the final tests at Jerez and Portimao he shined, which is why he is considered the rival to beat. Of course, the category is very competitive, with riders like Albert Arenas, Arón Canet, Alonso López, Tony Arbolino, Sam Lowes, Ai Ogura… Moto3 champion Izan Guevara seems to need it, to adapt to the second category .
The small category, Moto3, is very open. There are opportunities for riders like Jaume Masiá, Romano Fenati or Deniz Öncü, and many new ones coming from FIM CEV. In between, some drivers who stood out last season, such as David Muñoz, Dani Holgado or Diogo Moreira. It should be noted that neither this category nor Moto2 will have a ‘warm up’.
MotoGP Portuguese GP 2023 schedules
Friday March 24
10:00 – 10:35 Moto3: FP1
10:50 – 11:30 Moto2: FP1
11:45 – 12:30 MotoGP FP1
14:15 – 14:50 Moto3: FP2
15:05 – 15:45 Moto2: FP2
16:00 – 17:00 MotoGP: FP2
Saturday March 25
09:40 – 10:10 Moto3: FP3
10:25 – 10:55 Moto2: FP3
11:10 – 11:40 MotoGP: FP
11:50 – 12:05 MotoGP: Q1
12:15 – 12:30 MotoGP: Q2
13:50 – 14:05 Moto3: Q1
14:15 – 14:30 Moto3: Q2
14:45 – 15:00 Moto2: Q1
15:10 – 15:25 Moto2: Q2
16:00 MotoGP: Sprint race (12 laps)
Sunday March 26
10:45 – 10:55 MotoGP Warm Up
12:00 Moto3: Race (19 laps)
13:15 Moto2: Race (21 laps)
15:00 MotoGP: Race (25 laps)
Where to watch the MotoGP 2023 Portuguese Grand Prix on TV?
The 2023 Portuguese Grand Prix It will be seen in Spain through the DAZN platform. After the merger of DAZN and Movistar +who are the subscribers with Movistar Plus they can watch DAZN channels.
You can follow all the information of the weekend live on the Mundo Deportivo website.
Enjoy this live event on DAZN: activate your account here
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
