The second quote of MotoGP World Championship Visit the most technical circuit with brave riders in the MotoGP calendar, the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao. There is no margin for error on this roller coaster where it is difficult to find the right braking point, blind spots make existence difficult and braking at the end of a straight line with only a gradient change is difficult. An aggressive motorcycle does not work in Portimao, the motorcycle must be as stable as possible because keeping the front wheel on the ground is a commitment to move forward.
The terrible accidents of Pol Espargaró in MotoGP and Carlos Tatay in FIM Moto2 2023 were the last straws that prompted them to step up and meet the safety requirements to renew the A homologation. The beds of rocks were replaced with gravel, an ‘airfence’ was placed where he played, modified some pianos and retouched some curves
1
Pedro Acosta, the king of Portimao
On the entire grid of the current MotoGP, the most times winner in Portimao is the rookie, Pedro Acosta. The current Red Bull GasGas Tech3 rider won three times in the Algarve, twice in Moto3 in his rookie year in 2021 – two races were run and in the second he won the title -, and in 2023 in Moto2. In Portimao, also at the Sachsenring, you will have the chance to round out the Triple Crown. Bagnaia, Quartararo and Raúl Fernández have two wins.
2
No Spaniard has ever won MotoGP
Although Marc Márquez holds the fastest lap record in Portimao with his 2023 pole (1’37″226) and Aleix Espargaró holds the race record with 1’38″872 also from 2023, no Spanish rider who won a MotoGP race in Portimao. Five ran, six counting the 2023 Sprint, and the closest were Martín in the Sprint, 0″307 behind Bagnaia, and Viñales in the race, 0″687 behind Bagnaia, both last year. He also had Mir second with Suzuki in 2021 and Mir himself third, in the first of two races in 2021, Aleix Espargaró in 2022 and Marc Márquez in the 2023 Sprint.
3
The error is compensated
Portimao is a 4,590 meter circuit with a longest straight of 969 meters and braking at the end of the straight is only at the change of gradient which is challenging. It has 15 corners and 1, 3 is especially complicated in the race, where last year Marc Márquez collided with Martín and took the local idol Miguel Oliveira in a miscalculation, entered late, and 5. But there two points reminding two Spanish drivers of the worst experience of their careers. It was at turn 7 where Jorge Martín suffered a very bad accident in 2021 and at turn 10 where Pol Espargaró had an accident last year.
4
The most dangerous escape
The holes of Portimao with a lot of asphalt and the rocks worthy of mining exploitation shocked the pilots every year at the Safety Commission. The image is still remembered in 2022 when, after the fall, Pecco Bagnia returned to the Ducati box and showed the stones where he was lying and gave them to his team manager. But what Pol Espargaró’s serious accident in 2023 in FP2 revealed was the combination of gravel areas where the body catapulted instead of braking and the lack of air fence protection at that point. They threatened to withdraw their FIM homologation and they reacted by putting new gravel, ‘airfence’ where it belongs and the asphalt was removed and gravel was put on the escape at that turn 1 where Carlos Tatay crashed in FIM Moto2.
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.
