Alex Marquez sets the best time in free practice, ahead of Joan Mir and Luca Marini. Other Italians: Marco Bezzecchi fourth, Francesco Bagnaia ninth, Franco Morbidelli 14th, Enea Bastianini 15th, Fabio Di Giannantonio 21st. Eighth Fabio Quartararo, tenth Marc Marquez
March 24, 2023
Portimao – It starts under a drizzle almost impalpable, but enough for spoil the first 10 minutes of free practice in 2023. Then, the sky opens up, a little sun comes out, the track improves, the riders get back on track with slicks after the few initial laps.
And at the end it goes very strongWhy the 1’38”782 of Alex Marquez it is a few hundredths slower than the absolute record of Portimao (Bagnaia, in tests, 1:37.968).
Alex in front of everyone is not a surprise: its competitiveness was also seen in the tests. As it is a confirmation the third place of Luca Marini and the quarter of Marco Bezzecchicoincidentally all three with the GP22.
The first GP23 is that of Johann Zarcofifth, with George Martin seventh, I’m sorry Bagnaia ninth ed Aeneas Bastianini 15th: Zarco took the lead in the final; Martin has more or less always been in first position, only to drop back in the final minutes; Bagnaia had perhaps a small problem on a motorbike; Bastianini never “lit up”, as often happens in these conditions.
Mir Surprise
Rather, surprising second place Of Joan Mir with the Honda, just 0″045 from A.Marquez: Mir set his time on the 13th of the 14 laps completed, probably like everyone else with the soft tyres, even if it wasn’t a real “time attack”.
A performance that counts for little, but that it definitely gives confidence to the new purchase of HRC, tenth with Marc Marquezwhich towards the end of the shift had a intense conversation of several minutes with the technical chief Santi Hernandez: the technicians intervened on the front of the bike, while Marc mimicked a clear pumping of his RC213V with his hands.
Morbidelli and Di Giannantonio on the ground
Unfortunately, the falls Of Franco Morbidelli e Fabio Di Giannantoniofortunately without consequences: both then finished the round with the second bike.
Fabio Quartararo finished in eighth place, overtaken by many riders in the finale. In Aprilia housethe faster it is Maverick Vinalessixth, with Aleix Espargaro 11th, while the first KTM is that of Jack Miller, 12th. For the moment, the indications have been very insignificant: we are hoping for the afternoon shift, which, let us remember, it will be one hour: the race is being prepared in FP2.
