2021 Algarve MotoGP, Portimao Circuit - Race Results

Frances🐟co Bagnaia takes his third MotoGP victory in a red-flagged penultimate round at Port༒imao.
The race stopped with two laps remaining d♒ue to an accident involving KTM riders Iker Lecuona and Miguel Oliveira, which saw Oliveira carried away on a stretcher after being taken out by the Tech3 rider at Turn 13.
The home star was conscious after the accident.
Meanwhile, ꦬBagnaia won in dominant style, being joined on the 🐽podium by Joan Mir and Jack Miller.
The result also means Bagnaia and Mir are c𝓡onfirmed as second and third behind Fabio Quartararo in the 2021 world championship, on a day when the Frenchman crashed out for the first time this se🌞ason.
That accident also helped hand the 2021 constructors' title to Ducati, while the battle with Yamaha for the teams' world championships will be deဣcided at Valencia next weekend.
After briefly being passed by team-mate Mi🎃ller at Turn 1, Bagnaia promptly retook the lead and never loo🔥ked back.
Mir also squeezed♛ though for second and initially kept pace with the Italian as they pulled a slight gap over the field. But the factory Ducati pace proved too much for the Suzuki rider, who began losing touch with Bagnaia and falling back into the clutches of Miller from lap 8 of the planned 25.
The Australian wasn't alone with LCR Honda's Alex Marquez, Pramac Ducati rookie Jorge Martin, Quartararo and Repsol Honda'sꦕ Pol Espargaro also in tow.
Marquez, the top rider on the hard rear tyre, produced his best race of the season to pass Miller for third just before the halfway stage. However, the Australian dug in and began dicing wi💧th his former Moto3 rival with a scheduled 7 laps remaining and ultimately retook the position.
Quartararo struggled to make progress through the pack, slipping to seventh after a scare at Turn 13 🌃before starting the closing stages stuck behind the Pramac Ducatis of Zarco and Martin.
But for the first time this season the Frenchman didn't see the chequered flag, lowsidin🐼g out of sixth place with five laps to go.
Marc Marquezꦏ, winner of the past two MotoGP rounds, missed the event after still feeling 'unwell' several days after sustaining a 'slight concussion' while training on an off-road bike. Marquez was replaced by test rider Stefan Bradl.
The hard front tyre option was changed from the disliked asymmetric version 💦selected for April's Portimao round, to a symmetric hard compound (which was harder than the 2020 front tyre). But the cool temperatures meant all riders raced the medium front, with a roughly equal split between the medium and hard option rears.
The 2021 season finale, also be the last MotoGP rac💫e of Valentino Rossi's career, will be held at Valencia nex𝔍t weekend.
Algarve MotoGP, Portimao - Race Results | ||||
Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff |
1 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Team (GP21) | 38m 17.72s |
2 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +2.478s |
3 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Team (GP21) | +6.402s |
4 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +6.453s |
5 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP21) | +7.882s |
6 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +9.573s |
7 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP21)* | +10.144s |
8 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +10.742s |
9 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Avintia Ducati (GP19)* | +13.840s |
10 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +14.487s |
11 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +20.912s |
12 | Luca Marini | ITA | Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* | +22.450s |
13 | Valentino Rossi | ITA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +22.752s |
14 | Andrea Dovizioso | ITA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +26.207s |
15 | Stefan Bradl | GER | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +26.284s |
16 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) | +26.828s |
17 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +27.863s |
Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | DNF | |
Iker Lecuona | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16) | DNF | |
Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | DNF | |
Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) | DNF | |
Danilo Petrucci | ITA | KTM Tech3 (RC16) | DNF |
* Rookie
In this article

Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and⭕ has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.