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Fabio Quartararo is not going to give up because he has already been proclaimed MotoGP world champion. The French rider was the fastest at Portimao with a time of 1: 39.390, and he even had to avoid a crash in the last minutes of the session. For Quartararo there is no relaxation.
In fact, 'El Diablo' knows that there is still a lot at stake for Yamaha. Those from Iwata are playing the world championships for brands and teams with Ducati, precisely the two bikes that finished just behind Quartararo. Pecco Bagnaia was second and Jack Miller finished third.
KTM was the only brand not to have made it into the top ten
From behind, the most remarkable thing is the great role of Honda, which little by little is confirming that it is coming out of the pothole. Even without Marc Márquez on the track, three bikes with the golden wing would be classified for Q2, all except Stefan Bradl, the test rider who is precisely replacing Márquez at Portimao.
Pol Espargaró has set the fifth best time, Álex Márquez finished seventh and Takaaki Nakagami is in ninth position. We will see if this trio manages to keep alive Honda's hopes of attacking the third position in the world of brands, which for now is still held by Suzuki.
The good thing for Hamamatsu is that in Portimao they also go fast. Joan Mir set the fourth fastest time, just behind Quartararo and the two Ducati officers. In the morning session we also saw Mir and Álex Rins constantly on top, so they are reasons to be optimistic at Suzuki.
An Aprilia has also made its way into the top ten fastest bikes of the day. Specifically Aleix Espargaró's, with the eighth fastest time. A Maverick Viñales is getting closer and closer, which nevertheless has had to settle for fourteenth position on a circuit that is not as trite as Misano.
Complete the top ten Johann Zarco, sixth. The brand that has many reasons to worry is KTM, since they are extremely far from the fight, even Miguel Oliveira, who swept here in Portimao's debut in MotoGP. The best KTM has been that of Danilo Petrucci, in a timorous thirteenth place.
Eleventh position for Jorge Martín, solidly ahead of Enea Bastianini, his rival for being the best rookie of the season. Franco Morbidelli finished just behind and in the last two positions are the usual ones: Valentino Rossi penultimate and Andrea Dovizioso last. Terrible farewell to Petronas MotoGP.
