Portugal MotoGP test: Bagnaia leads Ducati 1-2 on first day

The countdown to the 2023 season is on as just two more days of running are permitted between now and the start of the new campaign on 26 March in Portugal.

The paddock has decamped to the Algarve International Circuit to wrap up the pre-season, with Saturday’s session running for eight hours.

VR46 Ducati rider Marini was first out on track when the session began at 9:30am local time, but it was Bagnaia who rounded out the first hour fastest of all with a 1m40.551s.

As factory Ducati team-mate Enea Bastianini was forced to park up in hour two with a technical issue, Bagnaia strengthened his position at the top of the timesheets with a 1m40.019s, improving to a 1m39.610s come the end of hour three.

Marini took to the top of the standings at the end of hour four with a 1m39.400s, with the Italian improving to a 1m39.005s as the session ticked into its final hour.

But a 1m38.771s from Bagnaia with just under half an hour remaining was enough for the world champion to end the penultimate day of the pre-season fastest of all.

With a month splitting this test and February’s Sepang action, the pitlane was awash with manufacturers rolling out new developments.

Aprilia courted attention for its radical new aerodynamic concept, with Maverick Vinales third fastest on Saturday with a 1m39.025s.

Alex Marquez continued his adaptation to the Ducati in fourth, as he guided his Gresini-run GP22 to a 1m39.336s ahead of the RNF Aprilia duo of Raul Fernandez and Miguel Oliveira.

Raul Fernandez, RNF MotoGP Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Marco Bezzecchi was seventh on the sister VR46 Ducati, with Fabio Quartararo the leading Yamaha rider in eighth – 0.843s off the pace.

Gresini’s Fabio Di Giannantonio shadowed Quartararo in ninth, but a late crash has sent the Italian to the local hospital for further checks.

Jorge Martin rounded out the top 10 on his Pramac Ducati ahead of LCR Honda’s Alex Rins, who was the leading HRC rider on Saturday.

Aleix Espargaro was 12th on the second Aprilia ahead of Pramac’s Johann Zarco and Joan Mir on the factory team Honda, with the works KTM duo of Brad Binder and Jack Miller trailing.

Marc Marquez suffered a crash on a busy day for the eight-time world champion, as he put 78 laps on his Honda in 19th.

The final day of testing begins on Sunday at 9:30am local time.

Pos	Nº	Rider	Bike	Time	Delay	Laps
1	1	F.Bagnaia	Ducati	1'38.771		78
2	10	Luca Marini	Ducati	1'39.005	0.234	65
3	12	Maverick Viñales	Aprilia	1'39.025	0.254	88
4	73	Álex Márquez	Ducati	1'39.336	0.565	65
5	25	Raúl Fernández	Aprilia	1'39.460	0.689	64
6	88	Miguel Oliveira	Aprilia	1'39.466	0.695	75
7	72	Marco Bezzecchi	Ducati	1'39.608	0.837	76
8	20	Fabio Quartararo	Yamaha	1'39.614	0.843	90
9	49	F.Di Giannantonio	Ducati	1'39.641	0.870	50
10	89	Jorge Martín	Ducati	1'39.643	0.872	63
11	42	Alex Rins	Honda	1'39.646	0.875	77
12	41	Aleix Espargaró	Aprilia	1'39.648	0.877	60
13	5	Johann Zarco	Ducati	1'39.716	0.945	57
14	36	Joan Mir	Honda	1'39.776	1.005	74
15	33	Brad Binder	KTM	1'39.923	1.152	69
16	43	Jack Miller	KTM	1'39.987	1.216	58
17	23	Enea Bastianini	Ducati	1'40.009	1.238	52
18	6	Stefan Bradl	Honda	1'40.162	1.391	72
19	93	Marc Márquez	Honda	1'40.170	1.399	78
20	51	Michele Pirro	Ducati	1'40.336	1.565	70
21	21	F.Morbidelli	Yamaha	1'40.414	1.643	95
22	44	Pol Espargaró	GASGAS	1'40.507	1.736	64
23	30	Takaaki Nakagami	Honda	1'40.642	1.871	74
24	37	A.Fernández	GASGAS	1'40.771	2.000	72