MotoGP: Quartararo on pole as Bagnaia penalised

Qualifying for the third round of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship got underway in dry conditions in the Algarve region of Portugal, for the second motorcycle grand prix event to be held at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in the last six months. 

In Q1, the return of Marc Marquez took another step. On Friday, Marquez settled back in and started to find the limit again, highlighted by a big slide in turn seven on his final lap of the day. On Saturday, there was another big slide, but on the front into turn 14, and then in Q1 Marquez became acquainted with the reigning World Champion, Joan Mir. Marquez has often in the past latched onto the back of riders he saw as rivals to try to psych them out, and on Saturday in Portimao, Mir became the latest recipient of that treatment, as Marquez rode slowly in front of him on the first lap of the first run, before slotting in behind him for the second lap to go fastest. That lap would turn out to be enough for Marquez to top the session, and move on into Q2 along with the aforementioned Mir. 

The second session seemed somewhat tame by MotoGP standards after the first runs, but that was rectified in the second half of Q2. Cancelled laps for Francesco Bagnaia and Maverick Vinales, as well as a crash for Johann Zarco, an aborted effort from Jack Miller and a non-appearance from Marc Marquez left them all with work to do in the closing stages.

As usual, Marquez picked the rider he wanted to follow for the final run, and on this occasion it was Alex Rins, who was ninth after the opening salvo. Initially it seemed to have worked perfectly for Marquez, who was on the front row with his first lap, despite a big front slide at turn 11. 

The eight-times World Champion was soon shuffled back, though, firstly by championship leader Johann Zarco, then by Jack Miller and Alex Rins, who took his first front row since the European Grand Prix in Valencia last year. 

But it was Fabio Quartararo who took pole position, after a record breaking lap from Francesco Bagnaia was cancelled for a yellow flag infringement following a crash for Miguel Oliveira. Joining the Frenchman on the front row will be Alex Rins and Johann Zarco, who is well placed to try to defend his championship advantage tomorrow. 

Jack Miller will start from the front of the second row, which is positive for the Australian after his arm pump surgery last week; and the #43 will have Franco Morbidelli and Marc Marquez alongside him on row two tomorrow. 

Aleix Espargaro will start from seventh after a strong qualifying from the Aprilia rider, alongside Luca Marini and Joan Mir on the third row. It was also a good session from Marini, who qualified eighth despite being forced to use his second bike following an FP4 crash. 

Miguel Oliveira will start his home grand prix from 10th, ahead of the unfortunate Bagnaia and Maverick Vinales, who had all of his competitive lap cancelled.

Alex Marquez just missed out on Q2 and will start from 13th, ahead of Pol Espargaro and Brad Binder on the fifth row; while Enea Bastianini heads up an all-Italian row six, with the rookie starting ahead of veteran compatriots Valentino Rossi and Danilo Petrucci. 

The second Tech 3 KTM of Iker Lecuona was ninth in Q1, and so will start from 19th, ahead of Lorenzo Savadori and, providing he is fit for Sunday, Takaaki Nakagami, although that seems unlikely: the Japanese rider missed qualifying after suffering the pain caused by his Furthermore, the grid will be one rider short for round three of the season, as Doha pole sitter Jorge Martin was forced out of round three following a crash in FP3 on Saturday morning that left him with multiple contusions, including in his head.