What We Learned on Friday ⚔️ | 2025 Portuguese GP

Good afternoon and welcome back to round 21 of this year's MotoGP World Championship. We are well and truly hitting the final stretch, aren't we, of this longest season in Grand Prix history. This round 21 of 22, it's pretty breezy out there as we get set for this crucial 60-minute practice session in MotoGP. And there is definitely, as we said in the introduction, rain in the air. 1.39.145 puts Alex Marquez on top, and on top by quite a comfortable margin. He's only 0.004 of a second away from being 2 tenths clear of anybody else around Portimao in FP1. Alex Marquez, as he was earlier on today, he's dominating this Portuguese Grand Prix weekend so far. Two rounds remaining in 2025, but day one in round 21 has well and truly belonged to Grazini Racing rider Alex Marquez. Alex has been flying a 1.37.974. No other rider able to find a 1.37 here today. There are some huge expectations around Pedro Acosta's prospects here this weekend in Portimao, given his great record across all three classes. He's second fastest so far this afternoon as well. Acosta, well, he gave him half of that 4 tenths, but he still is able to knock Alex Marquez off his perch. A 1.38.062, Acosta in P1. What about Bagnaia? Over the line, he goes second. That's a brilliant lap by Pekka Bagnaia. Superb. So, so close to being the second rider in the 37s. He misses out by just four pounds of a second. Bagnaia, though, sailing into Q2. That was a tight old top three, wasn't it? Alex Marquez, Bagnaia and Acosta separated by less than nine hundredths of a second. How hard was Best pushing for that 1.38.133? Well, that's how hard he was pushing. Joan Zarco, that looks like he's had a mechanical here on the LTR Honda. That's why the yellow flags were out briefly then into Turn 5. Zarco's had a real positive start this Portuguese Grand Prix, fourth fastest this morning. Joan Zarco, despite his mechanical gremlins, which are going to cost him some valuable track time in this 60 minute session, still sits in third. This feels like it's been the best Friday for quite some time, doesn't it? For the 35-year-old Frenchman. What about Mir, though? Is that enough? Is that 1.38.377 enough? Can he find a way to top spot? Surely he's going to be top three here, isn't he? Joan Mir pops a bit of a wheelie. That might cost him a bit of time. He goes up into the top three, as mentioned, at 1.38.183. More brilliant assists by Mir. Two Hondas in the top four now. Mir third, Zarco fourth. Bersseke surely is safe. Surely his 1.38.234, set three laps ago on lap 20 of 23, is going to get Bers safely through to Q2. Is it going to be Bersseke or is it Alex Marquez who tops the day? It's Alex Marquez as Bersseke goes fourth. Ayegura, who just went out there and put in a 1.38.786. He lifted himself up into sixth place moments before the rain started to fall. Ayegura on course for Q2 for just the fourth time in his rookie season. The first since the Catalan Grand Prix just a few weeks ago. Ralf Fernandes looks like he's taking a bit of a heavy crash here. The airbag has been deployed and just getting a bit of assistance from the medical staff. Turn one. Let's see what happens to Ralf Fernandes, who appears with the bike upside down. The bike rears into the air vents. Ralf Fernandes follows it. Fortunately, the bike had departed the scene by the time Ralf Fernandes arrived. That could have been an awful lot worse. That's shaking him up, hasn't it? Shout out to Ralf Fernandes, who is gritting his teeth. He is fighting through whatever pain he's in. He's just done his best lap of the day, a 1.39.610. He's 1.3 seconds off the pace, but still prepared to take the risks in this session and put it all on the line, despite the fact that he is far from 100%. He's battered. He is bruised, but he's not beaten at the moment. Ralf Fernandes, this is a heroic effort by the Philip Island Grand Prix winner. Fernandes will be having to really grit his teeth here. This is just the adrenaline alone that is getting Fernandes anywhere near this top ten. He's 13th at the moment, is the track house, a Pirelli rider. He's just over a tenth of a second outside of the top ten. Top, top effort by Ralf Fernandes. Quattroro, then, under the Coscia. He has to find something special. He so often does find something special, doesn't he, now, as he drops down through this final sector. Quattroro did set his best time of the session at 1.38.598, but it's not enough as he stands right now. Really crucial, this for Quattroro. This is where we've seen him lose the time, where he's suffering for pace on that factory Yamaha in these final two right-handers. Once again, there's the big twixtails. He's on the power, coming out of turn 15. Over the line he goes. It is not enough. It is not enough for Fabio Quattroro. He has taken the chequered flag. He's in Q1. Jack Miller, who is absolutely furious with whatever has happened to him. He's gone down, then. He was out there to push. He's 16, so he's one of the riders who were caught on the wrong side of the top ten with this rain, and he lost it on the very early rundown to turn five. You can see that by how far he's ended up. I'll be giving Jack a bit of a wide berth when he gets back to that Prima-Prama Yamaha garage because he's got a face of thunder from down under. Look at that.