A record-breaking day kicked off the 2023 MotoGP™ season in fine fashion at the Grande Prémio TISSOT de Portugal, seeing history made in the first-ever Tissot Sprint. Reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) made headlines with an epic last-lap triumph, whilst Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) showed he means business with two incredible performances to open his 2023 account. Find out more as we take you through 10 things you need to know after Saturday's action!
1- Marc Marquez qualified on pole for the first time since the Japanese GP last year, setting a new all-time lap record at Portimao. This is the second time he has qualified on pole after passing through Q1, along with Thailand in 2018.
2- This is his 64th MotoGP™ pole and his 92nd on what is his 233rd GP start. This is Honda’s maiden pole position in the class at Portimao. He will be aiming to win his first Grand Prix race since Emilia-Romagna 2021 (518 days ago).
3- Francesco Bagnaia became the first ever Tissot Sprint winner in history and, on Sunday, he will be aiming to win a Grand Prix for the first time since Malaysia last year (also his most recent podium).
4 - With Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin, this is the 41st successive race where there is at least one Ducati rider in the top three in qualifying.
5- Miguel Oliveira qualified P4 after passing through Q1 in his first GP with Aprilia. He equaled his second-best qualifying result from Catalunya 2021 when he went on to win. He will be aiming for a second home GP win (along with the 2020 Portuguese GP). He fought for the podium in the Sprint before a last lap mistake.
6- Jack Miller could make MotoGP™ history by taking Grand Prix wins with three different factories (after already winning with Honda and Ducati). He finished P4 in the first-ever Sprint, 0.086s off the podium having earlier led the way.
7- Enea Bastianini qualified sixth, which is the first time he has qualified in the top six since Malaysia last year when he both qualified and finished in second (also his most recent podium). He crashed out after contact with Luca Marini during the first Sprint.
8 - Maverick Viñales qualified seventh. Like Miller, Viñales could make MotoGP™ history by winning with three different factories, in his case adding victory with Aprilia to wins with Suzuki and Yamaha.
9 - Winner last year at the Portuguese GP, Fabio Quartararo has qualified 11th which is only the sixth time he has failed to qualify within the top 10 in MotoGP™. The last time was in Malaysia last year, but he finished third on his most recent podium. He will be aiming to take a Grand Prix win for the first time since Germany last year. He has failed to score any point in the Sprint, finishing P10 after early contact from Joan Mir.
10 - Aleix Espargaro crashed in Q2 and qualified P12 for his worst qualifying result since he qualified 13th in Thailand last year. He finished P3 last year in Portugal for his fourth MotoGP™ podium at that time.