Marc Marquez took the lead in the first practice session of the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao, which he views as a crucial weekend for him. This is the second round of the 2024 MotoGP season and Marquez’s second time racing on a Ducati. It will determine whether Marquez has overcome any weaknesses with his 2023-spec Desmosedici bike. Marquez had expressed concerns during the pre-season about the number of laps it took him to reach the pace of the frontrunners at a track. This was not an issue in the Qatar opener due to prior testing, but it is a relevant question for Portimao. For now, Marquez’s performance in the practice session suggests that he has made progress, despite the unconventional conditions caused by overnight mud rain. The track conditions were described as “quite bad” by Michelin’s MotoGP boss Piero Taramasso. The Moto3 practice session was largely ineffective, and MotoE ran at a cautious pace. However, the track improved for Moto2 and continued to do so throughout the MotoGP session. Marquez, known for his ability to handle low-grip conditions, made a last-minute improvement to take first place from KTM’s Brad Binder. His time of 1m40.484s was two seconds slower than last year’s corresponding session. Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales, who was dealing with gastroenteritis, also surpassed Binder to take second place. Jack Miller, another KTM rider, finished in fourth place, while Franco Morbidelli, who had a difficult pre-season due to a road bike crash, secured fifth place. The entire field was separated by 1.598s in the end.
Sergio Perez of Red Bull Racing RB20 competed in the Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 7, Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Imola, Italy, Practice Day on May 17, 2024....
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