Second on the starting grid, Bagnaia took control of the race on the second lap. "What was it long," admitted the Italian at the finish.

"I wasn't used to these long races anymore," continued the champion, who won ahead of Spaniard Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) and Italian Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati-VR46).

The first Frenchman on the grid, Johann Zarco (Ducati-Pramac), finished at the foot of the podium with an excellent climb of three places in the last lap of the GP.

The other French rider on the grid, Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), finished in 8th place. Starting 10th on the grid, the 2021 world champion made a bad start, dropping to 15th place in the first laps.

Possible fracture for Marquez

Starting from pole position on the Portimao circuit riding his Honda, six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez was at the origin of a violent collision at the beginning of the race with the local of the event Miguel Oliveira (Aprilia-RNF).

If the Portuguese, author of an excellent start from 4th place on the grid, escaped with a simple contusion to the leg, Marquez could suffer a fracture of the right hand, according to the latest information.

Spaniard Marc Marquez, victim of a violent clash with Portuguese Miguel Oliveira (not present in the photo) during the Portuguese Grand Prix Sunday in Portimao © PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP

"Possible fracture of the 1st metacarpal of the right hand in the N.93 rider," MotoGP announced. The Catalan "will do additional examinations at the Dexeus Hospital in Barcelona," it is also indicated in an official tweet.

If the fracture is confirmed, it would be another blow to the 30-year-old driver whose last three seasons have been disrupted by health glitches followed by operations.

- Maximum for Bagnaia-

At the top of the hierarchy, Bagnaia had already offered Saturday the sprint race, a new race format, shorter, contested the day before the traditional Sunday meeting and which offers up to 12 additional points to the championship, in addition to the points awarded during the GP.

In the world championship, "Pecco" retains his rank with 37 points on his counter (the maximum), ahead of Vinales (25 pts) and Bezzecchi (16 pts). Zarco is currently 4th with 15 pts.

Absent from the grid on Sunday, Enea Bastianini (Ducati) suffered a violent crash during this inaugural sprint. The 25-year-old Italian is suffering from a scapula bill and will also miss the Argentine GP next weekend.

In the lower categories, in Moto2, 18-year-old Spanish nugget Pedro Acosta (KTM Ajo), who started third on the grid earlier in the day, took control of the race on the second lap to win ahead of his compatriot Aron Canet.

In Moto3, Spaniard Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) withstood the pressure of the competition to the end on Sunday morning and won the first Grand Prix of his career at the age of 17.

© 2023 AFP