Portuguese Grand Prix Qualifying Results | Zarco on pole, yellows cost Marquez

Qualifying, as always in MotoGP, was super-critical in Portugal, and with several big names in Q1 and wet-but-drying conditions it was action from start-to-finish. 

Johann Zarco, 2022 Portuguese Grand Prix.

Q1 saw crashes for Francesco Bagnaia, Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez. Bagnaia and Gardner had both tried slick tyres early in the session, and it had not paid off. Both Bagnaia and Fernandez required medical attention, and did not get out after their crashes, which for Bagnaia meant he did not set a time and will start tomorrow’s fifth race of the season in last place, providing he is fit. 

Another rider to crash in Q1 was Enea Bastianini, who was seventh at the time of his crash, and eighth by the end. The World Championship leader will start 18th tomorrow. 

By the end of the session, slicks were necessary to go fast, with Alex Marquez taking the most advantage to top the session. He was joined in advancing to Q2 by Luca Marini, whose height and weight finally became an advantage in 2022 as he was probably able to fire the slicks up in the damp conditions better than anyone else. 

Jorge Martin also took slicks at the end, but he was not fast enough to make it into Q2. 

Alex Marquez’ Q1 experience gave him an early advantage in Q2, although Joan Mir and Jack Miller were also up to speed quite quickly.

In the end, though, it was Johann Zarco who denied Mir and Miller with a 1’42.003 to take pole position - his first of the season. 

Mir qualified second and, as the rider who finished second in 2021’s second Portimao race to Francesco Bagnaia, will be one of the favourites tomorrow. 

The front row tomorrow will be completed by Aleix Espargaro, who will be hoping to bounce back to the podium tomorrow after a difficult race last time out in Texas. 

Somehow, Jack Miller missed the front row, despite looking like he was going to take pole position as the chequered flag fell. He will start fourth tomorrow, ahead of Fabio Quartararo in fifth and Marco Bezzecchi, who impressed with sixth place. 

Both Bezzechi and his Mooney VR46 Racing Team teammate Luca Marini were on the front row at one point, but Marini was bumped to row three in the end. The Italian will start eighth, between the Marquez brothers - Alex in seventh, and Marc in ninth. 

The #93 was at one point looking like he was going to take pole position, but a crash for his teammate, Pol Espargaro, at the final corner brought out the yellow flags which saw Marquez’ provisional pole lap get cancelled. 

Espargaro himself qualified 10th, while the two factory KTMs of Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder completed the Q2 order in 11th and 12th, respectively. 

Full Portuguese MotoGP qualifying results are below.

2022 Grand Prix of Portugal | Autodromo Internacional do Algarve | Qualifying Results

2022 Grand Prix of Portugal | Autodromo Internacional do Algarve | Qualifying Results | Round 5 / 21
PosRiderNat.MotoGP TeamMotoGP BikeTiming
1Johann ZarcoFRAPramac RacingDucati GP221'42.003
2Joan MirESPTeam Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RR1'42.198
3Aleix EspargaroESPAprilia RacingAprilia RS-GP1'42.235
4Jack MillerAUSDucati Lenovo TeamDucati GP221'42.503
5Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Energy YamahaYamaha YZF-M11'42.716
6Marco BezzecchiITAVR46 RacingDucati GP211'42.716
7Alex MarquezESPLCR HondaHonda RC213V1'42.903
8Luca MariniITAVR46 RacingDucati GP211'43.179
9Marc MarquezESPRepsol Honda TeamHonda RC213V1'43.575
10Pol EspargaroESPRepsol Honda TeamHonda RC213V1'43.832
11Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM RacingKTM RC161'44.066
12Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM RacingKTM RC161'44.710
13Jorge MartinESPPramac RacingDucati GP221'47.936
14Maverick VinalesESPAprilia RacingAprila RS-GP1'49.332
15Fabio di GiannantonioITAGresini RacingDucati GP211'49.639
16Andrea DoviziosoITAWithU RNF Racing YamahaYamaha YZF-M11'49.695
17Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR HondaHonda RC213V1'49.889
18Enea BastianiniITAGresini RacingDucati GP211'50.618
19Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Energy YamahaYamaha YZF-M11'50.702
20Remy GardnerAUSTech3 KTM RacingKTM RC161'50.953
21Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia RacingAprilia RS-GP1'51.308
22Darryn BinderRSAWithU RNF Racing YamahaYamaha YZF-M11'51.639
23Alex RinsESPTeam Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RR1'52.300
24Raul FernandezESPTech3 KTM RacingKTM RC161'53.603
25Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo TeamDucati GP22No time set