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Moving and enchanting like fado, played by one person for 25 laps, until the final applause. We always expect a lot from Marc Marquez, but maybe this time at Portimao he outdid himself. It is clear that he has not lost his touch and he is already expecting to do an encore at Jerez.
Meanwhile Quartararo, Bagnaia and Mir were demonstrating on track who is in charge in their respective pits, with the help of teammates who either lay down or lost their way. Between dips in the pool and toasts on the podium, the three men set the record straight. On the other hand, Valentino Rossi's race was a gloomy one, but he is in good company.
THE GOOD - Nine months’ gestation time for Marc Marquez’s rebirth. Like a new man he cried, eliminating all his fears along with the tears. We could be talking about his seventh place, just 13 seconds behind at the finish line, his riding style and other technicalities, but instead we just give him a big round of applause. Marc needed MotoGP, his MotoGP: they met up again in the best possible way.
THE BAD - Yamaha behaves like a dealer rather than a team. It’s either pay for the options or get the basic model. This is what happened to Franco Morbidelli, who maybe only at Iwata they did not realize he was the world championship runner-up. Get on an old bike and just pedal (he did well at Portimao). And just think that even some dealers do discounts...
THE UGLY - Dura lex, sed lex (‘The law is harsh, but it is the law’). The ancient Romans understood this maxim, we will have to deal with it too. That yellow flag, however, took away the possibility of seeing a memorable duel between Quartararo and Bagnaia. Pecco made a virtue of necessity, because the Italian always learns from his mistakes and this lesson only made him stronger.
THE DISAPPOINTMENT - High hopes and big disappointments, for Miller and Rins the summary is brief and negative. While Jack can be excused (something he didn’t want) for his arm, Alex didn’t even have that. Ducati and Suzuki were looking for their pack leader, but after three races neither of them is…
THE MISTAKE - They started the race in Portimao at the head of the World Championship, they ended it in the dust. Johann Zarco and Sam Lowes have a lot to recriminate, but only to themselves. This crashing habit is common to both, they have to get rid of it…
THE SURPRISE – All praise to Raul Fernandez, for his victory in Moto2 in just his third race. This year the rookies are all big shots, but the Spaniard has shown more than expected.
THE CONFIRMATION - We had already seen a lot of flashes (of brilliance), but we also needed to see a nice light always on. It looks like Fabio Quartararo now knows where the switch is positioned and it seems he doesn't want to turn it off. You don’t only need balance on the bike, but also in the head. It looks like the Frenchman has found it.
THE PASS - Pedro Acosta's on Dennis Foggia: aggressive but within the limits, a manoeuvre that showed how much the young Spaniard likes to win. Luckily for him, it happens often and good luck has nothing to do with it. Comparisons with the world championship elite abound and, for once, they are well-deserved.
THE CURIOSITY - Lorenzo Savadori took his first two points in the World Championship. The Aprilia is working and he is learning, the crashes helped him, but for a rider catapulted into the greats with no experience (and with some physical problems in the winter) they are worth a medal.
I TOLD YOU SO - "Tomorrow I will be able to stay close to Quartararo" said Zarco after qualifying. He was probably referring to the seat on the flight home…
