Maverick Vinales capitalised on an error from Francesco Bagnaia to triumph in MotoGP’s Sprint race at the Portuguese Grand Prix, securing his first win for Aprilia.
The Spanish rider has created history by becoming the first rider to win for three different manufacturers: Suzuki, Yamaha and now the Italian-based Aprilia outfit.
Marc Marquez earned his first top-three finish in Gresini Ducati colours with second, ahead of Sprint specialist Jorge Martin on the Pramac Ducati bike in third place.
Jack Miller led proceedings on the first lap thanks to a rapid advance from fifth, with Marquez and Bagnaia also responsible for making fast starts from their grid slots.
Marquez pulled off a remarkable overtake on Vinales around the outside at Turn 12, while Aleix Espargaro continued his ascent from the fifth row up to eighth place.
Bagnaia caught Miller napping in Turn 15 on the rundown to the straight to take the lead and established a few bike lengths cushion across the laps that followed.
Vinales and Marquez kept battling away in the podium spots before crashes from Alex Rins, Johann Zarco and Brad Binder put an end to their Sprint race venture.
Having fallen back to 11th after a difficult start, rookie Pedro Acosta climbed his way back up to seventh, which was where he originally qualified earlier in the day.
Marquez went wide and rejoined behind Vinales and Martin, with Bagnaia seemingly in control and on course to extend his championship lead with a Sprint success.
But with four laps remaining, the reigning champion went in too hot into the opening corner, enabling Vinales to take the lead, with Martin second and Marquez third.
Vinales seized the initiative and stretched the gap to the Ducati chasers, but his hopes were enhanced as Marquez made a block pass on Martin on the penultimate lap.
Meanwhile, polesitter Enea Bastianini fell down the pecking order and was unable to retrieve a podium place, slipping back to sixth position behind Miller on the KTM.
Acosta added three points to his total for the campaign, with Espargaro eighth and Fabio Quartararo adding a welcome point for Yamaha with ninth place at Portimao.
Discussion about this post