MotoGP | Bagnaia: “Many candidates for victory in Portimao”

After the inaugural GP of the season held in Qatar and which saw Francesco Bagnaia triumph in the Sunday race, the Ducati Lenovo Team returns to the Old Continent to contest the second round of the 2024 MotoGP World Championship.

In fact, the Portuguese circuit of Portimão, also nicknamed the “rollercoaster” for its numerous and fast ups and downs, will host the second of the 21 Grands Prix on the calendar this year. Introduced to the calendar in 2020, the track located in the south of the country in the Algarve region had seen the reigning World Champion win both the Sprint (the first ever in the history of MotoGP) and the Sunday GP last year.

Pecco Bagnaia, who after the weekend in Qatar occupies first position in the general classification, therefore arrives as the favorite in Portugal.

“I'm happy to return to racing in Portugal! Portimão is a track that I really like and where in the past we have always been fast. Last year we won both the Sprint and the Sunday GP. This year too we have the potential to be able to do well, but it won't be easy: I expect many opponents capable of fighting for victory and very fierce competition. In any case, we are ready. We will work as always from Friday to try to arrive as ready as possible for the two races “, said the two-time reigning world champion in the preview released by the Borgo Panigale manufacturer.

Instead, it's time for redemption for teammate Enea Bastianini. Fresh from a fifth place in Lusail, the driver from Rimini is aiming to get a good result in Portimão where last year he was the victim of an accident in the Sprint which caused an injury which forced him to miss the first races of the season. Bastianini's goal will be to once again be among the protagonist drivers of the weekend.

“I'm happy to return to Portimão for the first European race of the season. It's a truly special track and at the end of January we trained here with the Panigale V4S. I have a score to settle with Portimao: last year I didn't race due to the injury sustained after the crash in the Sprint. The first GP of the season in Qatar went well, but honestly I expected to achieve something more, so, I will try to redeem myself this weekend”, added “Beast”.