Portugal Grand Prix Sprint LIVE - Alex Marquez claims his second Sprint victory of the season after thrilling battle with Pedro Acosta who scored P2

It was a great Saturday for Gresini in the Algarve as Alex Marquez secured his second Sprint victory of the season after starting in fifth place.

The Spaniard shot up the field off the line and immediately fought with the polesitter and Pedro Acosta for the lead, putting in a great attack on the KTM rider into Turn 1.

Acosta settled for second place after fighting until the very last corner, but struggled with the tyre wear on his KTM towards the end of the Sprint.

The polesitter, Marco Bezzecchi, fell short of the Spanish duo and scored another podium finish this year.

Bezzecchi’s P3 finish gifts him a 10-point lead over Francesco Bagnaia in the riders’ standings, after the Italian rider fell to eighth place on the final lap.

It is back to winning ways with Alex Marquez, who picked up his second Sprint victory of the season after starting in fifth place. The Gresini rider emerged the victor out of a battle with Pedro Acosta for the lead, with his consistency in attacking through Turn 1 and his eventual defence providing him with another brilliant victory for Ducati.

Marquez said: "I mean, starting from P5 was a little bit difficult, but I had a really good start on my own.

"When I was there behind them, I said, okay, maybe today we have something more.

"You know, I was feeling really, really good. And then, you know, the last corner acceleration was really good, so I was able to overtake at that point.

"It's true that I used too much tyre at that point, to overtake. But it was my plan. So, you know, the plan was perfect.

"And tomorrow we just hope to do the same thing. But I'm super happy about Saturday."

The young KTM rider scored a second-place finish in Portimao after a thrilling fight with Gresini rider Alex Marquez. Acosta was the first to jump polesitter Marco Bezzecchi off the line, but Marquez picked up the pace and managed to take the victory in the end.

Acosta said: "I mean, tough. I mean, we know that our bike is suffering a lot with the tyre consumption, and we know we manage the best that we can.

"We were super close, even more than in Malaysia, so let’s try again tomorrow."

Marco Bezzecchi came to the Portimao Sprint race with the hopes of converting his fourth pole of the season to his second victory in 2025, but hopes were lost as both Alex Marquez and Pedro Acosta stormed past in the early stages of the race.

However, Bezzecchi settled for a third-place slot on the podium, which gave him a crucial 10-point lead over Francesco Bagnaia in the Riders’ Standings.

Bezzecchi said: "I mean, I wanted to stay in the leading group, but unfortunately, Pedro and Alex were a bit better than me today in the Sprint.

"So I tried my best to stay with them and maybe tried to put myself inside the fight. But I wasn't fast enough.

"So we have to keep working for tomorrow to try to make another step.

"But a podium is always very good. So happy. Thanks to the Aprilia boys, to the factory and to all the fans."

TNT Sports and discovery+ will show every practice session, every qualifying session and every Sprint Race and main Race of the MotoGP season.

The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.

As part of TNT Sports’ comprehensive coverage of MotoGP, it will continue to offer best-in-class analysis and reporting via its digital platform TNTSports.co.uk and content via its social platforms right throughout the season.

Starting from the 2025 season, there will be a new show on Friday evenings called The Inside Line, which will be a half-hour round-up of all the news, action and analysis from the first day of the MotoGP weekend.

In a weekend that hinted of an Aprilia victory, Alex Marquez pulled it together for Gresini and claimed the Sprint victory in Portimao.

After a thrilling battle with Pedro Acosta, Marquez attacked and defended until the wheels almost fell off the Ducati bike. Acosta settled for second place ahead of the polesitter, Marco Bezzecchi, whose hopes of a second victory this season were lost off the line.

After pulling off the overtake on Pedro Acosta, Alex Marquez breezed through the rest of the race towards his second Sprint victory of the season.

His teammate, Fermin Aldeguer, put in a brilliant move on Brad Binder for seventh place, gaining four places in the Portuguese Sprint race.

The fight for P3 in the Riders' Standings seems to be going in Marco Bezzecchi's favour as Francesco Bagnaia settled for an eighth-place finish this afternoon.

In the midfield, Brad Binder has managed to gain six positions in the Sprint so far, running in eighth place behind Johann Zarco. The KTM rider looked for a way around the Honda, but seemed slightly stuck as he runs almost a whole second slower than the KTM leading the race.

The fight for the lead was reignited again with Alex Marquez pulling off another classic overtake on Pedro Acosta around Turn 1, after tailing him through the opening straight.

This time, Marquez closed the door on Acosta at Turn 3 but the KTM rider took the position back once again in Sector 2. All Marquez needs to do is pull away and defend hard through this sector to make up time to Acosta.

Marquez made the exact same move with four laps to go, t Turn 1, and regained the lead on Acosta. Playing hard defensively, Marquez put in a perfect lap to keep his lead at the head of the race.

Nicolo Bulega slid out of his debut MotoGP race on Turn 11, riding as a replacement for Marc Marquez. Joan Mir and Somkiat Chantra have also retired from the race.

Meanwhile, Pedro Acosta looks comfortable at the front of the pack but Alex Marquez is excruciatingly close to snatching another position.

Like clockwork, Marquez positioned himself perfectly on the opening straight of Lap 6 and shot past Acosta for the lead. However, Acosta pulled one back and regained the lead a few corners later with a perfect switch on the Gresini.

The fight for P3 in the Riders' Standings is still alive, as Marco Bezzecchi fights with Francesco Bagnaia for crucial points.

The KTM looks impeccable around Portimao, with Pedro Acosta drawing closer to the Aprilia than previously imagined. Although Marco Bezzecchi leads the race, Acosta found a chance through the long opening straight and snatched the lead heading into Turn 1 of Lap 2.

Bezzecchi then had a slight wobble, snapping sideways during one of the braking zones, but he was able to recover and retain second place.

However, Alex Marquez found himself in a sweet spot and practically hugged the rear of the Aprilia through the second sector of the track.

There was a shocking three-way fight heading into Lap 3 with Marquez shooting past Bezzecchi in the first turn as he jumped him for P2. The three riders went into Turn 1 side-by-side but Acosta somehow kept the lead despite the Gresini rider running on a high.

The polesitter Marco Bezzecchi got off to a brilliant start under the setting sun and held onto the lead while his rival Pedro Acosta looked for a way around the Aprilia. Francesco Bagnaia had a slight wobble on the start and lost a position to Fabio Quartararo.

Alex Marquez shot up the pack and set his sights on the Aprilia rider leading the race, climbing two positions up to third place on the opening lap.

By the end of Lap 1, Acosta inched closer and closer to Bezzecchi and looked for a lunge around the Aprilia. Luckily for Bez, he blocked the move and was able to keep his lead.

The riders are all set in their starting slots on the grid, as there are just five minutes to go until the Portuguese Grand Prix Sprint race gets underway.

Stay tuned for a thrilling race around the breezy circuit near the Algarve coast!

Riders are experiencing the winter sunshine and a cool breeze in the air ahead of the Portuguese sprint race, with relatively cool air temperatures of 21°C and a 26°C track temperature.

The 2025 World Champion was ruled out for the rest of the season just one race after clinching the title, due to a shoulder injury sustained from a collision with Marco Bezzecchi on the opening lap in Mandalika.

Marc Marquez had to undergo surgery on his right shoulder and was advised to spend four weeks in recovery before even thinking of touching a bike. His rehabilitation process will likely go into the new year, and the champion will miss out on the post-season test in Valencia.

The factory Ducati rider is reportedly making progress and taking it slow and steady rather than rushing back to the sport. After his life-changing accident in Jerez, Marquez is keen on being more patient with the recovery process.

MotoGP’s official doctor, Angel Charte, provided an update on his condition to the Spanish newspaper, AS: "It's a serious injury because that arm has been badly affected after four operations. I think he has to come back when he's 100%, as he himself has said. You have to let the body regenerate.

"In his case, coming back earlier would have been risking it for nothing, and that's not worth it. He would have jeopardised his career by returning prematurely."

The young Superbike rider made his MotoGP debut at the Portuguese Grand Prix during Friday practice, in place of Marc Marquez, who will sit out for the rest of the season due to his shoulder injury.

Nicolo Bulega is a double World Superbike runner-up, and, although he is signed onto Ducati’s ranks for World Superbikes next season, has been hailed as the next ‘Marquez.’ The Italian rider’s deal includes testing time in MotoGP and will take Marquez’s place for the remainder of the season.

Bulega will start the race in 18th place after spinning during qualifying, but he has high hopes for the Sprint.

TNT Sports pundit Neil Hodgson analyses the chances of Nicolo Bulega this weekend as he prepares for his two-race outing for Ducati Lenovo, with the first involvement being at the Portugal Grand Prix.

Hodgson thinks the World Superbikes champion may find it tough to adjust, but suggests that some more experienced riders may be concerned that they do not let him finish ahead of them.

The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve is a relatively young track, opening to the public in 2008. The circuit is located near Portimao, a coastal town with a rich history and a beautiful beach in southern Portugal.

When the circuit was debuted, the owners hoped to attract a Formula 1 Grand Prix, but the venue became more popular for motorcycle and GT racing.

Spanning 4.592km, the track has nine right-handers and six left-handers that lead into a 970m-long starting straight. The undulation of the track is ridiculous and offers a break from the changing ground levels of the circuit.

Marco Bezzecchi put it on pole for Aprilia, securing his fourth pole of the season ahead of Pedro Acosta and Fabio Quartararo. The grid is reduced to 21 riders after Raul Fernandez suffered a crash during practice yesterday that resulted in a shoulder injury.

The starting grid is as follows:

1. Marco Bezzecchi

2. Pedro Acosta

3. Fabio Quartararo

4. Francesco Bagnaia

5. Alex Marquez

6. Johann Zarco

7. Joan Mir

8. Jack Miller

9. Fabio Di Giannantonio

10. Pol Espargaro

TNT Sports and discovery+ will show every practice session, every qualifying session and every Sprint Race and main Race of the MotoGP season.

The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.

As part of TNT Sports’ comprehensive coverage of MotoGP, it will continue to offer best-in-class analysis and reporting via its digital platform TNTSports.co.uk and content via its social platforms right throughout the season.

Starting from the 2025 season, there will be a new show on Friday evenings called The Inside Line, which will be a half-hour round-up of all the news, action and analysis from the first day of the MotoGP weekend. 

Good afternoon and welcome to our LIVE text coverage of the Sprint race here in Portugal. Marco Bezzecchi is set to start on pole position for the fourth time this season, and is hoping to convert this pole to a win for Aprilia. Taking a break from Ducati’s dominance, Bezzecchi has a chance to clinch a P3 finish in the Riders’ Standings after overtaking Francesco Bagnaia.

Can Bez claim his second win of the season in Portimão?