Like last year, MotoGP is preparing for Portugal, and the Portimão circuit. This is the sixteenth time that a championship round will take place in Portugal following many earlier editions at Estoril. The “roller-coaster” track of Portimão is the 72nd different circuit to host a world championship race and the 29th to host a Motogp race.

Yamaha the most successful

Toni Elias won the 2006 Portugal MotoGP with a 0.002 second advantage over Valentino Rossi, which meant they tie for closest ever race finish with Alex Criville and Mick Doohan, at Brno in 1996.

Yamaha has enjoyed the most success in the reigning class, with eight wins scored by Eddie Lawson (1987, 1988), Garry McCoy (2000), Valentino Rossi (2004, 2007) and Jorge Lorenzo (2008, 2009,2010).

Honda’s last victory dates back to the Casey Stoner era, in 2012, when the Aussie started from pole position. Four riders had won prior to him, namely Valentino Rossi (2001, 2002, 2003), Alex Barros (2005), Toni Elias (2006) and Dani Pedrosa (2011). Last year’s fastest rider was Takaaki Nakagami, who crossed the line fifth.

The KTM win

KTM dominated last year’s race with Miguel Oliveira, who also started from pole. That marked the first ever win for a Portuguese world championship rider at their home track. Oliveira finished ahead of Jack Miller and Franco Morbidelli, who made up the first full privateer podium since Qatar in 2004, when Sete Gibernau, Colin Edwards and Ruben Xaus were on the rostrum.

Ducati has scored four MotoGP podiums in Portugal, one with Loris Capirossi, third in 2003, two more with Casey Stoner, third in 2007 and second in 2009 and one with Jack Miller, second last year. Suzuki’s best result in the reigning class is the second-place finish scored by Kenny Roberts Jr. in the 500 class in 2000. While, to date, Aleix Espargaró’s eighth-place finish in 2020 marks Aprilia’s best result in Portugal.

Translated by Heather Watson

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