Portimao test: Bulega the quickest on day 1, Rossi less than 2 seconds from Bagnaia

Once again it’s Nicolò Bulega. The team Aruba rookie hasn’t lost the habit and, after placing first during both test days at Jerez, he has started out on the right foot at Portimao too, looking down on all his rivals at the end of day one. The Italian set a best of 1’39”913 with the SCQ tyre, a time just three tenths off the track record.

Bulega is quick, but so too is Toprak Razgatlioglu, the Turk finishing just 0.094 of a second down and confirming the potential of the M1000RR, on what is his first visit to this track with the BMW. Jonathan Rea was very fast in the final stages, which meant he closed less than a tenth and a half off the pace in third. So three different manufacturers are out front, with Remy Gardner fourth and Andrea Locatelli in fifth.

Sam Lowes strong, Iannone and Petrucci less so

A strong Sam Lowes places sixth in what is only his second real test aboard the team Marc VDS Panigale V4R, while Alvaro Bautista has to settle for eighth. The current world champion again chose not to use the SCQ, working instead on his pace and with the ballast and managing to move closer to the front with respect to the Jerez test.

Michael Rinaldi was further back, 14th, but nevertheless quicker than Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Iannone. Danilo continues to struggle around the Portuguese track while Andrea is understandably still working to modify the setup and find the right speed around a track very different to Jerez, the only circuit he has tested at since his return.

As for the MotoGP riders, Pecco Bagnaia was the fastest today, setting a best of 1’43”090 and followed, less than two seconds behind, by Valentino Rossi. No data was made available for Marc Marquez, who chose not to mount the transponder on his Panigale V4S, with brother Alex doing likewise. Teams will be back on track tomorrow for a second and final day of action.