2021 MotoGP – Round 17 – Algarve

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Francesco Bagnaia – P1

“I’m really happy! I would have liked to finish the race under the chequered flag and not under the red flag, but it was still a stunning victory. It was an incredible weekend, and I enjoyed every single session. Right from the start, I felt incredibly comfortable. Everything was perfect, and I’m really happy for Ducati for winning the Constructors’ Title. We deserved it once again! Congratulations to Jack for his third place on the podium. Now we’ll go to Valencia where we’ll try to finish this season with another great result.”

Joan Mir – P2

“I didn’t have enough pace to win here today, but I can’t complain! This has been the strongest weekend I’ve had for a long time – especially because I was fast from Friday morning onwards. I was able to fight hard today, but Pecco did an incredible race without any mistakes. He had a bit of a margin compared to me, and I couldn’t do more than second today. But nevertheless, I’m really pleased and I’m happy to give the team another podium. This also gives us hope for the future.”

Jack Miller – P3

“That was more like it, back on the podium here in Portimao and for me, the first time up there for a fair while. About time I made the most of one of these decent qualifying positions! It was a big old fight with (Alex) Marquez, but it feels so good to be back on the podium for the first time since Catalunya in June. 

“Even better, Ducati wrapped up the constructors’ championship here today and that’s 21 podiums for us this year, so that’s awesome. My team-mate Pecco (Bagnaia) was in a class of his own all weekend, so it was good to be able to spray some champagne up there with him this time. 

“I went with the medium rear tyre this week – no way me and Pecco were going the hard one after that bit us in Misano – and I was trying to manage it in the middle part of the race and I had a moment into Turn 5 and ran a bit deep. I had to keep calm, there were still 14 laps to go and I had to time it right if I was going to get back to third. I got back in front of Alex at Turn 5 with six laps left, and I felt I had it under control for the last two laps but then we got a red flag because of the crash with (Iker) Lecuona and Miguel (Oliveira), I’m glad to hear those boys are OK. So we never did get to see whether I had the tyre for the final lap to hang on to third and it’s a bit weird to go to the podium when you’ve had a red flag, but I’ll take it after these last few races. 

“We’ve been here in Portimao three times now in the last year and it’s a really fun track, on any bike really but especially a MotoGP bike it’s pretty incredible. The goal for this weekend was really to see it through – as you saw the last few weekends we were strong up until 2pm Sunday afternoon and we didn’t make the most of it. It was another solid Saturday for me, the fourth time in five races that I was second on the grid, but that wouldn’t have meant a lot unless I made it count on Sunday. We’ve had such good pace these last few weeks and just haven’t been able to translate it to points, so the bike has the potential, the rider has the potential … we just had to get it sorted on the right day this time. Finally, I managed it. 

“One other thing that definitely enjoyable was having Casey (Stoner) in the Ducati box with us this weekend, and me and Pecco both said it was helpful having someone like him around. I mean, I’ve worked with some spotters around the track and whatnot to help with my riding in the past but Casey is hardly your average spotter, the guy is a legend and one of the best to ever do it.

“Where Casey’s good is that he’s methodical, he’s precise with how he explains things. Just puts things across that he’s noticed in the right way, gets straight to the point. It’d be nice to have him here all the time of course but unless they move all the races back home for him (and me) … he’s got a young family and lives on the other side of the world, and I know how far that is, believe me. It might be too hard for something more permanent. but I’d be all for it if it happened. Having him here makes me realise that maybe there’s something missing in our program that someone like him could help with … and if it couldn’t be Casey, then maybe someone else doing a similar thing. 

“It definitely felt different coming here with the championship decided and the pressure was all off, really. For my championship it was a shame (Joan) Mir was ahead of me on Sunday so I can’t get to third overall now, but fourth is still better than I’ve ever been and that’s the goal for Valencia in a week from now, that and the teams’ championship. Another podium would go alright too…”

Álex Márquez – P4

““I’m really, really happy. Overall, I think we did great this weekend. The result was coming as the lap times were coming. First of all, I want to thank my team as they have always believed and trusted in me and that’s the most important thing for a rider. Results like this give us a boost to never give up and to continue in our work for this project. We need to be happy, it was a really tough race, I made a good start and then just tried to keep my rhythm. We still need to manage and improve some things, but I’m really happy about the weekend.”

Pol Espargaro – P6

“Overall we did a good race, the start was a pity because I was right with Alex and Jack but then Iker braked late and pushed me out. I lost some positions then and so I just had to focus on recovering. My rhythm in the race was good after this and I have to say I am happy with the pace, we were strong and performing well. At one stage of the race, I was catching Fabio and the Ducatis ahead quite quickly. Now we’re in the top ten in the championship and we keep improving with each race, so let’s end the season well. This is the target now.”

Alex Rins – P8

“I didn’t have the best start, so I lost a lot of time. When I got into my race rhythm I was quite fast and I had nice pace, but it wasn’t enough. The qualifying result cost us today, so next week we have to do better on Saturday. Overall, my bike feels good and I’m feeling hopeful for the final race of the year in Valencia.”

Enea Bastianini – P9

“It was a good race. I lost a few positions at the start, but then, step by step, I had a good pace which allowed me to come back. I’m happy with 9th position, because it was a difficult weekend in general. Next week in Valencia we will try to finish the season with a good result.”

Brad Binder – P10

“A difficult weekend for us in general. The team did a great job overnight and in warm-up I was much happier with my set-up. I felt stronger and more confident going into the race but it took me too many laps to understand how to ride well. I made too many mistakes and it took too long to come up to a good pace. By the time I got a good rhythm and made some passes the red flag came out. A tough time but the team worked so hard. We’ll definitely be stronger next week.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P11

“It was a really tough race from the back of the grid. After the start, there was big traffic ahead of me on the first lap and it was difficult to overtake. I made a good start and from the beginning I tried to stay calm and just overtake riders one by one. It was a shame that we couldn’t see the chequered flag as there was a red flag, but we finished P11 after starting in 22nd and made up many places. I want to say thanks to my team and now we head to Valencia.”

Luca Marini – P12

“The start compromised our race. It is our weak point and, at a certain point in the championship, everyone made a big step forward in this aspect, while we didn’t. I lost a lot of positions in the first corner and then I started to go fast. I’m glad I chose the hard front tyre, I had a lot of confidence, but it was difficult to overtake. We will work on it to improve next season.”

Valentino Rossi – P13

“Today wasn’t too bad and I was able to take some points as well, which was our first target. The race was quite fast and I had a good pace, especially compared to the practice sessions, plus I felt good with the bike. We were able to enjoy some battles with Franco [Morbidelli] and some other guys, and I was able to stay with Luca [Marini]. He was faster but in some places I could recover some time and go with him. We were able to push until the final stages and I wanted to try to attack in the final laps but the red flag came out. There was a really nice atmosphere today because the previous two times at Portimão we raced without fans, but they were here today. I want to say ‘ciao’ to everybody and thanks for the support. I had planned to stop out on track at the end of the race, but with the red flag I was unable to.”

Andrea Dovizioso – P14

“It has been a good weekend in terms of my personal progress, because every practice has been dry, I have been able to work on the way I ride the bike and I feel that I’ve made some improvements. This has given me the possibility to be quite fast in the middle of the race and until the end. This is good because it means we are going in the right direction. Of course 14th isn’t the position I want and my speed can still be improved, but overall it has been a positive weekend. There are still things to be improved, with both myself and the bike, because we don’t have the grip we want and it means we can’t stay with the other riders or ride in a smooth way.”

Stefan Bradl – P15

“I am happy with our weekend overall, we made no mistakes and were able to post competitive times in what is probably the closest era of MotoGP. I was expecting a tough race switching from testing mode to racing mode, but in the end I had a nice fight with Rossi and Dovi. I enjoyed the race even if I have not been fully focused on racing recently. These race weekends of course also help with testing so overall it has been a very profitable three days.”

Maverick Vinales – P16

“This weekend demonstrates once again how much we are lacking, especially in terms of confidence. Rather than in pure performance, I’m lacking in consistency. In the race today, I managed to do one sector well and then lose ground in another, but at the end of the day, it’s all part of the learning curve. The race is still important because you see how you measure up with the other riders and you understand what aspects you need to work on.”

Franco Morbidelli – P17

“Because of the speed that we put on track this weekend, I was expecting to have some more speed during the race. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. For sure, after some laps I needed to slow down to pace myself and finish the race. But generally, I was hoping to have more speed and it didn’t happen. We need to understand what happened, and we will figure it out before Valencia, I hope.”

Fabio Quartararo – DNF

“I know exactly what happened during the crash. I was too late, and I crashed. But it was a nightmare of a race. When I was behind our rivals, it was impossible for us to overtake. I think that during today’s race my pace was much better than what I showed. In our strong areas on the track we would recover a lot, but just in acceleration and speed we are too far behind. I think what helped me this season was that I started from the front row 14 times. As soon as you are in a bad qualifying situation like today, it gets difficult. Next week, I will focus a bit more on qualifying than race pace. It would be nice to finish the season in a proper way in Valencia.”

Aleix Espargaro – DNF

“I had managed to start rather well, making up a few positions. Then, Lecuona and Pol re-entered the track after running long, forcing me wide. Ending up at the back of the group, I began rebuilding my race, but after overtaking Morbidelli I was too aggressive on the brakes. It was my fault, but in the last few races, something hasn’t been working right and we need to figure it out. Maybe the RS-GP struggles with the low temperatures, but everyone is in the same situation, so knowing how to adapt to the various conditions is important.”

Iker Lecuona – DNF

“This morning I felt really good, like all the weekend. But during the race I had a lot of issues to stop the bike, after 10 laps I started to struggle with the front, I saved three, four crashes and I don’t know why. Although it was the first time that we did that many laps with the hard rear and the medium front. But I was still confident to fight for a top ten result. After some mistakes the top group was gone but I thought a good result was still on the table. I had a lot of fights with Brad and Miguel and when I tried to overtake Miguel there was a bump, I crashed and we were out. I went straight to see him to apologize and checked if he is ok. I’m very sorry for him.”

Danilo Petrucci – DNF

“I have really no words because it’s the second time in a row that another rider takes me out of the race. This time, it was even a KTM. I don’t know if it was Brad or Miguel, but the result is the same. I did four corners and crashed without any fault by myself. This was the second time in two races and the fourth time this year. It’s really bad luck, as we have been truly in good shape this time.”

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MotoGP Team Managers 

Claudio Domenicali (CEO of Ducati Motor Holding)

“The best motorcycle in the world is Made in Italy. Ducati is MotoGP Constructors’ World Champion for the second year in a row. This remarkable success fills us with pride. Once again, the teamwork of engineers and riders has given excellent results. The Desmosedici GP has proved to be very competitive, bringing on the podium 5 out of 6 riders who raced on Ducati bikes during the Championship. Pecco Bagnaia, Jack Miller, Jorge Martin, Johann Zarco, Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini have all been extraordinary. I want to thank them for giving us a season full of emotions with six victories and a record of 21 podiums, despite one race still to go. We have bet on these young talents and on their energy without being disappointed. A big thank you also to the entire Ducati Corse team for bringing home this great result once again, working with the passion and determination that has always distinguished every member of the Ducati family on track. Now we just have to close the season in the best way possible with the race in Valencia and then look forward to next year with the desire to improve more and more”.

Luigi Dall’Igna (General Manager of Ducati Corse)

“It’s really a great satisfaction to be able to win the Constructors’ World Championship again this year, and I’d like to thank our riders and all the men and women of Ducati Corse who have contributed to this incredible success. We’re still a little disappointed about the riders’ title because it was really within our reach this year. Again today, Pecco rode a perfect race and didn’t make the slightest mistake all weekend! It has been a great season, and he is a great rider. Congratulations also to Jack! We are happy that he was finally able to get back on the podium after showing he could be fast during the last Grands Prix.”

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Yamaha Team Director

“Naturally, we are disappointed with how this weekend played out. Today’s difficult race was caused by yesterday’s qualifying results. Both our riders didn’t have a good start from the third row. At a track like this where it’s not easy to overtake, that makes the race harder. Fabio tried everything he could, but unfortunately while he was fighting for fifth place, he lost the front. Franky was pushing as long as his physical condition allowed. He was riding his own race, but we know his performance level does drop later on due to his injury. As a team we want to forget about this weekend as soon as possible and move forward. Luckily, we won‘t have to wait long. Next week we have the final race of 2021 in Valencia where we can still fight for the Team Title. It will be a hard task, but never say never in MotoGP!”

Shinichi Sahara – Suzuki Project Leader and Team Director

“I’m happy to see one of our riders on the podium here, it’s very nice for Joan and for the team. We would have loved to win, but this is still great. As always, we recognise the advantage of getting a good grid position, as it’s always a struggle when you have to work your way through from further back. Alex had good pace during this race, but it was difficult for him to get higher than eighth today. However, I’m pleased with his performance.”

Ken Kawauchi – Suzuki Technical Manager

“We are very happy to be back on the podium finally. Thank you very much to Joan for this great result, and also to all the staff – both here and in Japan – for the hard work that has got us back here. Alex wanted more out of this race, and it’s a pity he couldn’t show his full potential. We’ll try hard to get both our riders on the podium for the final race of the year.”

Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Race Manager

“A rough outcome to a difficult weekend where we actually managed to get into contention for the top ten. Thankfully it looks like everything is OK with the riders at the moment. Brad managed 10th and it’s not the results we want but the positive part is that it’s some points and we will take full energy to Valencia to finish the season in a better way.”

Razlan Razali – Petronas SRT Team Principal

“It was a positive result in MotoGP, with both Rossi and Dovizioso scoring some valuable points for the teams’ championship. Hopefully we can continue this momentum in the final round.”

Hervé Poncharal – Tech3 KTM Team Manager

“It was a huge pity, as one more time we’ve been quite fast all through the weekend in Free Practices and Qualifying. We knew we had a good pace and a good result was possible for both of our guys. Again, unfortunately, Danilo was taken out by one of the two Factory KTM riders, so he couldn’t even finish the first lap, which is a great shame.”

“Iker got a great start and was where we were expecting him to be, pushing with the front group and doing similar times than the front runners. But unfortunately, as we saw many times this season, he made a mistake, lost three seconds and of course the good group. Then he was recovering, finding a good pace again and in an interesting battle with both Miguel and Brad. He crashed and took Miguel down with him. That brought out the red flag and our hopes to score points to an end.”

“I’m sorry for Miguel and sorry for Danilo. I think the KTMs were not liking each other this weekend. It’s part of racing, I’ve been told, so let’s take it like that. I really hope the last round, which is next week, will be a bit better. This season has been long and there was not so much light. I just hope, that we’ll have a bit of light in Valencia.”

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2021 Portimao II MotoGP Race Results

MotoGP Championship Standings

Constructor Standings

Team Standings

2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar

Source: MCNews.com.au