Francesco Bagnaia wins the season opening Portuguese GP as Marc Marquez Collides with home hero Miguel Oliveira 

The MotoGP season kicked off with a bang at Portimao, Portugal, and it was a thrilling start to what promises to be an exciting season. The race saw the defending champion, Francesco Bagnaia, assert his dominance by winning the first ever MotoGP sprint and the main race back to back. However, the race also saw a dramatic crash involving two riders, Miguel Oliveira and Marc Marquez.

The race began with drama on the third lap as pole qualifier Marc Marquez clipped the back of Jorge Martin under braking for the Turn 3 hairpin, and then later slammed into the side of Miguel Oliveira, who was running second to Bagnaia. The incident ended Oliveira’s race and he was taken to the medical centre on a stretcher, but luckily the x-ray didn’t show any broken bones.

Marquez’s error left him out of the race and the Spaniard was later discovered to have suffered a “possible fracture” of the first metacarpal of his right hand. He went to check on Oliveira, who was clearly in pain, and later apologised to the RNF team. He received double long lap penalty for the Argentina Grand Prix next weekend.

The incident between Marquez, Martin, and Oliveira opened the door for Bagnaia to take control of the race, and he did not let up. His lead over Vinales fluctuated throughout the race, but Bagnaia’s consistency was impressive, as he set multiple fastest laps on his way to victory.

Discover: Francesco Bagnaia triumphs in high-stakes inaugural sprint race at Portimao, makes history

Pecco Bagnaia puts up a staunch defence for the crown

The sprint race yesterday saw Francesco Bagnaia claim his first victory of the season. The Italian rider continued his dominance in the main race as well , and it was no surprise to see him cross the finish line in first place. This win proved that Bagnaia is a force to be reckoned with and that he is determined to defend his crown as the MotoGP champion.

As the race entered its final 10 laps, Bagnaia stretched his advantage out to over one second, and Vinales began to focus on Marco Bezzecchi, who was closing in on the Aprilia rider. However, Vinales was unable to make up the gap, and Bagnaia continued to pull away, ultimately winning by a comfortable margin.

Behind second-placed Vinales, Marco Bezzecchi finished third, securing his first ever premier class podium. The battle for fourth place was fiercely contested, with Alex Marquez leading a monumental battle that included both factory KTM riders – Jack Miller and Brad Binder – as well as Aleix Espargaro and Johann Zarco. In the end, Johann Zarco won the fight after some superb battling on the final lap, sweeping it away from Alex Marquez in the penultimate corner.

To summarise, the first MotoGP race of the season, held in Portimao, Portugal, was a fantastic start to what looks to be an interesting season. Francesco Bagnaia demonstrated his domination by winning the first ever MotoGP sprint and main race back to back. 

The race also saw a dramatic crash involving Miguel Oliveira and Marc Marquez, with the latter suffering a possible fracture to his hand. Nevertheless, the race was a testament to the skill and courage of these riders, and fans can look forward to more exhilarating racing action as the season continues.

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