The second round of the 2024 FIM Grand Prix World Championship took place from March 22 to 24 at the Algarve International Circuit (previously known as Portimao) in Portugal.
The Gresini MotoGP Team participated in the Friday’s two free practice sessions (FP1, FP2), with Marc Marquez, riding the #93 bike, setting the third-fastest lap time of 1:38.21, securing a direct entry into Q2. Alex Marquez, on the #73 bike, clocked a 1:38.809 for twelfth place, requiring him to qualify through Q1. Multiple crashes occurred during the three sessions on Friday, including both Spanish riders from the Gresini team, fortunately without any injuries.
Saturday, March 23, saw Alex Marquez topping Q1 with a personal best lap time of 1:38.06, joining his brother in Q2, which determines the top twelve starting positions for the race. In Q2, Marc Marquez set a lap time of 1:38.147, securing eighth place. However, due to Alex’s best lap time in FP1 being more than 107% slower than the fastest lap, he was destined to start the race from twelfth position, regardless of his Q2 performance.
The main focus of the weekend was the MotoGP Sprint race. Marc Marquez, with a strong start, battled at the front of the pack throughout the 12-lap sprint, pushing his Desmosedici GP23 against the latest 2024 machines. Alex Marquez, who had a less-than-ideal start, found himself at the back of the field initially and then fought hard to make up positions.
Displaying his experience and aggressive style, Marc Marquez managed to secure second place, just one second behind the winner, making him the only rider using a 2023 model bike to score points (for the top nine finishers) in the sprint race. Alex Marquez finished in thirteenth place.
After the race, Marc Marquez commented, “The day didn’t start in the best way due to a mistake in Q2. But in the sprint, we had a good start, and it was a great race. Being able to fight back and maintain that pace was definitely a good feeling. I battled with the best riders, and although there were some mistakes, compared to the past, things are different now. Let’s keep working because we have another important race tomorrow (referring to the main event in Portugal).”
Alex Marquez shared, “It wasn’t my best Saturday. I had an easy Q2, but then things didn’t go as planned. A mistake cost me a good start in the sprint, and from then on, it was difficult. A bad start made the sprint challenging. Tomorrow, we’ll work to turn things around; a longer race can help us, and our goal is to score as many points as possible.”