After putting the finishing touch to the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, the MotoGP paddock headed for our neighboring country. This weekend, the Autodromo del Algarve will be the scene of the fifth of the 21 tests scheduled on the 2022 MotoGP calendar.
Taking into account the parameters of the last four races held this year, these could be some of the protagonists of the 2022 Portuguese Grand Prix.
Fabio Quartararo is running as one of the candidates for victory. The boy from the Côte d’Azur already signed that place on the podium in 2021, and his track record on the Portuguese circuit proves that Fabio Quartararo could be the author of the next pole position this weekend.
Winning at the home grand prix is not such an unreasonable idea when talking about Miguel Oliveira. The Portuguese rider already knows the flavor of the podium in the Algarve, a track that witnessed his first place on Sunday and a memorable pole position at the Portimao circuit.
After regaining the lead in Austin, Enea Bastianini will try to defend her dominance at all costs. The Italian driver of Gresini Racing could have them all with him in a weekend that seems interesting. At the controls of another Ducati, Jorge Martín is also on the list of possible winners at the first European event of the year.
Nor should we lose sight of the Suzuki Ecstar team, which will start strong after having climbed on the podium twice in 2022. Both Joan Mir and Alex Rins arrive in Portugal full of motivation before the arrival of the European tour, an opportunity that, according to the team itself, could finally unlock the true potential of the GSX-RR.
The 15 curves of the Portuguese ‘rollercoaster’ have everything ready to receive the protagonists of the premier class, in a weekend that could mark a before and after in the course of the MotoGP championship.
