For the fourth time in less than two years, the MotoGP paddock finds itself in Portugal for a grand prix weekend. Yes, that’s right: we’re back at the rollercoaster. Despite only being a reserve track on the grand prix calendar previously, we’ve now had three previous races here: one at the end of 2020, one at the start of 2021, and one at the end of 2021.
In a way, this year’s positioning of the Portimao race within the calendar represents the most normal instance of it. The first visit we had here was borne out of necessity, in a compacted European calendar necessitated by covid-19. The second instance was to pad out the start of the 2021 season, with the loss of Argentina and Texas from the early rounds, and the third was to cover late cancellations of Asian circuits from the running. If Portimao is to remain on the calendar for future seasons, then this positioning is likely the most representative of it’s position within the championship.
In a way, this feels right based on how 2022 has played out so far. The season has been nothing short of unpredictable, with three winners and ten podium finishers from just four races. The European leg of the championship has been eyed off for some weeks now as the return to normal for this year, but Portimao doesn’t fall into that mould as much as the other races here. It’s still a relative unknown, with riders only having ridden here since 2020, and given the physical nature of the track it creates additional problems for the grid to deal with.
The nickname of this track is ‘the rollercoaster’, and it’s a term well earned in this instance. Portimao is essentially a series of uphill and downhill sections, forcing the riders to be extremely physical with how they orbit the circuit. There’s a number of blind corners involved, and one particular hill where it’s possible to get airtime if you aren’t careful, or if your name is Jack Miller. It’s a phenomenal track to watch, especially with the onboard footage we saw last year, but doesn’t exactly have the safe and warm feelings teams tend to associate with European circuits like Jerez.
It’s going to be a difficult track to predict in general. In the last three MotoGP races here we’ve seen three different riders win for three different manufacturers. Three riders have doubled up on the podium here, being Miller, Bagnaia and Mir, but even that doesn’t guarantee success for any of them. No single manufacturer has ever looked dominant here, though it generally seems that Yamaha have struggled more than others. We also haven’t seen Marc Marquez race here at full fitness yet, something that tends to keep the rest of the field in check.
If I had to swing for the fences and drop some names that should be strong here, I’d start with the Suzuki duo of Rins and Mir. The two Spaniards have been on hot form since Qatar, are the only riders to place in the top seven of every race this season, and currently lead the team’s championship. They appear to be moving from strength to strength as they get to grips with this year’s Suzuki, and the more experience they get on this bike the more threatening they could be for a championship tilt. Mir in particular needs a big result here to confirm his title bid – fourths and sixths do not win you a world title – but both should be on for a good result this weekend.
Ducati should be strong here, theoretically, but there’s simply too much inconsistency plaguing their riders at present. Bagnaia and Martin have had thoroughly disappointing starts to their 2022 campaigns, and despite a podium last time out Miller doesn’t look much better. Their only leading light at present, Bastianini, isn’t even riding this year’s bike, which will continue to frustrate the team bosses in the factory setup. If one or two of their top riders can land a podium here it would certainly instil some confidence, but for now I would expect ‘the Beast’ to continue to lead the charge.
I would also keep an eye on KTM. Oliveira did win here back in 2020, and has since racked his tally up to 4 wins in the premier class, and the pressure of racing in front of your home fans can occasionally spur on some pretty spectacular results. Oliveira is also desperately in need of another good result, with Mandalika being his only real showing to date in 2022. Teammate Brad Binder, on the other hand, could represent a real challenger, with some tough luck holding back his true potential for a lot of the season so far. A clean weekend could help consolidate his position towards the top of the standings.
The paddock has been waiting eagerly for the familiarity of European races, but I would hold my breath for one more week if I were you. This promises to be another doozy of a weekend on the rollercoaster.
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