The 2021 Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix (officially known as the Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal) was the third round of the 2021 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It was held at the

Algarve International Circuit The Algarve International Circuit ( pt, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve), commonly referred to as Portimão Circuit, is a race circuit located in Portimão, Algarve region, Portugal. The development includes a karting track, off-road tra ...

Portimão Portimão () is a city and a municipality in the district of Faro, in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. The population in 2011 was 55,614, in an area of 182.06 km2. It was formerly known as Vila Nova de Portimão (). In 1924, it was ...

on 18 April 2021.

Background

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

On 22 January 2021 Dorna announced a significant update of the provisional calendar following the postponement of the Argentine and American Grands Prix, originally scheduled as the second and third rounds of the championship (on 11 and 18 April respectively) due to the COVID-19 situation in both countries, with potential rescheduling for the last quarter of 2021. The

Portuguese Grand Prix The Portuguese Grand Prix (''Grande Prémio de Portugal'') is a motorsports event that was first held in 1951 as a sportscar event, and then intermittently disappearing for many years before being revived again. In 1964 event was held as a spo ...

at the

Algarve The Algarve (, , ; from ) is the southernmost NUTS II region of continental Portugal. It has an area of with 467,495 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities ( ''concelhos'' or ''municípios'' in Portuguese). The region has it ...

was entered as a reserve Grand Prix, along with the

Indonesian Grand Prix The Indonesian Grand Prix was an open-wheel racing car motor race, held intermittently as motorsport ambitions varied in Indonesia. History Held originally at the Jaya Ancol Circuit near Jakarta in 1976 as part of the burgeoning Rothmans Inte ...

and the Russian Grand Prix (later removed from the list). On the same day Dorna announced an agreement with the organizers of the Portuguese Grand Prix to hold the race on the Algarve circuit as the third stage of the 2021 championship (the first of the season in Europe) on 18 April. Portugal had returned to the championship as a substitute race the previous year, when the last round of the 2020 championship was held.

MotoGP Championship standings before the race

After the Doha Grand Prix,

Johann Zarco Johann Zarco (born 16 July 1990) is a French Grand Prix motorcycle racer, best known for winning the and Moto2 World Championships with his 2015 triumph being a record points total for the intermediate class. He rides for Pramac Racing. Zar ...

is the new leader of the rider standings at 40 points, followed by the Monster Energy Yamaha riders

Fabio Quartararo Fabio Quartararo (; born 20 April 1999), nicknamed El Diablo, is a French Grand Prix motorcycle rider racing in MotoGP for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. Having won the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, he is the first French World Champion in the ...

and

Maverick Viñales Maverick Viñales Ruiz (; born 12 January 1995) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer. Viñales is the 2013 Moto3 World Champion, currently riding in MotoGP for the Aprilia Racing team, after five seasons as a MotoGP factory rider with the ...

, winners of the first two races of the season, four points behind; followed by

Francesco Bagnaia Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia (born 14 January 1997) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer competing in MotoGP for the Ducati Lenovo Team. He is the current MotoGP World Champion and a previous Moto2 World Champion. He is the first rider fro ...

and

Álex Rins Álex Rins Navarro (born 8 December 1995) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer for the LCR Honda Castrol in the MotoGP class. He was the 2011 CEV Buckler 125 Junior GP Champion, and made his Grand Prix motorcycle racing debut in the Moto3 ...

, respectively fourteen and seventeen points behind Zarco. In the constructors' classification,

Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below). ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...

leads with 50 points, 10 more than Ducati. Suzuki is third at 26 points, with Aprilia fourth at 15 points;

KTM KTM AG (Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, formerly KTM Sportmotorcycle AG) is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and sports car manufacturer owned by Pierer Mobility AG and the Indian manufacturer Bajaj Auto. It was formed in 1992 but traces ...

and

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...

close at 11 points. In the team championship standings, Monster Energy Yamaha is first with 72 points.

Pramac Racing Pramac Racing is a motorcycle racing team competing in the MotoGP and MotoE World Championships. The team was created in 2002 by Italian company Pramac. In 2005 Pramac Racing joined forces with Spanish d'Antin MotoGP to form "Pramac d'Antin" and ...

is second at 57 points, with Team Suzuki Ecstar and Ducati Lenovo Team following at 45 and 40 points respectively. Repsol Honda Team is fifth with 18 points.

Moto2 Championship riders' standings before the race

Sam Lowes Samuel Deane Lowes (born 14 September 1990) is a British motorcycle racer competing in the Moto2 World Championship aboard a Kalex since 2019, and is part of the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team. Lowes' 2022 season ended early, being unable to race ...

leads the intermediate class with 50 points, followed by

Remy Gardner Remy Christopher Gardner (born 24 February 1998) is an Australian motorcycle racer, best known for winning the 2021 Moto2 World Championship with Red Bull KTM Ajo. He is the son of 1987 premier class world champion, Wayne Gardner. Career M ...

at 40 points. Raúl Fernández is third with 26 points, one more than

Marco Bezzecchi Marco Bezzecchi (born 12 November 1998) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, competing for Mooney VR46 Racing Team in the 2023 MotoGP World Championship. Career Junior career Bezzecchi won the Italian Moto3 championship in 2015, and also ...

and five more than

Fabio Di Giannantonio Fabio Di Giannantonio (born 10 October 1998) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, riding for Gresini Racing in MotoGP. Career Early career Born in Rome, in 2015 Di Giannantonio finished as the runner-up in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup ...

Moto3 Championship riders' standings before the race

After his victory in the Doha Grand Prix, Pedro Acosta moved up to the top of the standings with 45 points, followed by

Darryn Binder Darryn Binder (born 21 January 1998) is a South African professional motorcycle racer set to compete in the 2023 Moto2 World Championship for Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP. Career Binder was born in Potchefstroom, South Africa. His older brot ...

on 36 points and

Jaume Masiá Jaume (, ) is a Catalan male given name. It is the equivalent of James. Notable people Notable people with this given name include: * Jaume Aragall (born 1939), Spanish tenor * Jaume Balagueró (born 1968), Spanish filmmaker * Jaume Balmes (birth n ...

on 32 points. Fourth and fifth

Niccolò Antonelli Niccolò Antonelli (born 23 February 1996) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, who most recently competed in the 2022 Moto2 World Championship, riding for Mooney VR46 Racing Team. Antonelli won the Italian 125GP Championship in 2011. Ca ...

and Izan Guevara respectively at 26 and 19 points.

MotoGP participants

Marc Márquez Marc Márquez Alentà (born 17 February 1993) is a Spanish professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, who has raced for Honda's factory team since his MotoGP debut in 2013. Born in Cervera, Catalonia, Spain, he is nicknamed the 'Ant of Cer ...

returns as Honda's starter rider after the incident in the

2020 Spanish Grand Prix The 2020 Spanish Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Aramco Gran Premio de España 2020) was a Formula One motor race held on 16 August 2020 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain. The race was the sixth round in the ...

, which is valid as the first race of the 2020 championship.

Moto2 participants

* Miquel Pons replace

Simone Corsi Simone Corsi (born 24 April 1987) is an Italian former Grand Prix motorcycle racer. Born in Rome, Corsi has been racing in motorcycle world championships for nearly 20 years, amassing over 300 races, 4th all-time, behind only Valentino Rossi, ...

because of an injury. *

Fraser Rogers Fraser Rogers (born 19 December 1995 in Swindon) is a British Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He currently competes in the British National Superstock 1000 Championship aboard a Kawasaki ZX-10R. Career statistics 2008–1st, British Aprilia Sup ...

replace Barry Baltus because of fractured left wrist injury.

Moto3 participants

The riders and teams were the same as the season entry list with no additional stand-in riders for the race.

Free practice

MotoGP

was fastest in the first session, followed by

and

. In the second session,

preceded

and

Joan Mir Joan Mir Mayrata () (born 1 September 1997) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer riding for the Repsol Honda Team, who is best known for winning the 2020 MotoGP World Championship with Suzuki. He is the fourth Spanish rider to win the prem ...

. In the third session, Quartararo finished at the top of the standings ahead of

Franco Morbidelli Franco Morbidelli (born 4 December 1994) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer in MotoGP, riding for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team. He became champion in the 2013 European Superstock 600 Championship, and the 2017 Moto2 World Champio ...

and Bagnaia.

Combined Free Practice 1-2-3

The top ten riders (written in bold) qualified in Q2. The fastest personal time of the riders are written in bold type.

Qualifying

MotoGP

Race

MotoGP

* Jorge Martín suffered hand & foot fractures in a crash during practice and withdrew from the event.

Moto2

Moto3

Championship standings after the race

Below are the standings for the top five riders, constructors, and teams after the round.

MotoGP

;Riders' Championship standings ;Constructors' Championship standings ;Teams' Championship standings

Moto2

;Riders' Championship standings ;Constructors' Championship standings ;Teams' Championship standings

Moto3

;Riders' Championship standings ;Constructors' Championship standings ;Teams' Championship standings

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{MotoGP 2020–29

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

Motorcycle Grand Prix Motorcycle Grand Prix Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix