The season is nearing its denouement and MotoGP travels to the Aut\u00f3dromo Internacional do Algarve in Portim\u00e3o this week. The circuit is known as the \u2018rollercoaster\u2019 because of its large elevation changes and fast gradients. With 4.59 km and 15 corners, the track demands a lot from rider and machine. The start and finish straight of almost 1,000 metres leads to an impressive descent towards Turn 1, making braking late and control crucial.<\/p>\n
Most factory teams are taking fresh courage after the distant races. There are a number of notable changes and personal stories that grab attention this weekend.<\/p>\n
Aprilia Racing<\/strong> sends Marco Bezzecchi and Lorenzo Savadori to Portim\u00e3o. Bezzecchi wants to change gear quickly after a difficult weekend in Malaysia and defend his third place in the championship. Savadori replaces Jorge Mart\u00edn; Mart\u00edn is still missing after collarbone surgery and is undergoing additional medical checks this week.<\/p>\n Ducati Lenovo Team<\/strong> is experiencing a special weekend: Nicol\u00f2 Bulega makes his MotoGP debut as Marc M\u00e1rquez's replacement, riding his 100th World Cup race. Pecco Bagnaia arrives with good flow after a strong Sprint in Malaysia and is looking to continue defending his place on the podium.<\/p>\n Prima Pramac Yamaha<\/strong> is all about goodbyes: Miguel Oliveira may be racing for the last time in MotoGP in front of his own crowd before moving to WorldSBK. Oliveira and teammate Jack Miller are chasing a strong result at a circuit where Oliveira already won in 2020.<\/p>\n Monster Energy Yamaha<\/strong> is counting on Fabio Quartararo and \u00c1lex Rins to finish the season strongly. Quartararo wants to compete at the top again, Rins is looking for confirmation after mixed results. Both riders see Portim\u00e3o as a good test for the last two weekends and towards 2026.<\/p>\n Honda HRC Castrol<\/strong> hopes Luca Marini and Joan Mir bring their form from the fly-away races to Europe. Marini is aiming for consistent qualifying and starts, Mir wants to return to the podium and relies on the circuit's strong braking zones.<\/p>\n Red Bull KTM Tech3<\/strong> comes with Enea Bastianini and Pol Espargar\u00f3. Bastianini aims to solve his qualifying problem on one fast lap. Pol replaces Maverick Vi\u00f1ales, who gets an extra week for his recovery; for Espargar\u00f3, Portim\u00e3o is also a special challenge mentally after his previous injury here.<\/p>\n The weekend offers fast sectors and tough braking points. This always makes Portim\u00e3o unpredictable: who will grab the right set-up straight away on Friday and who will come closer to the top in qualifying?<\/p>\n \u201cI am very emotional: Portim\u00e3o is special to me and racing in front of my own fans gives that extra something. I really want to enjoy it.\u201d - Miguel Oliveira<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Friday: FP1 at 10:45, Practice at 15:00. Saturday: FP2 at 10:10, Qualifying at 10:50, Sprint at 15:00 (12 laps). Sunday: Warm-up at 09:40, Race at 13:00 (25 laps).<\/p>\n With two races to go, every point is precious. Portim\u00e3o promises spectacular action and some important personal moments. Brace yourselves: the rollercoaster awaits.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Portim\u00e3o back on the calendar The season is nearing its denouement and MotoGP travels to the Aut\u00f3dromo Internacional do Algarve in Portim\u00e3o this week. The circuit is known as the \u2018rollercoaster\u2019 because of its huge elevation changes and fast gradients. With 4.59 km and 15 corners, the track demands a lot from rider and machine. The start and finish straight [...]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":157916,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2275],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-157917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motogp"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat to follow this weekend<\/h2>\n
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Weekend schedule (local time)<\/h2>\n