Marc Marquez took the lead in the first practice session of the Portuguese Grand Prix in Portimão, which he considers a crucial weekend for him. This is the second round of the 2024 MotoGP season and the second time Marquez is racing on a Ducati. This will determine whether Marquez has overcome any weaknesses with his 2023-spec Desmosedici bike. Marquez had expressed concerns during preseason about the number of laps it took him to reach the pace of the leaders on a track. This was not an issue in the Qatar opener due to previous testing, but is a relevant question for Portimão. For now, Marquez’s performance in the practice session suggests he has made progress, despite the unconventional conditions caused by overnight mud rain. Track conditions were described as “pretty bad” by Michelin’s MotoGP boss, Piero Taramasso. The Moto3 practice session was largely ineffective, and MotoE ran at a cautious pace. However, the track improved for Moto2 and continued to get better throughout the MotoGP session. Marquez, known for his ability to handle low grip conditions, made a last-minute improvement to take the top spot from KTM rider Brad Binder. His time of 1m40.484s was two seconds slower than last year’s corresponding session. Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales, who was dealing with gastroenteritis, also overtook Binder and finished in second place. Jack Miller, another KTM rider, finished in fourth place, while Franco Morbidelli, who had a tough preseason due to a road bike accident, secured fifth place. The entire field was separated by 1.598s in the end.
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