For the penultimate MotoGP Grand Prix of the season, Fabio Quartararo and Johann Zarco were scheduled to meet in Portugal at the atypical circuit of Portimão.
The end of the season is approaching rapidly for MotoGP. A blessing in disguise for the Maralpins riders Fabio Quartararo and Johann Zarco, whose season has been marked by highs and lows. The weekend started well in qualifying at the Portimão circuit, known for its impressive elevation changes. In this game, Fabio Quartararo once again stood out in the rapid lap exercise by setting the third fastest qualifying time. “I am satisfied, we really did the maximum. There were two or three spots that were still a bit tricky, but I think we did a good lap”, he explained after qualifying.
On his side, Johann Zarco also performed well by securing the 6th fastest time. A promising sign before Saturday’s sprint race.
At the start, the French riders managed well, losing only one position each. The question was whether they would be able to maintain the pace over the twelve laps of this sprint. Unfortunately, as has been the case since the beginning of the year, Fabio Quartararo, who excels in qualifying, couldn’t keep up with the pace of the leaders. About three-tenths from the top three, he blocked the rest of the pack, which included Johann Zarco. The rider from Cannes managed to stay close in the first part of the race, a positive given his ability to finish Grands Prix well.
Fabio Quartararo also found a bit more performance mid-race. The rider from Nice took advantage of the battle at the front to come back and even leave the double world champion Francesco Bagnaia behind him. A positive point that gives hope for Sunday’s Grand Prix. “El Diablo” eventually finished in 4th place, resisting the comeback of Fabio Di Giannantonio. This marked one of his best results of the year.
Johann Zarco also held up well, further back, in a small group of four riders, holding onto his 7th place after an exciting battle with Francesco Bagnaia and Fermín Aldeguer. At the finish, the rider from the Côte d’Azur was left with mixed feelings: “It’s still a good result, it’s decent, but I finish the races frustrated because I feel we haven’t yet found what we need.”
The return of issues
Like the day before, at the start, Fabio Quartararo lost one position despite a good start. His compatriot Johann Zarco managed to keep his sixth place and found himself just behind the rider from Nice before being overtaken by Brad Binder, and then Fermín Aldeguer. Zarco from Cannes found himself struggling on his Honda LCR. Similarly, Fabio Quartararo, unlike the previous day, couldn’t latch onto the pace of the leaders after the first quarter of the race—likely due to the medium tires fitted on all the machines, offering less grip.
A little before mid-race, the Maralpins were under pressure. Fabio Quartararo was overtaken in succession and dropped to 6th place. As for the Honda LCR, it was doing better: as the best rider for the brand, Johann Zarco made a strong comeback on his compatriot from Nice, who was losing a lot of pace. Both tried to manage their tires and the race yo-yoed, a scenario that illustrates the similar issues affecting the French riders.
Finally, Johann Zarco ended up yielding three laps from the finish. Struggling with his tires, he lost two positions to finish 9th, while Fabio Quartararo managed to secure his 6th place.
Next week in Valencia will mark the end of the 2025 MotoGP season before immediately preparing for the following year—hoping for better performances.
