New MotoGP World Champion Fabio Quartararo left it late to top free practice one of the🌸 2021 Algarve Grand Prix at Portimao.

Francesco Bagnaia and Quartararo were the early pace setters along wiಞth both Suzuki’s o🦄f Alex Rins and Joan Mir. 

After exchanging fastest times during the opening few laps, Bagnaia fi🌳nally got the better of Quartararo, while improvements from Franco Morbidelli, Alex Marquez and Jack Miller saw them all move into the top five. 

Pol Espargaro, who endured a dreadful first Portimao weekend aboard the RC213V in April꧋, continued his impressive turnaround of late to go third with 10 minutes gone.

Bagnaia and Quartararo continued to chall🔴enge one another whil🍷e being over four tenths clear of Epsargaro in P3. 

Quartararo got within +0.005s of the Ducati rider before moving ahead of the Italian onไ his very next lap. Miller made it a Ducati 2-3 by going third withꦚ half the session remaining. 

After a small moment early on in FP1, Mir then came close to a big highside on the exit of turn 14. Luckily for the Spaniard he was able to stay aboard his GSX-RR mac🐼🦩hine. 

With just over ten min♍utes to go, Bagnaia set a stunning lap to go five tenths clear of Yamaha. 

After being bumped down to fifth by an impressive Franco Morbidelli and Miller,♐ Espargaro🦹 regained third place.

Although Bagnaia looked to have p𒉰ace over the rest, Quartararo closed to wiꦗthin a tenth before taking top spot on his final effort. 

Luca Marini, w✃ho secured his best MotoGP qualifying last time out, went fifth quickest with just a couple of minutes to go.

Bagnaia𓆉 remained second fastest ahead of Miller, Rins and Mir who concluded the top five. Ma𒈔rini dropped a position late on and ended FP1 in sixth, while P. Espargaro, Maverick Vinales, Morbidelli and Aleix Espargaro rounded out the top ten. 

There’s no Marc Marquez this weekend after suffering a concussion during a tဣraining accident last we𒉰ek. Stefan Bradl is replacing the eight-time world champion.