In fine Portuguese sunshine, the sprint race kicked off with high tension: polesitter Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) shot off the line and grabbed the early lead, while Álex Márquez (Gresini Ducati) rocketed from his P5 on the grid to third by Turn 1. Het-up start, the crowd sensed something big was in the making.
Behind Bezzecchi, the young hot-shot Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM) quickly slotted into second, and the two of them began trading strong laps while Márquez closed in. The trio began to pull clear of the field, establishing a mini-race within the sprint itself. At one point it looked like Bezzecchi might flex his Aprilia advantage, but the fight was far from over.
With just a couple of laps remaining, Márquez made his move: he overtook Acosta after a daring pass and then hunted down Bezzecchi. In the final lap the gap was narrow; Márquez held his nerve and crossed the line first, denying Acosta by just 0.120 seconds, with Bezzecchi completing the podium in third. The dash to the line was electric.
Other notes: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) finished eighth after qualifying struggles. Meanwhile, rising rookie Fermín Aldeguer scored a strong sixth place, underlining his growing skill in the premier class. The top-6 looked anything but settled.
This result is a big psychological boost for Márquez: after already clinching the runner-up championship spot, this sprint win adds momentum heading into Sunday’s main race and tightens the narrative around the title-fight posture. For Acosta and Bezzecchi, it shows they’ll be right in the mix tomorrow — if they can keep their tyres and composure intact.
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