After Ducati dominated the opening round of the season in Qatar with Jorge Martin winning the sprint and reigning double world champion Francesco Bagnaia Taking the spoils in the grand prix, Portugal presents a new challenge for the Italian marque.
The unique conditions of the Qatar race coupled with the fact a test took place there just two weeks before the season started means Portugal will act as something of a reset, as well as perhaps offering a better glimpse as to what the pecking order truly looks like .
That much is true for two stars of the Qatar GP in KTM rookie sensation Pedro Acosta and eight-time grand prix world champion Marc Márquez on the Gresini Ducati, with the latter admitting after the last round that Portugal would see him “starting from zero”.
In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport’s Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com’s Oriol Puigdemont preview this weekend’s Portuguese GP and the storylines to watch out for.
They also discuss the latest rider market announcement, following Ducati’s signing of Moto2 star Fermin Aldeguer to a two-year deal from 2025: Where will the young Spaniard actually race and how does it affect other key Ducati players?
