Maverick Vinales has returned to the MotoGP winners’ circle for the first time in three years after breaking his long-awaited Aprilia victory duck with a punchy performance in the Portuguese MotoGP Sprint Race at Portimao.

The Spaniard kept his composure during a boisterous opening few laps to capitalise on a wide moment for erstwhile race leader Pecco Bagnaia at Turn 1 with four laps remaining before keeping it tidy to take the flag up front.

Representing a return to the (de facto) top step for Vinales since the 2021 Qatar MotoGP season opener on the Yamaha M1, it’s also his first victory since joining Aprilia mid-way through that same campaign.

Starting between pole sitter Enea Bastianini and Jorge Martin on the front row, Vinales got the better start of the trio to get the hole-shot into the Turn 1 right-hander, though would be swiftly demoted to second by Jack Miller’s stronger exit on the run to Turn 2.

Shuffled down to third by Bagnaia come the end of the opening lap, Vinales settled into an entertaining scrap with Marc Marquez for third, though both would ultimately get the better of a ragged Miller on lap five to ascend into second and third respectively.

Third became second for Vinales on lap five when Marquez wobbled on the entry into Turn 5, his wide exit allowing the Aprilia to sweep through into second behind Bagnaia, albeit more than a second down on the defending champion.

However, what looked for Vinales to be a fight to the finish for second became a battle for victory after Bagnaia got it wrong downhill on the anchors into Turn 1, the Ducati Lenovo Team rider returning to the racing line in fifth place.

Despite the looming threat of Marquez and Martin in his shadow, Vinales was allowed some breathing room as the Ducati duo tripped over one another in pursuit. His cause was aided further on the penultimate lap when Martin fumbled his apex at Turn 10 to lose time to the RS-GP ahead before victory was all-but-assured when Marquez launched an aggressive lunge on the Ducati GP24 ahead to muscle his way into second.

Crossing the line a little more than a second clear of Marquez, Vinales’ result goes some way to making up for a lacklustre opening gambit under the floodlight in Qatar.

Behind him, Marquez took another step closer towards the front as he held on for a satisfying second over Martin, the Gresini Racing rider enjoying ‘top Ducati status’ for the first time.

Bagnaia picked off Miller again to rescue fourth place at the flag, ahead of the Australian in fifth, with pole sitter Bastianini trailing in sixth after a poor start and a physical opening couple of laps put him on the back foot in the front pack.

Pedro Acosta recovered from a tardy getaway to finish where he started in seventh place, ahead of Aleix Espargaro, who ensured a double points’ finish for the works Aprilia Racing team in eighth.

In ninth, Fabio Quartararo secured both his and Yamaha Racing’s first top ten finish of the season in ninth, resisting the attentions of Raul Fernandez, Marco Bezzecchi and home hope Miguel Oliveira for the final digit.

Elsewhere, there was disappointment for Brad Binder, who slid out of seventh position at Turn 13 on lap four, just moments after Fabio di Giannantonio had done the same at Turn 11. They were joined on the sidelines by Alex Rins, who crashed out of eighth on lap two, and  Johann Zarco, down and out at Turn 5 on lap four.

🇵🇹 🏁 2024 Portugal MotoGP, Portimao | SPRINT RACE Results

Saturday | Conditions - Dry, Sunny