Marc Marquez was fastest in the opening practice session at the Portuguese Grand Prix. Picture: Getty Images
Marc Marquez made a remarkable comeback Friday in his first competitive ride since crashing nine months ago when he was third fastest in the opening free practice for the Portuguese Grand Prix.
The six-time world champion broke an arm when he crashed in Jerez in July 2020 in the opening race of last season.
He missed the rest of the season and opted not to ride in this season’s opener in Qatar on March 28.
On Friday, at Portimao, the Spaniard was unperturbed by complicated conditions on the track which had numerous damp patches. He steadily improved through the session on his Honda to post a time of 1min 42.378ec.
He was 0.251 behind compatriot Maverick Vinales who set the fastest time on his Yamaha.
A third Spaniard, Alex Rins of Suzuki, was second, 0.151sec behind the leader.