MotoGP Algarve Grand Prix – Start time, how to watch & more
Francesco Bagnaia is on pole position for the MotoGP Algarve Grand Prix at Portimao. Here’s how and when you can watch the race.

The Ducati rider claimed his fifth consecutive pole position with another flawless qualifying performance to take top spot by 0.104s from team-mate Jack Miller.
For a second straight round it was a tricky qualifying for world champion Fabio Quartararo, who could only manage seventh place on the factory Yamaha after a set-up change failed to work as expected and gave the French rider a “weird feeling” in Q2.
Joan Mir secured his first-ever MotoGP front row start on merit, having started from third place at last year’s Styrian GP due to a grid penalty for Johann Zarco, with the Suzuki rider completing the front row alongside the factory Ducati duo.
Jorge Martin led Pramac Ducati team-mate Zarco at the front of the second row, with Pol Espargaro claiming sixth place for the factory Honda squad. Espargaro is without regular team-mate Marc Marquez who was ruled out of the Algarve GP after suffering concussion in a training accident last weekend.
With Quartararo in seventh, he will be joined on the third row by LCR Honda’s Alex Marquez and Franco Morbidelli on the sister factory Yamaha.
Having progressed through Q1, Iker Lecuona leads the KTM charge in 10th place for Tech3, as Suzuki’s Alex Rins and Avintia Ducati’s Luca Marini round out the fourth row.
Valentino Rossi will start his penultimate MotoGP race from 16th on the grid for Petronas SRT Yamaha.

Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
When is the MotoGP Algarve Grand Prix?
• Date: Sunday 7th November 2021
• Start time: 1:00pm GMT, 1:00pm local time
How can I watch the Algarve MotoGP?
In the United Kingdom, the Algarve MotoGP race day will be broadcast live on BT Sport, which has live broadcasting television rights for the 2021 MotoGP season. The race will be shown live on BT Sport 2, with race coverage starting at 12:30pm GMT, directly after the Moto3 race and before the Moto2 race.
TV Channel: BT Sport 2
Channel number: Sky – 414
Channel number: Virgin Media – 528
Start time: 12:30pm GMT
MotoGP also offers its own live online video streaming service which is available to stream in the UK.
How can I watch the Algarve MotoGP highlights?
ITV4 will show the highlights of each MotoGP round in 2021, including highlights of the Moto2 and Moto3 classes, which will be broadcast on each Monday evening after the race.
TV Channel: ITV4
Channel number: Freeview – 25
Channel number: Sky – 120 HD, 818 SD
Channel number: Virgin Media – 178 HD, 118 SD
Channel number: Freesat – 117
Start time: Monday 8th November - 10:15pm GMT
What's the weather forecast for the race at Portimao?
Dry and sunny weather is forecast for the Algarve Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon, with a low chance of rain, and a high of 18 degrees Celsius for the start of the race – two degrees warmer than the Emilia Romagna GP at Misano last time out.
Why is it called the Algarve GP?
With races not allowed to be given the same race names in the same MotoGP world championship season, Portimao’s second race of the season has been called the Algarve GP, named after the region of Portugal the circuit is located in.
It takes inspiration from the other double-headers MotoGP put on both in 2020 and this year as part of the reshuffled calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this season Qatar hosted the first-ever Doha GP as the second leg of its back-to-back races, while the Red Bull Ring hosted the Styrian GP as its second part of its double-header and Misano hosted the Emilia Romagna GP as its second race of the season.
Why is MotoGP holding two races at Portimao?
As part of the COVID-19-hit campaign the 2021 MotoGP calendar has been tweaked due to various travel restrictions in place across the world. The Finnish, Japanese, Thai, Australian, Malaysian and Argentina MotoGP rounds have all been cancelled for 2021.
In order to bulk out the calendar, Losail, the Red Bull Ring, Misano and Portimao will all host two races.
MotoGP Algarve Grand Prix qualifying results
Qualifying 2
Cla | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | | Ducati | 1'38.725 | |
2 | | Ducati | 1'38.829 | 0.104 |
3 | | Suzuki | 1'38.893 | 0.168 |
4 | | Ducati | 1'38.916 | 0.191 |
5 | | Ducati | 1'38.918 | 0.193 |
6 | | Honda | 1'39.058 | 0.333 |
7 | | Yamaha | 1'39.131 | 0.406 |
8 | | Honda | 1'39.191 | 0.466 |
9 | | Yamaha | 1'39.321 | 0.596 |
10 | | KTM | 1'39.387 | 0.662 |
11 | | Suzuki | 1'39.649 | 0.924 |
12 | | Ducati | 1'39.828 | 1.103 |
View full results |
Qualifying 1
Cla | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | | Ducati | 1'39.130 | |
2 | | KTM | 1'39.171 | 0.041 |
3 | | Ducati | 1'39.283 | 0.153 |
4 | | Aprilia | 1'39.389 | 0.259 |
5 | | KTM | 1'39.595 | 0.465 |
6 | | Yamaha | 1'39.604 | 0.474 |
7 | | KTM | 1'39.624 | 0.494 |
8 | | Aprilia | 1'39.738 | 0.608 |
9 | | KTM | 1'39.859 | 0.729 |
10 | | Honda | 1'39.907 | 0.777 |
11 | | Yamaha | 1'39.918 | 0.788 |
12 | | Honda | 1'40.009 | 0.879 |
View full results |
Related video

“Nothing changed” to grant Mir MotoGP qualifying breakthrough
MotoGP Algarve: Bagnaia takes dominant win in red-flagged race

Latest news
Bagnaia grateful for British GP advice from MotoGP legends Rossi, Stoner
Silverstone race winner Francesco Bagnaia says he asked MotoGP legends Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner for advice after struggling in practice for the British Grand Prix.
Quartararo “disappointed” to “not lose more” with Silverstone MotoGP penalty
Fabio Quartararo says he is disappointed with his race because he thought he’d “lose more” with his MotoGP British Grand Prix penalty than he did, but could only finish eighth.
Espargaro FP4 crash pain 'no excuse' for Silverstone MotoGP struggles
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro says the pain he felt from his 115mph crash in MotoGP practice for the British Grand Prix is “not an excuse” for his difficult Silverstone race.
Backtracking on tyre gamble led to Zarco’s “hero or zero” Silverstone MotoGP crash
Pramac’s Johann Zarco's decision to change to a medium front tyre before the start of the MotoGP British Grand Prix led to his “hero or zero” crash from the lead.
Why Marquez’s toughest MotoGP foe is stopping at the right time
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will be retiring from MotoGP after September’s San Marino GP. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, but his reasoning remains sensible and what has happened this year should not diminish a hard-built legacy
Why a Suzuki refugee feels he deserves MotoGP's toughest challenge
Alex Rins’ MotoGP future was plunged into sudden doubt when Suzuki elected to quit the series at the end of 2022. Securing a deal with Honda to join LCR, he will now tread a path that many have fallen off from. But it was a move he felt his status deserved, and it’s a challenge – he tells Autosport - he faces with his eyes wide open…
How Formula 1 has driven MotoGP's changing nature
The hiring of technicians from Formula 1 has clearly contributed to a recent change in the MotoGP landscape, with the role of engineers gaining greater significance relative to the riders. Here's how this shift has come about
The revolution behind Aprilia's rise from MotoGP tail-ender to pack-leader
Coinciding with the arrival of Massimo Rivola as head of its MotoGP division, Aprilia has undergone an internal revolution that has spurred it from occupying last place in the team standings to leading the table in the space of just two years. Those entrenched in the project reveal how the ex-Ferrari F1 chief has achieved the dramatic turnaround
The battle Yamaha's wayward son is fighting to be fast again in MotoGP
Franco Morbidelli was long overdue a promotion to factory machinery when it finally came late last year, having finished runner-up in the 2020 standings on an old Yamaha package. But since then the Italian has been a shadow of his former self as he toils to adapt to the 2022 M1, and recognises that he needs to change his style to be quick on it
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special
How Quartararo is evoking an absent MotoGP great in 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success