Who won MotoGP's first-ever sprint race at the 2023 Portuguese Grand Prix?

Francesco Bagnaia won MotoGP’s first-ever sprint race at the 2023 Portuguese Grand Prix. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider led the inaugural Saturday sprint at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão on March 25, 2023.

MotoGP introduced sprint races for every premier-class Grand Prix in 2023. These shorter events were held on Saturday and awarded championship points, while Sunday’s traditional Grand Prix remained the longer race. Bagnaia’s victory made him the first official MotoGP sprint winner, ahead of Jorge Martín and Jack Miller.

The result is sometimes confused with the Sunday Portuguese Grand Prix, but Bagnaia won that race too, completing a perfect opening weekend. Brad Binder, Marc Márquez and Jorge Martín were prominent MotoGP riders, yet none of them took the first sprint victory. The sprint format has since become a regular part of the championship weekend.