Following a years break from Portimao, we take a look at how the manufactures have performed in the past
Aprilia is one of the three most successful manufacturers around Portimao, alongside Ducati and Kawasaki: all have won 4 times here. The amount of podium finishes Aprilia have secured are 10, the last one in 2015’s Race 2 which was a third position from Leon Haslam.
BMW won 2013’s race one in Portugal with Marco Melandri: that is also their only podium finish here.
Ducati shares the record of wins around Portimao with Kawasaki and Aprilia – four. However they edge out the opposition with podium placements: 13. Whereas the best opposition in this field comes from Honda and Aprilia, both with 10 podium finishes to their name. The last Ducati win here came in 2011 in Race 2, thanks to Carlos Checa.
Honda won the second race in Portugal thanks to Jonathan Rea, and proved to be very consistent in the hands of the reigning World Champion, as he was able to score eight of Honda’s 10 podiums here.
Kawasaki has stepped up as the most successful bike in Portugal in the most recent rounds: from 2008 to 2011 they were never able to secure a podium finish in Portimao. However in the last four weekends held at the track, they scored seven podiums and recorded four wins, sharing the top spot for wins at this track with Aprilia and Ducati.
Yamaha have won twice in Portugal: in 2009’s Race 1 with Ben Spies -in the weekend which gave the American the championship- and with Marco Melandri in Race 2’s 2011. 2011 is also the year of their last podium finish around the track: in the aforementioned Race 2, Laverty completed a 1-2, finishing one second behind Melandri, edging out Jonathan Rea for three tenths. Yamaha haven’t raced in Portugal since then.
