Cycle News Staff | April 14, 2024
MotoGP returns to action in Austin for the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas. Here’s what happened on Friday in the Lone Star State…
Photos by Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool
Sunday, April 14
MotoGP
Maverick Vinales makes history as he becomes the first rider to win a Grand Prix with three different manufacturers in MotoGP.
Maverick Vinales, Tissot sprint race, Grand Prix of the Americas, 13 April 2024
The 2024 Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas was a race which will go down in the history books. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) stormed across the line to write a new line in the history books as the first rider ever to win with three different manufacturers ((Suzuki, Yamaha and now Aprilia) in MotoGP Grand Prix. (And this success at COTA also has him enter the history books as just the fifth rider in history to win in the premier-class races on three makes of machinery, joining the list of Eddie Lawson, Mike Hailwood, Randy Mamola and Loris Capirossi). Red Bull GasGas Tech3’s Pedro Acosta was battling for the win from start to finish, in a special display from the rookie who crossed the line in second to become the youngest rider in history to claim two consecutive podiums. Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) made a late move to steal the final spot on the podium to complete the Italian’s first back-to-back podiums since 2022.
Pedro Acosta, Maverick Vinales, Enea Bastianini
It was a race full of drama at the Circuit Of The Americas, with the most exciting sport in the world riding the 200mph rodeo, there were thrilling battles for the lead and Champions crashing out in a breathtaking Grand Prix that will go down in the history books for more than one reason.
Twenty-two of the world’s best riders stormed to turn one, fighting for the same piece of tarmac, with Acosta leading after a historic launch off the line. However, there was drama at turn one for both Aprilia Racing machines with Aleix Espargaro and polesitter and Sprint winner Viñales having a disastrous start, the latter dropping outside the top 10 with a lot of work to do in the early stages of the race.
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) was aggressive in the opening stage of the race, storming through to second at the end of the first lap. Martin then responded to leader Acosta, testing the rookie’s skills. Meanwhile, behind it was a nail-biting start for Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), who was inside the top five and collided with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) on the exit of turn 11.
Jorge Martin leading
The action continued, causing the crowd to roar as Martin finally found a way through Acosta. The rookie dropped to fourth, now setting his sights on reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who just lost a place to Marc Marquez.
All eyes were soon on the eight-time World Champion, who attempted to find a gap in Martin’s armor to steal the lead at the final corner, making contact with the 2023 runner-up. This jaw-dropping near miss dropped Marc Marquez down to fourth – forcing the Spaniard to go back to battle with Bagnaia.
Martin began to put the hammer down early and build an early lead of nine-tenths from Marquez and Acosta, who continued in second and third. However, the lead was short-lived as Marc Marquez made time on the Prima Pramac Racing rider and soon stole first place from Martin at turn 11, pushing the #89 wide in a show-stopping move. But just one lap later it all ended in disaster, at the very same corner, as Marc Marquez lost the front – crashing out of the Grand Prix, to the disappointment of the American fans.
Maverick Vinales, MotoGP race, Grand Prix of the Americas, 14 April 2024The next rider to charge to the front was Vinales, showing resilience after dropping back to ninth at the end of the first lap. ‘BatMav’ carved his way through the field, demonstrating his determination to return to the front on the road to make history. Vinales eventually battled to fifth before finding a way through on Martin before going head-to-head with Acosta in an unbelievable duel for the victory. The #12 made a move stick with eight laps remaining, and the rest was history – stretching a one-second lead.
Jorge Martin leading
Acosta gave it everything, but it would not be enough as Vinales crossed the checkered flag, which was waved by Sonic the Hedgehog to win the Americas GP. Acosta was a mere 1.728 behind – becoming the youngest rider to take two consecutive podiums. Joining them on the podium was the ‘Beast’ with Bastianini getting the better of Martin, who missed out on a podium finish by less than two seconds. Bagnaia rounded out the top five places – losing time late in the race but scoring solid points in Austin.
Enea Bastianini
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) came across the line to take sixth position, finishing ahead of the second Aprilia Racing machine of Aleix Espargaro. Marco Bezzecchi took eighth place with both Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati machines scoring points. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) ended a great recovery ride in ninth after qualifying in 17th. The South African finished the Grand Prix ahead of Raul Fernandez, who rounded out the top 10 at Trackhouse Racing’s home round.
The MotoGP paddock now heads back to Europe in two weeks time at the historic Circuit de Jerez – Angel Nieto.
Moto2
Sergio Garcia grabs victory in Moto2 ahead of home hero Roberts and preseason title favorite Fermin Aldeguer.
Sergio Garcia, Joe Roberts, Fermin Aldeguer, Moto2 podium
In a race which sent the crowd to their feet, Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) crossed the line at the Circuit Of The Americas to take a maiden Moto2 win, just finding enough in the tank to hold off home hero Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing). Garcia steals the Championship lead in the process, and in only the MT Helmets – MSI team’s third race in the Moto2 class, now two points ahead of Roberts. Pre-season favourite Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) claimed a first podium of the year after a nail-biting race start and comeback in what’s becoming a calling card until the #54’s luck changes.
The Moto2 field roared into action on the entry to the technical turn one, with Garcia claiming the holeshot, leading the field from home hero Roberts in second – sending the American crowd to their feet. Aldeguer and pole sitter Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) were swallowed by the pack on the opening lap – dropping down to eighth and 10th, back into the clutches of the fierce Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI).
It was also gloves off for QJMotor Gresini Moto2 riders Manuel Gonzalez and Albert Arenas, with the teammates having a near miss and touching – handing Aldeguer sixth place which he happily accepted. Gonzalez would later receive a penalty for a start that was too good to be true – forced to serve a double LLP, dropping Gonzalez to a disappointing 15th.
The same fate could not be said for Aldeguer, who made his way inside the top five and latched onto the back of teammate Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp). Once Aldeguer and Lopez were together on the circuit it was riveting action with friendly fire on track in the battle for fourth place. The SpeedUp teammates did not give each other an inch of room before Aldeguer found a way through and did not look back, with nine laps remaining.
Joe Roberts
Meanwhile, Dennis Foggia was having a brilliant race on his Triumph-powered Italtrans Racing Team machine. Up to the Americas GP, Foggia was yet to score points in the Moto2 class this year and was now keeping Roberts honest in second. However, as the race progressed and with Aldeguer fast charging behind, it did not take the Spaniard long to pass the #71 with no way for Foggia to respond – and Aldeguer then set his sights on Roberts.
As the race progressed, Garcia’s rhythm looked perfect – stretching a gap of over one second to Roberts. Roberts responded, matching Garcia’s pace, but then the American made a mistake, running wide at turn 12 and seemingly crushing the hopes of an American win in the process.
However, the Austin crowd was treated to a fantastic Texan duel for P2 with two laps remaining between Roberts and Aldeguer, with the American able to get the upper hand. Meanwhile, at the front, Garcia made a handful of mistakes in the braking zone – losing time and the gap coming back down.
By the flag it was down to just under half a second, but Garcia held on to take a maiden Moto2 victory and celebrated his success in the Texas sunshine, taking that lead in the standings too. Roberts was forced to settle for second but took back-to-back podiums for the first time, and celebrated that incredible result on home turf for both him and the team. Aldeguer came across the line to finish in a rock-solid third, ahead of teammate Lopez who was just unable to match the podium pace. Marcos Ramirez added to the OnlyFans American Racing Team’s point tally at COTA – rounding out a talent-packed top five.
Foggia dropped to sixth after losing time in the late stages of the race, with Ogura seventh ahead of Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team’s Jeremey Alcoba. Portuguese GP winner Canet was ninth at the end of the race, receiving a 0.396 penalty after cutting a corner to add to his woes after a tough Turn 1 shuffle. Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) rounded out the top 10.
Moto3
David Alonso led from start to finish in a magnificent performance in Moto3 ahead of Holgado and Piqueras in a fierce battle for second
David Alonso
It was a 14-lap thrilling showdown in Texas for the Moto3 field, with twists and turns – kicking off Sunday into action with a dramatic race. There was less drama for David Alonso (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) though as the Colombian took an unbelievable victory after a masterclass from start to finish – reducing the gap to the Championship leader to two points. In the fight behind, Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) duelled rookie Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) in a thrilling drag to the line – the Spanish duo separated by just 0.013 in a race which will be spoken about for a long time to come.
There were plenty of talking points ahead of the race start, with a heap of penalties handed out after qualifying for slow riding, and a change to the front row due to Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) withdrawing from the race due to appendicitis – promoting Holgado to second on the grid.
However, once the action got underway, polesitter Alonso shot off into the distance, with Holgado chasing the Colombian in second. It was a tricky turn one, especially for SIC58 Squadra Corse’s Filippo Farioli who crashed at the start of the race. The drama continued with Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) clipping the back of Holgado’s motorcycle – sending him running wide and tumbling down to 10th with a big task at hand.
Meanwhile, MT Helmets – MSI’s Ivan Ortola’s weekend got worse, crashing on the opening lap before a second crash one lap later. Stefano Nepa (LEVELUP – MTA) was caught up in the Spaniard’s first crash – dropping down to last in the running order.
At the front, Alonso began to check out – stretching a magnificent three-second lead from Holgado and rookie Piqueras in an unbelievable third. Six riders went to battle for the final podium places, putting on a thrilling show for the fans in Texas. The six-way battle soon reduced to five, with Honda Team Asia’s Taiyo Furusato becoming the next victim of the tricky turn 15, allowing Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) to shoot into third place before stealing P2.
Moto3 race
As the race progressed Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) and Veijer put everything on the line, charging hard with seven laps remaining – setting the fastest lap of the race in the process. It looked like Alonso had a race on his hands, with the pace heating up behind and the Colombian’s leading dropping to under three seconds. However, Veijer then lost the rear – forcing the rest of the group to take avoiding action – promoting Piqueras into second. The group would eventually bunch up again with two laps remaining, allowing Holgado to complete a brave move and slice back into second.
On the final lap of the race, Alonso did not make one mistake, continuing to stretch his lead. Meanwhile, there was nothing left on the table in the battle for second, with Piqueras building a move from turn one – sending the Leopard Racing Honda down the inside of Holgado at turn 12. It did not take Holgado long to respond as at turn 19, the Spaniard stole second from the rookie before an epic drag race to the line. Holgado took it by 0.013 ahead of Piqueras, with Yamanaka only able to watch on from fourth. Still, that’s a best GP result for the Japanese rider.
David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) rounded out the top five after further drama at turn one, dropping to 18th on the first lap, and Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP’s Tatsuki Suzuki secured the best result of his season so far in sixth, finishing the race ahead of Kelso, who also got a late LLP that became a time penalty after his incident with Holgado. Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) ended the race in eighth place, the rookie having another solid weekend, with fellow debutant Joel Esteban bringing the second CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team machine to ninth. Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) rounded out the top 10 after serving three LLPs during the Grand Prix, just pipped fellow 3x LLP taker Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing).
Saturday, April 13
MotoGP Sprint Race
Victory for Vinales as Martin fights back for third
The Spaniard took a dominated on Saturday to take a second consecutive Sprint victory in Austin ahead of Marc Marquez and Martin
Maverick Vinales,
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) dominated the Tissot Sprint, crossing the line to win a second consecutive Sprint. The Spaniard added 12 more Championship points, finishing the Sprint ahead of Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who defended perfectly at the Circuit Of The Americas. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) fought through the field, battling from sixth on the grid to finish in a brave third place.
It was a brilliant start from pole-sitter Viñales, leading the fiercely competitive field through tight and treacherous turn one. It was a hectic first lap, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) retiring before the end of the first lap, with the Italian’s machine expiring on the entry to turn 12.
Reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) dropped down the order to 10th after a bad launch off the line. Meanwhile, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) carved through the field towards the points after the South African was unable to make it through to Q2 earlier on in qualifying – starting in 17th.
Tissot sprint race, Grand Prix of the Americas, 13 April 2024
Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) also had a disappointing start to the Sprint, with both riders crashing out in the early stages.
At the front, Viñales began to put the hammer down, pushing the Aprilia RS-GP to the limit and bridging a gap of over a second to Marc Marquez. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) began to apply pressure on Marc Marquez, with the World Championship leader closing the gap to the podium. The battle for second was exhilarating, with Acosta making a first attempt to pass the eight-time World Champion on lap six. Marc Marquez quickly repassed the MotoGP rookie before Martin found a way through on Acosta to third.
Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) and CASTROL Honda LCR’s Johann Zarco were the next riders to crash out of the Sprint, which added to a disappointing day for Honda. The only remaining Honda in the Sprint was Repsol Honda Team’s Luca Marini, who was in 17th position.
In the battle for the final point-scoring positions, Bagnaia battled to ninth, passing Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) on a recovery ride after a bad start to the Sprint. A handful of positions ahead of the Italian was Jack Miller (Red Bull Factory Racing), who was having a brilliant battle in sixth with Bastianini after starting in 11th.
On the final lap of the Sprint, Viñales had a comfortable two-second gap, looking unstoppable on the #12 machine. This lead was good enough for the Spaniard to cross the line to win a second consecutive Sprint in a row ahead of Marc Marquez and Martin.
Pedro Acosta, Maverick Vinales, Marc Marquez, MotoGP Sprint podium
Acosta finished a further two seconds behind, ending the Sprint in fourth and missing out on a third place. The 19-year-old was ahead of Aleix Espargaro, who rounded out the top five to end a successful day for Aprilia Racing at the end of an intense Sprint. Bastianini overtook Miller for sixth place on the final lap in a breathtaking battle. Meanwhile, Bagnaia made a further position to steal eighth place at the line, finding pace after a bad start. Raul Fernandez scored the final point in ninth at Trackhouse Racing’s home Grand Prix.
MotoGP Free Practice 2
Pedro Acosta was quickest at the end of Free Practice 2 ahead of Bagnaia and Marc Marquez.
Pedro Acosta, MotoGP, Grand Prix of the Americas, 13 April 2024
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) finished fastest in Free Practice 2 for the first time in a race weekend in the MotoGP category. The 19-year-old set a 2:02.243, ending the session 0.171 clear of reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). The Italian improved on the final lap of the session, setting just nine laps across the 30-minute session and finishing ahead of Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) in a very impressive top three.
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) ended Free Practice 2 in fourth after spending the majority of the session in first place – setting a 2:02.556 on the fifth lap. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) rounded out the top five ahead of qualifying, where the Spaniard will head through Q1. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) was down in sixth; however, the Spaniard had one lap pace after shattering the lap record on Friday afternoon.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) showed good pace at the end of the session, finishing the session in sixth ahead of Prima Pramac Racing’s Franco Morbidelli. Raul Fernandez brought the Trackhouse Racing machine to ninth at the team’s home race weekend. Rounding out the top 10 was Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) ahead of a tense qualifying In Texas.
MotoGP Q1 & Q2
Maverick spearheads the front row of the grid ahead of Acosta and Marquez as Martin crashes – twice.
Maverick Viñales has stormed to a sensational pole position at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas. The Spaniard annihilated the lap record, becoming the first rider ever to enter the 2-minute bracket at the Circuit Of The Americas. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) found time late in the session, securing the rookie’s first front-row start in the premier class. Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) continues an impressive weekend in Austin and will start the Grand Prix from third after a good lap at the beginning of the session.
A tense end to Q1 and a dramatic start to Q2
After a competitive field battled in Q1, Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), managed to secure a spot in Q2, ready to fight for the pole. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) also advanced to Q2, setting a time which was just 0.012 slower than the Australian in Q1. The start to Q2 was nothing short of dramatic, with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) crashing on the first flying lap, remounting and crashing on the second flying lap. However, at the end of the first run, Viñales was the fastest on the track with a 2:01.243.
It was an exciting final five minutes with Viñales finding even more pace – setting a new lap record after setting an unbelievable 2:00.864. Acosta quickly followed into second, as the Spaniard continued to impress the paddock in the third round of the season. Martin ran wide at turn one on the final flying lap, ending any hopes of setting a time good enough to fight for pole. Further back, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing) both suffered crashes in the first sector, taking away a chance of improvement.
A competitive grid
An equally impressive second row will be headed by Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia, who narrowly missed out on a front-row start by 0.086. Bagnaia’s teammate, Enea Bastianini, has qualified in fifth position, continuing to show a great one-lap pace after securing the pole at the Portuguese GP. After all the drama, Martin will join them on the second row, bringing home a 2:01.511, which was good enough for sixth place.
Espargaro’s best lap time came on lap two, earning the 34-year-old a spot in seventh on the grid and will start the Grand Prix alongside Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team’s Fabio Di Giannantonio. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) rounds off the third row in ninth, just 0.873 slower than Viñales’ pole position lap. However, some big names are missing, such as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder, who will be charging from 17th position – the South African will start behind both Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP riders.
Moto2 Q1 & Q2
Aron Canet steals a late pole position on the final flying lap ahead of Aldeguer and Garcia.
Aron Canet, Moto2, Grand Prix of the Americas, 13 April 2024
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) stole pole position in the closing moments of the qualifying – setting a fantastic 2:07.631. The Spaniard took pole position from compatriot Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp), who was a further 0.109 adrift from pole position after spending most of the session at the top of the time sheets. Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) ended the session in third, claiming an unexpected second front-row start in the Moto2 class.
Redemption for Vietti as Aldeguer takes top spot early on
After narrowly missing out in Practice 2, Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) jumped to the top in Q1, rewarding the Italian with a spot in Q2. Jaume Masia (Pertamina Mandalika GAS UP Team), Albert Arenas (QJMOTOR Gresini Racing Moto2), and Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) also progressed to Q2. In the early stages of Q2, a handful of riders went to the top, including Canet and Barry Baltus (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP), before Aldeguer stole the headlines briefly at the top.
A good qualifying for American Racing
Arenas heads the second row of the grid after a fantastic final lap to place the Spaniard in fourth, losing out on a front-row start by 0.046. Home hero Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) rounded out the top five, in a brilliant result for the American. Roberts qualified ahead of teammate Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team), who was on a fast final lap before saving a crash and losing time at the final corner.
Dennis Foggia (Italtrans Racing Team) will be on the third row of the grid, a mere 0.120 behind Ramirez, with the Italian continuing a strong weekend. Alonso Lopez, on the second Beta Tools SpeedUp machine, was down in eighth after being unable to match the pace of teammate Aldeguer. Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Racing Moto2) rounded out the third row as tension builds to an excellent Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas. However, on Sunday, Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) will have to battle 17th, an unexpected qualifying after the Japanese rider topped the time sheets in Free Practice.
Moto3 Q1 & Q2
David Alonso makes history and becomes the first Colombian on pole, and will start ahead of Rueda and Holgado on Sunday.
David Alonso, Moto3, Grand Prix of the Americas, 13 April 2024
David Alonso (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) stole pole position on the final lap of qualifying, setting a 2:14.292 on the final lap of the session. The Colombian rounds off a perfect Saturday and will start Sunday’s race ahead of Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who is a mere 0.017 behind. Rounding out a very competitive front row was the Championship leader and Red Bull GASGAS Tech3’s Daniel Holgado in third position.
The battle in Q1 and a strong opening lap in Q2
Leopard Racing’s Adrian Fernandez had a strong showing in Q1, with the Spaniard leapfrogging into first ahead of Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3). Both riders only set a handful of laps, but they were ahead of Joel Esteban (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) and Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) in a quiet end to the session. However, at the beginning of Q2, Alonso came in with a bang – setting a 2:14.907 on the first flying lap.
The battle for the second row
Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) will head the second row of the grid in fourth after setting an unexpected 2:14.574 put the Dutch rider briefly at the top of the time sheets. Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) was the final rider to set a time in qualifying and will be rewarded with a fifth place start on Sunday after a great lap. Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) rounds off the second row after a very impressive session, which saw the rookie battle for the front row.
Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) will begin Sunday’s race from seventh – however, the Italian will need to complete a LLP during the race. BOE Motorsports’ David Muñoz set only five laps during the session but will start the race just one row behind his teammate in eighth. Stefano Nepa (LEVELUP – MTA) will start from ninth – less than one second from pole position. However, further down the order Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) will now prepare to charge from 13th after spending most of the session in the pitbox.
Lin Jarvis to Retire
In other news from Saturday’s race, Lin Jarvis announced his retirement.
Lin Jarvis is to retire from his role as Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing at the end of 2024. Jarvis has been a mainstay of Yamaha’s MotoGP effort since 1999, when he first took on the role. Now 66 years old, the Brit feels the time is right to step aside and retire.
But Fabio Quartararo doesn’t feel he will be away from the track for long. “Lin is someone that stayed for – I think there is no team boss that stayed as much as him – but for sure, he will stay a little bit,” said the Frenchman. “I mean, he will not really be 100% like now, but he will come still many races.”
Friday, April 12
MotoGP
Jorge Martin was quickest after setting a blisteringly fast time to claim a new lap record ahead of Vinales and Marquez.
It was a nail-biting end to the MotoGP Practice session, with soft tires fitted and Jorge Martin pushing the Prima Pramac Racing Ducati to the limit. Martin set an unbelievable 2:01.397, destroying the lap record by 0.495 on the Spaniard’s 16th lap. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) followed in the late stages of the session, ending the session just 0.076 behind the Martin, leaping up to second on the timesheets. Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) sneaked through to third on the final lap of the session, ending the day a further 0.333 behind Vinales and direct entry into Q2.
With 10 minutes to go, the reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia was outside the top 10, but with less than two minutes on the clock, Bagnaia set a 2:01.808 – ending the session in fourth place. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) continued a perfect end to Friday, setting a fast lap seconds after Bagnaia, crossing the line to jump to fifth on the time sheets. Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro found strong pace at the end of Friday, crossing the line to end the Practice in sixth
Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Ducati) will also have direct entry to Q2 for the first time since the British Grand Prix in 2023, after setting a stunning 2:02.103. The Italian was ahead of compatriot Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) who was eighth – spending most of the session inside the top five. Rounding out the top 10 at the end of Friday were the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team duo of Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi who showed consistent pace throughout the day.
A competitive field, including Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders Brad Binder and Jack Miller, now have to battle for the top two positions in Q1 on Saturday. Joining Binder and Miller in Q1 will be Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), last year’s winner Alex Rins, and the Spaniard’s Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP teammate Fabio Quartararo. Also forced to go through Q1 will be Trackhouse Racing who will hope to impress at their home race in a qualifying you do not want to miss.
MotoGP Practice Session Top 10
- Jorge Martin (Duc) 2:01.397
- Maverick Viñales (Apr) +0.076
- Marc Marquez (Duc) +0.409
- Francesco Bagnaia (Duc) +0.411
- Pedro Acosta (GG) +0.569
- Aleix Espargaro (Apr) +0.627
- Franco Morbidelli (Duc) +0.706
- Enea Bastianini (Duc) +0.747
- Fabio Di Giannantonio (Duc) +0.847
- Marco Bezzecchi (Duc) +0.961
Moto2
After a rollercoaster season so far, preseason favorite Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) put in another statement Friday at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas as he looks for that elusive first win, or even podium, of the year. Setting an unbelievable 2:08.359, he destroyed the lap record by 0.392. The Spaniard ended a fantastic session ahead of MT – Helmets MSI’s Sergio Garcia, who was 0.282 behind but also under the previous lap record. Dennis Foggia put in a great day for the Italtrans Racing Team in third, also spending most of the session inside the top five.
Moto3
David Alonso (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) jumped to the top spot at the end of Friday, setting 14 laps in Practice 1 to hammer home his performance from Free Practice after he’d also started the day fastest. The Colombian’s 2:15.173 in the afternoon saw him edge out Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jose Antonio Rueda, with Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) slotting into third after having been passed fit to ride.
Dorna talks Liberty Takeover
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO, Dan Rossomondo, CCO, and Carlos Ezpeleta, CSO, discuss what lays ahead for the sport. Photo by Gold & Goose
The news that Liberty Media has acquired MotoGP was addressed on the eve of the Grand Prix of the Americas. Aside from the price, and whether the deal will get passed regulation, the burning question was what can fans expect to change?
Dorna CCO Dan Rossomondo said there will be few changes to the format of MotoGP, while Liberty’s mission will be to make the sport “more culturally relevant…
“Same fans also want to be in a position to share the sport with so many others, and I think that’s what we’re going to focus on,” he said. “It’s important that we’ve been doing a lot of stuff over the last year, and before me, on how to make this spectacle transcend motorsport and become more culturally relevant, and we do believe it is the world’s most exciting sport. So it’s about preaching that and shouting it from the rooftops.”
The MotoGP field now prepares for FP2 kicking off at 10:10 local time (Central) on Saturday before qualifying at 10:50 local time, which will decide the grid for the Tissot Sprint at 15:00 local time.
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