INDIA in F1

Tag: COTA

  • Bagnaia capitalises on Marc Marquez crash in drama-filled Americas GP

    Bagnaia capitalises on Marc Marquez crash in drama-filled Americas GP

    Rain, a delayed start and an end to the #93’s clean sweep in 2025 – Sunday in Austin had a little bit of everything as Alex Marquez becomes the new title chase leader…

    Austin (USA), 30 March 2025: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) is a Grand Prix winner in 2025 after an immensely dramatic Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas unfolded on a Sunday afternoon that saw COTA King, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), crash out of the lead. With another P2 finish, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) becomes the new MotoGP title chase leader, as Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) completed the podium in an absolutely unforgettable Round 3.


    RAIN (AND A QUICK-THINKING MM93) CREATES PRE-RACE CHAOS IN AUSTIN

    Talk about amplified drama. Rain before the start saw the riders face incredibly tricky conditions heading to the grid, as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) proved. The Frenchman crashed on his sighting lap but managed to get back round to the grid, as we then saw something we very rarely see.


    Just before the three-minute board was signalled, Marc Marquez dashed off the grid. This led to Bagnaia, Di Giannantonio, Alex Marquez and more following suit, with riders and team members sprinting down pit lane to grab the spare bikes that were fitted with slick tyres. 


    Some though, including Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), opted to gamble on slick tyres from the get-go and remained on the grid – along with some other riders. However, in the chaos, the red flags were thrown. Below, is the reasoning from Race Director Mike Webb: “We called for a delay and then quick start procedure due to safety concerns. Given the number of riders, bikes and pit staff on the grid and in the pit lane area, it was impossible to start the warm-up lap. A new race start was the safest way to respond to the unprecedented circumstances at the start of the Grand Prix. We will analyse the situation together with the teams and revisit the regulations.”

    After a brief pause in proceedings, the updated information was a 14:10 pit lane green light and a quick start procedure, with original grid positions to be occupied by every rider. Then, it was time to try again – every rider now on slicks. But again, there was drama. Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) had to be wheeled off the grid before we finally got the Grand Prix underway.


    LIGHTS OUT: Marc Marquez grabs early lead

    Marc Marquez launched well and grabbed the holeshot, with Alex Marquez holding off Bagnaia into Turn 1. Pecco was trying to wriggle his way past the Gresini rider, first at Turn 11, then at Turn 12, but both attempts failed. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez built a 1.1s lead at the end of Lap 1, with the top four – Marquez, Marquez, Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio – nearly two seconds up the road from Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team), who was enjoying a good battle with Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team).


    On Lap 4, Marc Marquez’s lead was up to 1.4s over Alex Marquez, who had Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio clinging onto his tailpipes. Then, at Turn 12, Bagnaia’s latest manoeuvre worked. The #63 was now in P2, so with clear air, could he reel in teammate Marquez?

    A 2:02.466 from #93 saw Marquez stretch his lead to 1.6s at the start of Lap 5, and then a 2:02.433 meant the gap was now up to the two-second mark. Meanwhile, further down the pack in the fantastic fight for P6, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed at Turn 1.


    MORE DRAMA: The #93’s first error of 2025


    Then, fancy another massive slice of drama? Because that’s what we got. Turn 4 was the place, and it was race leader Marc Marquez who was on the floor! The front end washed away as he clipped across the curb too far, hit a wet patch, and with that, the undefeated run was over. Marquez was able to remount in P18, but without a right foot peg, plus more damage to his GP25, there was no way back into the points for the #93 with both Viñales and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing) passing the six-time MotoGP Champion.


    BOUNCING BACK: Bagnaia holds on for victory

    So where did that leave us? Bagnaia led Alex Marquez by 1.6s, with the latter 2.2s clear of Di Giannantonio. And on Lap 13, Marc Marquez called time on his 2025 Sunday outing at the Americas GP. The victory streak was officially over.

    On Lap 15 of 19, Bagnaia grew his advantage to three seconds. A lap later, it was a tenth more as Marquez continued to hold Di Giannantonio at arm’s length – 1.3s to be exact. Meanwhile, the fastest rider on track was Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and the rookie, with two laps left, bullied his way past Miller for P5. However, a fantastic ride then ended in the gravel trap at Turn 15, and at a similar time, Zarco’s impressive display ended at Turn 12.

    Last lap time. Bagnaia simply had to bring it home, but 2.5s behind, Alex Marquez couldn’t relax as much. Diggia was prowling, a second split the two, so any slight error from the #73 could prove costly. In the end, it stayed as you were. Bagnaia bagged a massive 25 points to become the 10th rider in history to earn 30 MotoGP wins, as new World Championship leader, Alex Marquez, crossed the line in P2 for the sixth straight outing. Di Giannantonio’s efforts weren’t enough for P2, but nevertheless, a phenomenal P3 was pocketed for the Italian in Austin.

    POINTS SCORERS: Americas GP edition

    Morbidelli came home in P4, with Miller grabbing his best Yamaha result with a very classy P5. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) came from P13 on the grid to finish P6, Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) rose to the occasion on a Sunday once more to fly the KTM flag highest in P7, as Marini, Ogura, and Quartararo completed the top 10.

    Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was P11, Raul Fernandez leaves Trackhouse MotoGP Team’s home race with a P12, as Augusto Fernandez (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), Viñales and Savadori rounded out the points finishers in Texas.

    Well, MotoGP delivers again. Drama, drama and a bit more drama. Marc Marquez’s 100% record vanishes as a new Marquez sits atop the Championship – Alex. And how big will that victory be for Pecco? The double MotoGP World Champion will now be brimming with confidence heading to Qatar for Round 4. See you all there.

  • Marc Marquez clinches gold in blockbuster Austin Sprint

    Marc Marquez clinches gold in blockbuster Austin Sprint

    Marc MThe #93’s 100% win record remains intact, but it didn’t come easy as a brilliant Tissot Sprint unfolds in Texasarquez clinches gold in blockbuster Austin Sprint

    Austin (Texas, US), 29 March 2025: Stateside Tissot Sprint glory went the way of Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) – but not without a decent slice of drama and fireworks thrown in along the way. The #93 eventually beat Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) by less than a second in Austin to keep up his 100% victory record in 2025, as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – after leading on the first lap – brought home a bronze medal to set us up beautifully for Sunday.

    AN OPENING LAP SHOWDOWN: Marquez vs Bagnaia vs Marquez

    Without any shadow of a doubt, the opening lap of the Sprint was the best lap of the season – and it’ll take some beating too. Bagnaia, from P6, launched away superbly to grab the holeshot up the hill into Turn 1. Marc Marquez bit straight back at Turn 2 to retake the lead from his teammate, but at Turn 3, it was Pecco doing the overtaking again. It didn’t take long before Marquez decided to pounce back though, Turn 7 his chosen spot.So it was Marc Marquez leading Bagnaia and Alex Marquez. But at Turn 17, the #93’s Sprint very nearly came to a premature end. An almighty rear-end slide led to the six-time MotoGP Champion getting thrown out of the saddle, which cost the Championship leader P1 and P2. Thought we were done? Nope. Bagnaia and the Marquez brothers were locked together on the exit of Turn 19 and into Turn 20, the final corner, Marc Marquez passed both to retake the lead, with Alex Marquez slotting into P2. That’s worth several rewatches. 

    HOW THE SPRINT WAS WON

    That was some opening lap. But after hitting the front again and getting into a rhythm, Marc Marquez started to build a gap to Alex Marquez. It was 0.6s on Lap 3, as Bagnaia lost touch with the top two. The Italian had Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) swarming all over his rear tyre before the Frenchman had a huge moment on entry to Turn 15, which allowed Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) to slide through. Now, Quartararo was in a VR46 sandwich, with Fabio Di Giannantonio sitting in P6.

    On Lap 5 of 10, Marc Marquez’s advantage had shrunk from just under a second to 0.4s. That did rise back up to 0.6s on the next lap though, as Pecco found pace. But was it too late to lock onto the rear end of Alex Marquez?

    Meanwhile, a ferocious battle was unfolding between the two VR46 Ducatis and Quartararo. The trio exchanged fourth with four laps to go as the Yamaha star dug deep to try and cling onto a chance of finishing P4 – and what a job he was doing.

    With two laps to go, Marc Marquez’s lead was up to 1.4s, while Alex Marquez was still holding Bagnaia at bay by just over a second. However, heading onto the last lap, Alex had reeled in Marc. It was 0.7s over the line, so could anything be done by the younger Marquez to end his brother’s early season momentum?

    The answer was no. Marc Marquez held firm to pick up his third Tissot Sprint win on the bounce, with Alex Marquez continuing his P2 streak. Bagnaia claimed an important P3, just under two seconds away from his teammate, but the 2022 and 2023 MotoGP World Champion will be wanting more in Sunday’s Grand Prix despite being pleased with the result.

    SATURDAY POINTS SCORERS IN AUSTIN

    After a phenomenal mid-race scrap, Di Giannantonio won the fight for fourth, with Morbidelli keeping Quartararo behind him as the former teammates clinch P5 and P6 respectively – a top effort from the Yamaha star. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) collected seventh and acted as the lead KTM on Saturday, as Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) earned two Sprint points with a hard-earned P8. That was a great ride from the Italian who flew the HRC flag in the points after teammate Joan Mir crashed out from the top nine early doors, with Honda again showing progress – and that was Marini’s first Sprint points with Honda too.

    Meanwhile, the final Sprint point went the way of rookie Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) after a great late battle with Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).

    If that first lap and subsequent battles didn’t get the juices flowing for Sunday in Austin, then we’re not sure what will. Tune into the MotoGP Americas Grand Prix at 14:00 local time (UTC -5) to see who will collect COTA’s 2025 crown!

  • Marc Marquez takes history-making COTA pole, Diggia pips Alex Marquez to second in Texas

    Marc Marquez takes history-making COTA pole, Diggia pips Alex Marquez to second in Texas

    The #93 becomes the first rider ever to take eight poles at one venue, with Diggia and Alex Marquez denying Acosta the front row
    Austin (Texas), Saturday, 29 March 2025: Qualifying for MotoGP at the Circuit of the Americas was a rollercoaster, with history made and some late shuffles changing the front row once and then again. Having topped Friday afternoon and Saturday morning action, COTA master Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) remains the rider to beat with his eighth pole at the circuit though, and that’s a new record for poles at one track in MotoGP.

    Second it’s Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) after he had a lap scrubbed and reinstated, with Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). 
    PRESSURE ON: the battle to ascend into Q2
    First up though, Q1 and the dogfight to get into the shootout of Q2; big names in abundance, there were always going to be headlining acts sidelined from a shot at pole. On his first flying lap, yellow flags were out due to a highside on the exit of Turn 9 for Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) after running marginally off the kerb. He was perfectly OK and after grabbing the nearest scooter, he rushed back to pitlane and hopped on his spare bike. Due to the yellow flags, the first laps were largely cancelled. After that, there was also a red flag due to the air-fence needing to be re-deployed.
    Following a brief stoppage, 08:36 remained on the clock, making for a second half of the session full of activity, including Fernandez’s return to the track. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) was the first rider to set a lap time, with the benchmark of 2:02.001 for everyone else to beat but after the first runs, nobody was able to; Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) found time and went up to P2 before making an impressive save at Turn 1. Despite other efforts, Marini and Quartararo sailed into Q2, leaving Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) as one of the big disappointments, rooted to P13 with Aprilia out of Q2 for the first time since Thailand in 2022.
    POLE BATTLE: Q2 ignites in the USA
    First laps in, Marc Marquez set the benchmark of a 2:01.522, the fastest time of the weekend but on the second flying lap, plenty of riders were on course to better it. At Turn 11, the #93 had a big moment but escaped a fall, although the lap had now gone. With the first half of the session done, Di Giannantonio had moved into P2 ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), whilst in P5, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) had saved a crash on his elbow at Turn 19 but a forced to be reckoned with inside the top five. He was just behind Alex Marquez who was up in P4.
    FIGHT UNTIL THE END: Marquez brothers in pole scrap
    The final five minutes were the deciding moments, with Marc Marquez leading Mir and thus giving his ex-teammate a good look at his lap at COTA. Just behind, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was trying to latch on but fell at Turn 1; he soon remounted whilst teammate Alex Marquez was on a storming lap and went provisional pole ahead of his brother. But the timing screens were alive with red sectors.

    Marc Marquez managed to respond to grab pole but behind, Di Giannantonio, who originally had his lap cancelled for yellow flags, had it reinstated for P2. Alex Marquez rounded out the front row whilst Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Pecco completed the second row.
    Top Honda honours were swept away by Marini who heads up the third row ahead of teammate Mir, making it the first time in  and Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), with the latter two setting identical lap times. Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) took his first top ten with KTM, ahead of 2021 World Champion Fabio Quartararo and late crasher Aldeguer. 

  • Maverick Vinales wins Sprint race at COTA: MotoGP

    Maverick Vinales wins Sprint race at COTA: MotoGP

    Unstoppable on Saturday: rivals have no answer for the #12 as the Aprilia rider storms to a second Saturday win in succession

    Austin, 13 April 2024: Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) is now a back-to-back Tissot Sprint winner! The #12 started from a lap record pole, took off at full chat and never looked back at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, leaving the King of COTA – Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) – to battle it out for second on Saturday. That battle for second pitted the eight-time World Champion against rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) first, and then Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), but Marquez dug in and held on for P2. Martin was able to get ahead of the rookie by the flag too, further extending his points lead.

    As the lights went out, there was potential for some statement moves at Turn 1, but for the Sprint it was a drama-free get away and for Viñales more than anyone. Top Gun was off like a shot to take the lead, with Marquez pipping Acosta at Turn 1 and the trio able to stay just comfortably clear of Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Martin. 

    Martin was the rider on the move in the early stages, getting past Bastianini when the gap to Acosta was hovering around a second and starting to hunt down the leading trio. By the time he’d cut that gap in half, Viñales was already over a second clear at the front, ominous from the off.

    By seven to go, Marquez had Acosta and Martin for serious company, with the machines all locked together as they snaked round the mammoth Circuit of the Americas. The rookie didn’t take long to try a move either, attacking with five to go, but the number 93 was ready and repelled him on the cutback. That was Martin’s signal to try his own move and the #89 sliced past Acosta just before the back straight, shutting the door firmly on a reply and locking his sights on Marquez.

    Up in the lead, Batmav was gone. Viñales’ lead was increasing and increasing until it hit the two second mark, where it then stayed within a few tenths here and there as his awesome pace continued. Neither the king of COTA nor the king of the Tissot Sprint had an answer on Saturday, with the #12 crossing the line for a second Sprint win in succession to depose both on the same day. Those 20 points from Sunday in Portugal forced to go AWOL on the last lap now seem even more expensive, with Viñales now 36 off the top instead of second overall.

    Second on the road at COTA, meanwhile, went to Marquez. The #93 had enough in hand to make sure Martin had no chance to attack, although the Championship leader extended his advantage with third place. Acosta was forced to settle for fourth, able to hold off a late charge from Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing).

    Bastianini came P6 at the head of a freight train fight late on. The ‘Beast’ duelled Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) on the last lap and was able to hold the Aussie off to the line, with reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) forced to follow both home after a tough day at the office. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) was next home in that tightly packed battle, taking the final Sprint point just ahead of a first top ten of the year for Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) as he starts to creep more and more into contention after missing pre-season.

    Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) had a technical problem and retired early, and Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team), Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda LCR) and Castrol Honda LCR’s Johann Zarco all crashed out, riders ok.

    They’ll all be looking for some redemption on Sunday, and the likes of Bagnaia will hope to pull that classic magic out the hat to come out swinging too. Looking at Viñales’ pace, it’s going to take a lot to stop the steamroller… but Marquez, Martin and Acosta will most definitely be ready to try.

    Tune in for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas Grand Prix race at 14:00 (UTC -5) to see if Batmav can make history as the first rider to win with three factories in the MotoGP™ era – or who has a joker up their sleeve to stop him.

  • “Why not a win?”: Thursday talking points in Texas

    “Why not a win?”: Thursday talking points in Texas

    Austin, Thursday, 13 April 2023: From Termas we’ve landed in Texas and boy howdy is it great to be back! Two press conferences kicked us off on Thursday, the first comprising Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), and the second Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoData RNF MotoGP).

    Here are some key quotes:

    MARCO BEZZECCHI

    How special is it leading the championship for the first time?

    MARCO BEZZECCHI: “Yeah, it was a particular week for me at home. It was a very nice feeling to come back and to see all the love from my family, friends, and all fans at home. It was something that I didn’t expect honestly but it was fantastic. I feel good, and I feel happy but I also know it’s already time to race again so I also feel concentrated.”

    How many times did you watch that Termas race?

    “Many. I think more than 20. As soon as I had some time I put it on the TV, and when I ate whenever I was at home. It was fantastic!”

    What’s the message from the camp right now?

    Marco Bezzecchi at the Thursday MotoGP Press Conference. MotoGP image

    “Well, definitely to keep my feet on the ground because Matt, my dad, and everyone in the team is saying this to me, but it’s also what I think. We were already in this same way of thinking. To think about the championship, honestly, it’s very early so I’m not thinking about the championship I’m just enjoying the victory and in the end I arrive here how I arrived in Argentina, just being myself and trying to be fast.”

    FRANCESCO BAGNAIA

    We saw how frustrated you were in Termas after losing the lead and 20 points, but what did you learn?

    FRANCESCO BAGNAIA: “I understood that in the wet everything slips more than in the dry. We were looking with the team about what could have caused the crash and the truth is that there is no explanation. It’s difficult to explain, but in any case, we have to think about this weekend and focus on what we have to do.

    “This is not the time to think about the championship. It’s good not to take too many risks, but at that moment I was second and it was the first time I felt so competitive in the wet. I wasn’t thinking about staying calm or waiting, I just wanted to open a gap to Alex Marquez who was behind, but without taking too many risks. I didn’t do anything different, but I crashed.

    “Now we move on. We are in Austin, I love this circuit and I love this country. It’s one of the most demanding circuits, but we are ready.”

    Where can the strengths of the Ducati help you at COTA?

    Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati at the Thursday MotoGP press meet. Photo MotoGP

    “I think in the first sector, well, in the first two sectors we can be more competitive because the engine is more agile and it helps to line up better in sectors one and two. Last year I had problems, I was losing time under braking and that is something I will have to improve, but I think this year’s bike will help us.”

    What do you like most about Austin and the United States?

    “I love the atmosphere in America, it’s more relaxed. I love being here, going out, having a hamburger… I love walking around here. I’ve met a lot of people from the paddock around Austin, I think we all love it here.”

    Could Marco Bezzecchi be a title contender?

    “I think we all recognise Marco’s talent and speed, but it’s too early to be a title contender now. We are only in the third race, I don’t want to put my name on it either… we have to keep calm. There is plenty of time, but for sure Bezzecchi will be very competitive for the whole season and if I have to choose a rival I prefer it to be from Valentino’s Academy.”

    On the absence of Marc and Enea:

    “Honestly, Marc was one of the guys to beat here this year and Enea too, but it’s difficult to know because the level of the Honda’s is not the same as it was years ago and we have all moved on and grown. For Marc, it might have been more complicated to be competitive, but for sure he would have been there to fight, his way of interpreting this circuit is incredible. So is Enea. We have two fewer contenders, but the level of the other riders is very high.”

    JOHANN ZARCO

    How do you assess your start to 2023?

    JOHANN ZARCO: “I’m pretty happy overall with the two races. For me, the sprint race is good to prepare for Sunday, and I’ve always been well prepared for the Sunday and the big result came twice. I’m happy about it. Clearly, the conditions in Termas were almost my conditions to perform easier compared to the dry. I expected to win but Marco was too fast at the beginning and in the end, I had to recover the time that I lost. But being third at the beginning of the third weekend is a pleasure, and it’s a sign that many things are possible. I’m happy, and as Marco said everything is so early so we need to get focused on the weekend and try to get a good feeling. It’s a tough track here. I was fast last year but not very consistent. If I can find a good pace I can wish for good things.”

    Have you got any ideas on how to be more competitive in the opening laps?

    “It’s a way to ride the bike. It seems the way I ride it at the end of the race when the others have less grip, I’ve got an advantage, but when the tyres are pretty fresh I miss a few tenths. But when everybody is fast around you, it’s also very tough to fight. The starts have been much better than last year and this is useful even if I could not fight very well at the beginning of the race I didn’t lose time at the start and at the first corners. It’s small things, we cannot say that we have to change anything. We are always talking about feeling and trying to get his pure feeling that will help me to do whatever I want when I want.”

    ALEX MARQUEZ

    ALEX MARQUEZ: “I’m so happy with the level we’re showing, it’s much better than what I imagined before starting the season with Ducati and Gresini but we also need to be realistic, we’re not on the level of the best Ducati riders in the dry so we need to keep working, we are in constant progression going up and that’s good, but we need to be realistic and go step-by-step. Starting like this is really good for the team and also for me because I’m coming from two difficult years, especially the last one, so to start like this for my confidence and motivation is really good. We’re not on the level of the best Ducat riders but we need to do as we have until now, try to get points, and try to be there for the Championship. We have a lot of races and Sprints ahead, so we need to focus on those points and not take any 0s. To be there will be important this year. Every weekend it’ll be important for us to take steps forward.”

    The Marquez name is no stranger to the top step… could this be a chance to win?

    Alex Marquez, at the MotoGP press conference. A MotoGP image

    “If Marc comes to Austin, you know you only had half a chance to win. Without Marc here, maybe it becomes 85%! I don’t know, it’s a new track with this bike for me. I don’t know how it’ll come to us. We have quite clear ideas of what we need to improve, so we’ll try to do our best again and have a solid weekend. Why not win? But it’s not our objective at the moment, we need to be realistic. Our position is between 4th and 7th more or less, but if we have the chance to take a podium or try and win, for sure we’ll try, but realistic for the moment it’s 4th to 8th.”

    JACK MILLER

    It feels like this has the making of a first big result here for you with KTM, do you get that vibe?

    JACK MILLER: “Yeah for sure, I love coming back here to COTA. It’s definitely one of the Grand Prix that I look forward to most on the calendar, probably one of my favourites. The track is so different from everywhere else that we race. It has its positive points and its different points which are nice. I’m looking forward to it, I think with this KTM I’m excited to see what we can do around this track because the points that I’m finding myself strong on the bike generally play into the parts of this track. We’ll see what we can do this weekend, hopefully, we can get a decent crowd for both Saturday and Sunday and put on a decent show.”

    Is your front-end confidence with the KTM going to help at COTA, and where?

    “Yeah, I think we’ve managed to improve the braking performance of the bike, the decelerating performance. I think going into this Grand Prix this is one of the key factors you need with corners like corner 1, and whatever it is before the back straight, and then after the back straight, and the last corner as well. I think having a decent bike that’s performing well on the brakes is going to be key, also the way the bike changes direction is really precise and it’s giving me good feedback through the handlebars in terms of wanting the change direction so I think sectors 1 and 2 will definitely be pretty nice on this thing.”

    FABIO QUARTARARO

    Your position at the moment doesn’t feel like a true reflection of your potential or speed this season, is that how you see it?

    FABIO QUARTARARO: “Our potential in the wet in Argentina was great, the pace in the Sprint wasn’t the best but we’re not so far. Qualifying is the point we need to work on, and it’ll be key this weekend to have a great qualifying.”

    What’s missing in the M1 this year so far to make it feel like your bike?

    “It’s not so much, but everything is so tight that if you’re not 100% confident on the bike it’s still difficult. Portugal wasn’t too bad, but we had a test just before. We had to figure out in Argentina the conditions, every time we were going on track we were changing something and it was getting better and better. So hopefully we can find our base on this track, and especially in qualifying make a step forward.”

    On Toprak: “That’s not my thing… of course, it was a great opportunity for him to try the bike for two days, but I’ve never really talked to him about this test. Then the future of Yamaha, it’s not in my hands, we’ll see who my teammate is next year, it could be Franco or someone else.”

    Can you explain to us about your injury and recovery?

    MIGUEL OLIVEIRA: “Yeah well, the injury was just a tendon that was a little bit damaged, a couple of tendons in the hip. So basically the problem was that I couldn’t open my leg and swing my leg over the bike without pain so the traveling to Argentina was very long. I was in a lot of pain for three days, it was pretty tough but I had to take the decision to rest. It’s a shame that the first couple of races were back-to-back otherwise I think I could’ve raced the following weekend as we are doing now. From everything that happened Sunday, I’m very grateful for not having any major injuries out of that.”

    Your pace in Portimao should give you confidence with the Aprilia for the rest of the season.

    “Yes, Portimao was indeed a track that maybe was better suited to my style and not the areas that I was struggling with the Aprilia which was straight braking. Here in Texas, I think I will struggle a bit more to adapt to this area where I’m not really comfortable yet, but I think we have the opportunity from tomorrow to start working on this and being able to get more comfortable with the bike. We have time, it’s a long season and I just want to restart my season here again and hopefully score points in both races which will be important.”

    What are your expectations and hopes for the weekend?

    “Well, I think I have to see you tomorrow. I need to discover the track with this bike. I don’t see any specific reason why the Aprilias cannot be competitive here so we just need to start and make progress through the practices and the weekend as time goes on and we get more time with the bike to be fast which is the main target.”

    eom/david/14apr23