We are ready for round three of the MotoGP World Championship, in the series' first visit of the year to the United States and the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas. Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, crucially, must make good starts, to prevent Marc Marquez from whistling off into the distance. Rossi and Marquez are covered by eight points in the championship top two places. Marc Marquez scored his 32nd MotoGP pole, and the 60th of his career, spread between the three classes. Marquez is starting from pole, here at COTA for fourth consecutive year. Marquez wants his tenth consecutive win on American soil. When MotoGP comes to the U.S.A., Marquez, more often than not, is the man to beat.
He's been unbeatable here in Texas. Will the streak continue? We are 21 laps away from finding out. Jorge Lorenzo has not won here in Austin. His two U.S. MotoGP wins, were at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California, (a venue MotoGP does not visit currently), and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Lorenzo has to bounce back after crashing last time out in Argentina. It is unsure if any riders will change tire options before the race begins. Many celebrities are attending this race, including actor Keanu Reeves, who is a big MotoGP fan.
Hometown hero, Kevin Schwantz, the 1993 500cc World Champion, is also here at Circuit of the Americas. He won his '93 title for Suzuki of course. This is now the only American round of the MotoGP World Championship. No longer do the riders and teams race at Laguna Seca, or at Indianapolis. Gentlemen, start your engines. We are ready to race, in Austin, Texas, shortly. Scott Redding on the Pramac Ducati, qualified tenth, for this race. This was the best qualifying run for Scott Redding since the British round of 2015, last September.
Bradley Smith, wants his 27th points scoring finish in MotoGP, and there are only five riders ahead of Smith, who have done that. Loris Baz has his best ever MotoGP qualifying effort. Baz also is the highest qualified Frenchman in a MotoGP race, since Randy de Puniet did so, at the 2013 Phillip Island race in Australia. Pol Espargaro has had a bit of a tough time this weekend. Last year, he was taken out by Scott Redding on lap one. Hector Barbera has had a great season so far. Five minutes before we start the race here at Circuit of the Americas.
Stand by, for drama. Some riders are fully on medium tires. Others combine medium and soft Michelin's. A couple of updates. Michele Pirro, once again, stands in for Danilo Petrucci. Also, Jack Miller, has been declared unfit to race in this event, and will not be taking part. Tito Rabat starts caboose on the field. Miller fractured a bone in his left foot after a heavy fall in the opening Friday practice, here at COTA. As the sun shines in Texas, we are ready, to race. Jack Miller, is here, at the track, and will be a spectator today. Circuit of the Americas is the most demanding on the whole MotoGP schedule.
The $64,000 question, in this race will be, can anyone beat Marc Marquez? Wayne Rainey, a three-time 500cc World Champion, is here, and he is also, chief of MotoAmerica, here in the U.S. Lorenzo and Rossi should contend, and don't rule out Andrea Dovizioso or Andrea Ianonne on the Ducati's either. The riders will have to pounce early, on Marquez, so he doesn't freight train them and disappear into the distance. Round three of the MotoGP World Championship in the spring sunshine of Austin, Texas. 21 laps of the most demanding MotoGP circuit, begins, now!
Marc Marquez flies to the lead from pole. Jorge Lorenzo outdoes him on the start, and is going for the lead! Lorenzo runs wide into turn one. This drops him to fourth. Marc Marquez now leads Valentino Rossi. Andrea Dovizioso has also made a good start as they sweep through the esses for the first time. Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa have both made good starts. Marquez leads, and this will make it tough for his competition. The bikes fly through turn ten. Lorenzo goes into the next corner at turn eleven a bit too hot, and Marc Marquez cuts underneath to take the position away. Rossi and Dovizioso capitalize and Lorenzo loses places seemingly hand over fist.
Down the 3/4 of a mile long back straight, and slam the foot lever for the gearbox from sixth gear down to first gear, grabbing the brake. Riders place their left foot on the pavement, into the corner, to maintain stability on the motorcycle. Wow. Maverick Vinales quickly dives under Valentino Rossi. Rossi is down in sixth. Correction, as it was Aleix Espargaro on the sister Suzuki who made a move on Rossi. With the full fuel load, Jorge Lorenzo is having problems getting the front end of the Yamaha to settle down. Oh boy. The plot thickens, as Marc Marquez now has Andrea Dovizioso on the Ducati, right in his face.
No surprise to see Aleix Espargaro charging for the front. He's got soft tires on the front and rear. So, the Suzuki is going to be storming, there's no doubt of that. Andrea Ianonne runs in hot in turn one. Dani Pedrosa is fifth, and again, the soft rear tire seems to be paying dividends at this early stage of the race. Oh dear. Loris Baz is in a spot of trouble. He's crashed in turn one, and has remounted the bike. But, will he be able to continue? It was indeed Aleix Espargaro making the great start. As lead commentator Nick Harris did, I referred to him, as his Suzuki Ecstar team mate Maverick Vinales. Rossi passes Pedrosa into turn eleven.
Dani Pedrosa uses the horsepower advantage of the Honda to blitz past Rossi on the back straightaway. Rossi is a sitting duck, and does not have the power in the Yamaha, to respond. The next challenge is turns 12 and 13, which is a double apex right hand turn. Double apex, means the corner is two corners, rolled into one. Marc Marquez runs fastest lap so far at 2:05 flat. 2:05.021. Oh dear! This is huge! Valentino Rossi, has just crashed out of the United States motorcycle Grand Prix ladies and gentlemen! Shocking! Game over. Rossi is fine, but he can't be happy.
Rossi loses grip in turn two, a mighty fast corner, the front end washes away, Rossi falls, and the motorcycle spears off in the other direction. This crash, ends a streak, for Rossi. He has been in the top five in the last 24 MotoGP races. Marc Marquez will not know yet, that Rossi is out of it. Marquez is eking out a gap and this race, like the one in Argentina, could be a battle of attrition. Dani Pedrosa has now passed Aleix Espargaro, for fourth. Marquez lowers fastest lap time to 2:04.812.
Former 500cc rider, Randy Mammola, is the one to bring Valentino Rossi back to the Yamaha team garage, on the back of a scooter. Marc Marquez is beginning the process of checking out on the field, bedding in his Michelin tires, and consolidating a lead. Cal Crutchlow runs ninth at the moment. Andrea Ianonne has not made inroads on the top five as of yet. Maverick Vinales is another frustrated rider, starting fourth, and losing four places, to currently be running eighth. Scott Redding is trying to hold Maverick Vinales at bay at the moment. This is a battle for seventh and eighth while Cal Crutchlow holds ninth and Bradley Smith, rounds out the top ten.
If it comes to a horsepower shootout down the back straight, the Ducati, will eat the Suzuki for lunch. The Ducati, is definitely superior in the horsepower wars. Vinales has an advantage in the corners, and does not want to become a meal for the Ducati. Redding is being challenged, by Vinales. Vinales holds the position. Another fast lap from Marquez. He brings it down to a 2:04.703. Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa have also ducked into the 2:04 bracket, running behind Andrea Dovizioso. Lorenzo is going to push hard, as the sole remaining Yamaha in this race. Dovizioso runs third as the gap from Marquez to Lorenzo is 1.7 seconds.
Lorenzo likes running alone, and it will be intriguing to see what kinds of laps he cuts, through the rest of the race. Andrea Dovizioso may not be able to stay with Lorenzo. The Ducati, may not have the steam that the Yamaha does. Aleix Espargaro, on the soft tires, is dropping behind the lead group. Lorenzo, Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa are fighting for second spot. Maverick Vinales has passed Scott Redding. Vinales moves to seventh, as Andrea Ianonne runs ahead of Aleix Espargaro on the sister Suzuki. Espargaro could fade in the second half of the race because the soft option tires won't hold up.
Iannone will be riding cautiously, wanting to gain points, and not making stupid mistakes. Valentino Rossi debriefs with the Yamaha mechanics on why he crashed. The bike just got out from under him and as can be seen from the onboard camera, the angle at which he lost control, made the bike spin like a top. Dani Pedrosa does not have the horsepower to get past the Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso. Fifteen laps left, and, another wreck! We watch from the on board camera, as Dani Pedrosa takes Andrea Dovizioso out of the race! This is a massive mistake made by Pedrosa and immediately he goes to apologize to his competitor.
Into the corner, Pedrosa loses it, and absolutely cannot avoid slamming into Andrea Dovizioso. It's like a pinball machine. The bike starts wiggling, and Pedrosa has no control. The Repsol Honda becomes an unguided missile and clobbers the Ducati. That is without doubt, ker-runch! One of the strangest accidents I've seen in MotoGP racing. Dovizioso will have a sore hip and leg after that one. Pedrosa is able to carry on in the race as the medical staff and marshals help Dovizioso to safety.
Pedrosa unloaded the rear of the motorcycle, tried to compensate, grabbing the front brake, and as a result, laid the bike down, but not before absolutely wiping out the Ducati. Dovizioso has had two big crashes, that weren't his fault, within a week. The gap now between Lorenzo and Marquez is 2.7 seconds. The rest of the top ten is Andrea Ianonne, Aleix Espargaro, Maverick Vinales, Scott Redding, Cal Crutchlow, Bradley Smith, Michele Pirro, and Pol Espargaro. The other riders completing the top 15 are Yonny Hernandez, Hector Barbera, Stefan Bradl, Alvaro Bautista, and Eugene Laverty.
We are only 1/3rd of the way through this race. Two Brits, Scott Redding and Cal Crutchlow, fight for sixth place. Another Brit, Bradley Smith, runs behind them. Another wreck! MotoGP in Texas, has become a bull fight. Or, a demolition derby, depending on how you look at it. Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith, have both fallen. Crutchlow crashes, and immediately, almost in sympathy (but not really), Bradley Smith ditches his motorcycle. Bradley Smith is able to continue in the race. Scott Redding was under pressure from Smith. So, he'll have some relief. Crutchlow does rejoin the action.
A battle for fourth, between the two Suzuki's. Aleix Espargaro has the spot. Maverick Vinales, wants it. Scott Redding is sixth ahead of Michele Pirro, Pol Espargaro, Hector Barbera, and Stefan Bradl. Marc Marquez is on a Sunday cruise, while there's been mayhem all around the rest of the speedway here in Austin, Texas. Dani Pedrosa is back in the race, but down in 17th spot. Vinales looks like he took the spot away from his team mate. But, Espargaro does the over/under when Vinales runs wide. Vinales happens to be using the soft rear tire. Vinales is on the medium front tire, which gives him more tire durability, and braking stability.
Another casualty of this race, is Andrea Dovizioso. The unluckiest chap in MotoGP right now. This time, Dani Pedrosa, gets the bike unsettled over a rise, and much like the earlier crash, spears the Ducati and Dovizioso falls down, along with Pedrosa, in a heap. The impact was a hard one, and maybe knocked the wind out of Dovizioso, just for a second. While the two Suzuki's continue their scrap, Scott Redding is reeling them in little by little. Pride is on the line for Aleix Espargaro and he's not conceding fourth place without a fight.
Marquez is four seconds quicker than Jorge Lorenzo. Marquez is two seconds quicker than the rest of the field. To give you an idea, Marquez is running laps in the 2:04 range, while the competition, can only muster 2:06 lap times. More argy bargy between the Suzuki team mates. Play nice, boys. Vinales inside of Espargaro. Can he stick the pass? Not without a fight. Espargaro comes back on the outside, and they are side by side down the hill. Vinales is fourth, and Espargaro is not giving up. No dice for Espargaro. He'll sure doesn't want to throw in the towel on this one.
Watch out. We don't want anymore dual tank slappers in this race, boys. We've seen Pedrosa crash. We've seen Dovizioso crash. Vinales has less movement in the front end of his Suzuki than Espargaro does. Eleven laps left. Marc Marquez won't know or care of any of the drama that's unfolded behind him. He knows Rossi is out. But he may not be aware that Dovizioso and Pedrosa also have retired. Pedrosa, is back out on track, but in no way contending for a win. We are almost at half distance in this race.
Another fast lap for Marquez as he's clear of the field. 2:04.682 is the recorded time. He is a full 1.4 seconds faster than Jorge Lorenzo right now. Michele Pirro is chasing down Hector Barbera in the back half of the top ten. He has Stefan Bradl and Yonny Hernandez behind him. Bradley Smith's streak of 26 straight points scoring finishes, could be snapped, today. Cal Crutchlow is 17th, back in this race. The LCR Honda team has had a tough start to the 2016 season. Alvaro Bautista is next in line on the Aprilia, and Aprilia could pick up some points after this race.
It is now game over for Dani Pedrosa. The damage to his motorcycle is too great to continue. Some good news is, Andrea Dovizioso is physically fine after that hard spill. Maverick Vinales will be the top dog at Suzuki today, as he works his way ahead of team mate Aleix Espargaro. Nine laps left. Pol Espargaro runs a 2:06.2, his personal best lap of this race. Jorge Lorenzo retains second place. He won't have anything for Marc Marquez, and should just bring the bike home, and finish. Dani Pedrosa goes to the Ducati pit to speak to Andrea Dovizioso. These two, were team mates, at Repsol Honda, years ago.
Marquez, Lorenzo, and Iannone are the top three. The gap increases between Marquez and Lorenzo. Sit back and admire a man, at the highest level, on the most demanding race track on the MotoGP calendar. This is Marc Marquez's house. The next four races, are the ones Lorenzo won successively last season. Jerez in Spain, Le Mans, France, Mugello, in Italy, and Barcelona, Spain. Dani Pedrosa admits he lost the front end of the motorcycle. Nothing mechanical happened. Eugene Laverty and Tito Rabat are hanging in there. This is only Rabat's third MotoGP race. He's gaining experience with each one.
Six laps left. Marquez's rear tire loses contact with the pavement briefly. Hector Barbera runs eighth with Michele Pirro in ninth. Michele Pirro has gained a place, and Stefan Bradl, on the Aprilia, is up to tenth. Scott Redding runs sixth, currently. Scott Redding, is running less consistent lap times and won't be within reach of Aleix Espargaro in the final laps. Michele Pirro gets around Hector Barbera to retake seventh. This is Pirro's first appearance at COTA. He is subbing for the injured Danilo Petrucci. Aprilia is going to upgrade their engines and will have those upgrades set in time for the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello which is slated for mid May.
Aprilia has struggled accelerating out of slow, first gear corners. Aprilia and Stefan Bradl, were seventh, last time out in Argentina, the best MotoGP result for Aprilia in 13 years. Noriyuki Haga at the 2003 British GP, was the last rider to finish for Aprilia, in the top ten in MotoGP. Alvaro Bautista has begun running better at Aprilia. Tito Rabat is running well in this race. Marquez leads by 7.3 seconds as Cal Crutchlow passes Bradley Smith for 16th. Loris Baz is going to score the final championship point available in this race.
After the early drama, this race has become more of a parade than a motorcycle race. Three laps left in this race. Andrea Ianonne will have his first points of the season, and finish on the podium for Ducati. It will be his first points since Australia last fall. It will be hard to beat Marc Marquez here at Circuit of the Americas. Again, this track, is his house. Eugene Laverty and Tito Rabat have both managed to get around Yonny Hernandez. Two laps to go as we watch Tito Rabat dive inside of Yonny Hernandez. Loris Baz, crashes, but remounts the bike to try and salvage some points as we get to the end of this one, folks.
Maverick Vinales is so so close to a podium finish. He will have to settle for fourth here in Austin, Texas. Bradley Smith will not score points, just as was suspected. It's the final lap. Maverick Vinales cannot find the performance in the races, even though they qualify well. Marquez has eight seconds in hand over Jorge Lorenzo. The double MotoGP world champ, he is going to win another race, in Texas. He is untouchable in Texas. Marc Marquez wins it, by a country mile!
#93 Marc Marquez ESP. Honda
Vinales is the top Suzuki, and Scott Redding finishes sixth. Stefan Bradl edges out Aprilia team mate Alvaro Bautista, for tenth spot. Loris Baz will be 15th and the last points scorer. Marc Marquez increases his points lead. Marc Marquez, scores his 52nd Grand Prix race win, tying him, with the legend, Phil Read, from England. He is ninth all-time on the podium list. Every time he races at Circuit of the Americas, he breaks another record. Blimey, this kid, is just amazing.
That's a wrap, y'all, from Austin, Texas. The next MotoGP race, is this weekend, as the European stage of the season, begins, at Circuito de Jerez de la Frontera, in Jerez, Spain, this weekend.
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