The weekend in Austin was going to be complicated for Sky Racing Team VR46. Luca Marini arrived injured following training at the Ranch, and Francesco Bagnaia fell heavily in FP1. However, at the end of the race, the team returned with a victory and positive feelings.
Francis Bagnaia certainly did not expect to return from Austin as leader of the World Championship given his fall in FP1 on Friday. This seemed, at that moment, to condition his Grand Prix: “The weekend didn't start off in the best way. My fall on Friday was very violent, and I received a big blow to the left side when the bike hit me. I wasn't 100%, but we didn't give up and continued to work for qualifying, during which we made good progress. »
Indeed, “Pecco” qualified fourth, and was able to perfectly dominate his opponents in the race to then pick up Álex Márquez who had taken the lead: “I got a good start and tried to have some margin for the last laps. As I got closer to Álex, I realized that he was having difficulty attacking. I waited a few minutes and passed him. »
In the end, Bagnaia widened the gap on the Spaniard and went on to win, despite his physical condition, which bodes very well for the future: “This is our second victory in three races, which means we are heading in the right direction. This result, here in Austin, does not have the same value as that of Qatar. I've always had trouble on this track. I had to adapt my driving style and today I managed the race really well. »
For his part, his teammate Luca marini arrived injured at the Grand Prix following a fall in training last week. Although optimistic at the start, the Italian driver ultimately noticed that his physical condition handicapped him: “Compared to the rest of the weekend, I suffered more physically in the race than I expected. »
Around the top 15 throughout the weekend, Marini nevertheless managed to qualify in sixth position. Unfortunately, he was unable to maintain this position throughout the race and finished thirteenth: “I got off to a good start and tried to stay with the front runners, but I struggled to keep up with their pace. Additionally, I encountered problems with my gearbox a few laps from the end, which forced me to slow down. »
However, number 10 gave the best of himself during this Grand Prix and is positive for the future: “We leave Austin with the conviction that we have given 100%. We have worked hard and are ready to face the races in Europe. »
