Austin MotoGP Course: Mark, clean and without burrs

After a Explosive Argentine Grand Prix, embellished with controversies and other clashes on the track and behind the scenes, MotoGP is present in Austin, Texas, hoping to experience a reduction in tension there. A wish that remained in vain since the qualifications were marked by an incident between Marc Márquez and Viñales, who led officials to crack down. But in a homeopathic dose, since the Honda official will start not from the top of the starting grid but fourth. And without being impressed by his misadventure since the Honda official declared that we were not dispossessing him of pole position in the statistics, that he was leaving with the watch and that we were going to see what we were going to see in race…

Words that can be credited if we judge from the summary table of the facts…

 

Austin MotoGP™	2017	2018
FP1	2'04.923 Maverick Vinales	2'05.530 Marc Marquez (See here)
FP2	2'04.061 Marc Marquez	2'04.599 Andrea Iannone (See here)
FP3	2'03.979 Maverick Vinales	2'04.608 Marc Marquez (See here)
FP4	2'04.201 Marc Marquez	2'04.686 Marc Marquez (See here)
Qualification 1	2'04.438 Jack Miller	2'05.169 Pol Espargaro (See here)
Qualification 2	2'02.741 Marc Marquez	2'03.658 Marc Marquez (See here)
Warm Up	2'04.070 Marc Marquez	2'04.988 Marc Marquez
Course	Marquez, Rossi, Pedrosa
All time lap record	2'02.135 Marc Marquez 2015

 

Past facts also support the thesis of a field dedicated to Hondas. It's a winged machine that has won the last 14 races in the United States. 17 of the 22 American races in the category went to an HRC motorcycle. As for Márquez, he won in each of his nine performances among the elite at Uncle Sam. Five times in Austin, three times in Indianapolis and once in Indianapolis.

However, the same Márquez is currently in the eye of the storm while he has not won anything since the last Australian Grand Prix. And this is the first time since his arrival in MotoGP in 2013 that he has not won in the first two rounds of the championship... The six-time winner will therefore want to do well and whatever the cost...

To carry out his business successfully, a track heated to 35° welcomes him. but it's the bitumen that isn't very nice. The proof with Lorenzo from the grid! This will, incidentally, be complete, with a Syahrin who will be there despite his heavy fall during the warm-up.

On the tire side, it is the hard rear rubber which is at the center of the debates due to the temperatures becoming summer. Lorenzo, Iannone, Dovizioso, Crutchlow et Marquez take it for the 20 laps to complete. That's one less than last year.

 

Here we go ! Iannone go ahead and Marquez already follows him by taking the advantage over Vinales. Crutchlow Red et zarco are in full swing.

Before the end of the first round, Marquez is already in the lead... Red goes fourth and wants to quickly get rid of Crutchlow et zarco. The Doctor manages to wedge himself into his teammate's wheel. zarco passes the Englishman.

In front of, Iannone stay in the wheel of Marquez and passes him before surrendering in the Honda official's counter-attack!

After three rounds, Dovizioso pass Crutchlow and points sixth. Pedrosa is a magnificent eighth given his physical condition. He masters Lorenzo et Kidneys. Syahrin is an astonishing eleventh! After five all accomplished; Marquez signs a time one second faster than Iannone. The message is clear…

After six rounds, Vinales takes the hunt for Marquez on his own, but he is already four seconds from the game which is running at full speed. If the life of Marquez is simple, that of zarco is more complicated, under the pressure of Crutchlow, Dovizioso and even Pedrosa who doesn't give up. A battle which leaves a victim in the person of the leader of the English championship who falls.

Syahrin did the same at turn 1. He was good thirteenth. Ten laps from the goal, Kidneys makes a mistake at turn 12.

After the halfway point, Marquez continues his demonstration and checks Vinales at six seconds which does the same with Iannone who must on the other hand be wary of Red. zarco holds the top 5 against Dovizioso and this devil Pedrosa.  Lorenzo, Miller et Rabat close the top 10 at ApriliaAlex Espargaro.

Six laps from the goal, Rabat offers the scalp of the official Lorenzo…Who can begin to tremble in front of the other GP17 of Miller. And for good reason, one lap later, the Australian forced Por Fuera's door at turn 1, who also had to let Alex Espargaro. Manly, but correct!

Four laps before the checkered flag and Dovizioso manages to break the lock zarco at turn 12. Meanwhile, Marquez continues his demonstration. He is the only one to stay in 2'05, the others, at best, are in 2'06... And we will leave it there! Marquez opens your 2018 version victory counter…

Austin MotoGP Race: Ranking

1	93	Marc Márquez	Honda	41'52.002
2	25	Maverick VIÑALES	Yamaha	+3.560
3	29	Andrea Iannone	Suzuki	+6.704
4	46	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	+9.587
5	4	Andrea Dovizioso	Ducati	+13.570
6	5	johann zarco	Yamaha	+14.231
7	26	Dani PEDROSA	Honda	+18.201
8	53	Tito RABAT	Ducati	+28.537
9	43	Jack Miller	Ducati	+28.671
10	41	Aleix Espargaro	Aprilia	+28.875
11	99	Jorge Lorenzo	Ducati	+31.355
12	9	Danilo PETRUCCI	Ducati	+34.993
13	44	Pol Espargaró	KTM	+37.264
14	30	Takaaki NAKAGAMI	Honda	+39.335
15	19	Alvaro BAUTISTA	Ducati	+40.887
16	38	Bradley SMITH	KTM	+48.475
17	45	Scott REDDING	Aprilia	+49.995
18	12	Thomas LUTHI	Honda	+51.115
19	35	Cal Crutchlow	Honda	+59.055
20	10	Xavier SIMEON	Ducati	+59.747
21	21	Frank MORBIDELLI	Honda	+ 1'00.513
		Not Classified
	42	Alex Rins	Suzuki	10 lapses
	55	Hafiz Syahrin	Yamaha	12 lapses
	17	Karel ABRAHAM	Ducati	12 lapses