It is with a broad smile thatAndrea Iannone left the Austin route this Friday. And for good reason: on land where a certain Marc Márquez there masters all his art, on a site where the national idol Kevin Schwantz, also Suzuki ambassador, does not miss an opportunity to crucify him, he achieved the absolute best time. A snub and the opportunity to make some clarifications. And not just on his GSX-RR…
Joe the Maniac salutes you! Author of the best time in Austin, he stole the spotlight in a fraction of a second from the man who remains undefeated in the race since the last five visits to Texas: Marc Márquez. Enough to respond to the many skeptics who already see it elsewhere... " I'm doing a good job developing my bike, contrary to what you think » slips the Italian to his compatriots from GP One.
« I'm happy with this day, but in Argentina I was also fast after the first sessions. Afterwards, I couldn't do good qualifying. And I didn't encounter good conditions during the race. But we are growing, we are evolving, and it is going in the right direction, even if you are not convinced of it. The fruits of the efforts made since last year are beginning to be reaped ».
« The sensations are good, but we still need to work on the braking and the front of the bike. I feel good on the GSX-RR and it confirms what I've already said: on a good machine, I can express my potential. I have a good rhythm with the medium tires. Still, the man to beat here remains Márquez. We will try to get closer to him again this weekend ».
He ends by commenting on the rumors about his future: “ I'm not worried. Negotiations are underway. No hurry. The rumors about Lorenzo's possible arrival don't bother me at all. As for my teammate Rins, I respect him, he is young and talented. But I certainly don't feel inferior to him ».
We will recall that another rumor is becoming more persistent at Suzuki: that of a Marc VDS Racing as a satellite team…
Austin MotoGP J.1: Chronos
| 1 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | 2'04.599 | ||
| 2 | 93 | Marc Márquez | Honda | 2'04.655 | 0.056 | 0.056 |
| 3 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | 2'04.863 | 0.264 | 0.208 |
| 4 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | 2'04.958 | 0.359 | 0.095 |
| 5 | 35 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | 2'05.088 | 0.489 | 0.130 |
| 6 | 42 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | 2'05.452 | 0.853 | 0.364 |
| 7 | 99 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | 2'05.487 | 0.888 | 0.035 |
| 8 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 2'05.647 | 1.048 | 0.160 |
| 9 | 41 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 2'05.739 | 1.140 | 0.092 |
| 10 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | Honda | 2'05.761 | 1.162 | 0.022 |
| 11 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | 2'05.889 | 1.290 | 0.128 |
| 12 | 53 | Tito RABAT | Ducati | 2'05.910 | 1.311 | 0.021 |
| 13 | 5 | johann zarco | Yamaha | 2'05.933 | 1.334 | 0.023 |
| 14 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | 2'06.016 | 1.417 | 0.083 |
| 15 | 45 | Scott REDDING | Aprilia | 2'06.078 | 1.479 | 0.062 |
| 16 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | Yamaha | 2'06.219 | 1.620 | 0.141 |
| 17 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | 2'06.397 | 1.798 | 0.178 |
| 18 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | 2'06.555 | 1.956 | 0.158 |
| 19 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | Honda | 2'06.625 | 2.026 | 0.070 |
| 20 | 21 | Frank MORBIDELLI | Honda | 2'06.640 | 2.041 | 0.015 |
| 21 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | Ducati | 2'06.683 | 2.084 | 0.043 |
| 22 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | KTM | 2'07.033 | 2.434 | 0.350 |
| 23 | 44 | Pol Espargaró | KTM | 2'07.136 | 2.537 | 0.103 |
| 24 | 10 | Xavier SIMEON | Ducati | 2'08.021 | 3.422 | 0.885 |
