Austin, MotoGP: the condition of the circuit is a recurring concern

The Austin route is rightly considered a garden of Marc Márquez who has never known defeat since MotoGP arrived in Texas. Certainly, but this garden apparently needs a refresh. Bumps and holes have thus taken up residence there, a phenomenon which is not new and which has already been denounced by pilots. As early as 2016, the question arose. Work would have been done to reduce the dents. But we don't know more. And the photos of the last car competition which dates back a few days are not reassuring at all…

The Austin site is pleasant for spectators who will find modern infrastructures capable of accommodating 120.000 people. But on the track, for the drivers, the location of the Grand Prix of the Americas is evaluated very differently.

Since 2016, four and a half years after the inauguration of COTA, the surface of the North American track has been criticized by MotoGP riders. Valentino Rossi, who became the leading spokesperson on the subject in 2018, compared the Texas trail to that of his ranch: “ there are three or four bumps which are very big, some in the straight line. The motorcycle moves a lot at over 300 km/h and this constitutes a critical situation. Even the grip isn't good, but I'm more worried about the bumps. Last year we asked for improvements, they did something, but unfortunately it doesn't work. To further complicate the situation, we also have to deal with the presence of dust: It was like being at the Ranch! ».

To echo him another Moto GP veteran, Dani Pedrosa added: “The track is incredibly uneven this year. There are places where the bumps are huge in the braking zones. It looks like a motocross track ». Andrea Dovizioso announced a few days ago the following critical situation: “ Our goal in Austin will be to get on the podium. In some sense it would almost feel like a victory, but first we will have to understand what the track conditions will be like. And I hope the situation has improved a little”.

Piero Taramasso, director of Michelin Motorsport, announced that some work had been carried out, but it is not known what type and scope. “There has been work to try to repair the holes, but that is precisely what creates an unknown factor. Then we will see how the asphalt will behave compared to last year ».

News from the United States announces that not only the surface, despite the maintenance work (planing) carried out last January, would present new cracks, in addition to the undulations caused by Formula 1 cars at the braking points. It was last October. The Indycar cars took to the track last weekend from March 22 to 24, where the holes were seen. Since then, less than 20 days have passed, an impossible period to be able to carry out restructuring work in the most affected areas...

The MotoGP riders present on site were interviewed during the pre-event conference of the Grand Prix of the Americas.

Marc Márquez : “yes, I checked a little and I know they made some changes. They did not do what we asked in the Safety Commission but we will see in FP1 how things go on the track. But of course this track is quite bumpy and it's one of the most difficult tracks on the calendar in that regard. And it's a real shame because it's one of the best routes! So, yes, we hope they did a good job and we will see tomorrow.”

Andrea Dovizioso : “I haven't done my reconnaissance tour yet, I will do it later to see the differences. I'm worried because it's not really possible to solve the problems that exist on this track, which is really bad because it's one of the most beautiful in our championship. So I think the situation is not easy to manage. The problem is that there are bumps everywhere and it's very difficult to ride a motorcycle, not just to be fast. It was very difficult. It looks like the asphalt, or the ground beneath the asphalt, is moving everywhere. So it's difficult to repair unless you do a complete job. At least, I think.”

Alex Rins : “yes, as they said, the track is incredible and the only problem is the bumps. Last year they tried to do something and fix it, and it wasn't good on the straight because it was full of stones. We hope this goes away this year because it was a bit dangerous for you to follow someone. But I haven’t checked the track yet.”

Valentino Rossi : “Yes, it’s a real shame because the circuit is fantastic. But it's also quite new so the track suffers a lot, as far as the bump problem goes, maybe from something coming from underground. This is a problem because in 3 or 4 places, they are very, very big. I haven't checked the track yet so we have to see, because the last years they tried to do something about the bumps, but unfortunately they didn't improve. But it's like that. We have to check and maybe tomorrow it will be better.”

Jack Miller : " I think the same. The track itself, as Vale said, is not very old and we have a lot of other tracks on the calendar that are older and not as bumpy. I think it definitely has something to do with the subsoil here because it seems like there's a lot of clay. If I remember correctly, there was a lot of rain during the first year and things moved around. Last year or the year before, the track was bumpy, especially on the straight. The bump areas became more pronounced and longer. So I'm curious to see the work they've done this year to see if it's an improvement or just not-so-great tinkering.”