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MotoGP Press
The ‘Beast’ wins #GP500, Rins makes some Suzuki history and Miller takes his first rostrum of the season… as Marquez steals some headlines with 24th to sixth
Monday, 11 April 2022
Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) is now a two-time MotoGP™ race winner! The Beast delivered a Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas masterclass to retake the World Championship lead heading to Europe, taking Ducati’s first win at the venue and staking his claim on a serious charge for the crown. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) scrapped it out on the last lap for second, with the Suzuki rider coming out on top with a late lunge – and thus securing Suzuki’s 500th podium. Miller, nevertheless, took his first rostrum of the season.
Behind the fight for the win, there was also an almighty comeback ride from Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team)…
As the lights went out, Miller got the best start of the leading Ducati trio on the front row and grabbed the holeshot ahead of Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), but thus began the drama for the number 93. The eight-time World Champion suffered an issue off the line, plummeting through the order to the very back of the field. He got going, and then the race was on.
Up ahead, Bastianini got the better Bagnaia for P3 on Lap 1 as Martin lunged for the lead at the penultimate corner. Miller instantly retaliated though and it was the Australian who held the race lead baton on Lap 2. It was a Ducati 1-2-3-4-5, with Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) scrapping away with Pecco for P4, followed by Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Rins and Joan Mir in P6, P7 and P8 behind the Desmosedici quintet.
By Lap 5 meanwhile, Marc Marquez had climbed his way up to 13th. Lap 7 saw him pass teammate Pol Espargaro at Turn 12 and in doing so, the number 93 was inside the top 10 – 0.6s off Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) in eighth and just five seconds off the lead.
Further up the road, Rins had pounced on Pecco and the Ducati stranglehold had been breached on Lap 6. Rins was an absolute demon on brakes into Turn 11 and the Spaniard picked off Zarco on Lap 9, crucially holding the Frenchman at bay coming out of Turn 12 too. Rins then latched himself onto the coattails of third place Bastianini, diving up the inside of the ‘Beast’ at Turn 11 on the next lap but Bastianini able to power back past.
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez had picked off Aleix Espargaro and had Quartararo next on his list as the number 93 set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 11 of 20.
Lap 12 saw Bastianini slice past Martin into second at Turn 1, and Rins followed Bestia through and into third. Up ahead, Miller had opened up a 0.7s lead as the Australian pushed on doing the leg work of leading, with Bagnaia, Mir and Zarco battling it out as the top nine riders down to Marc Marquez were split by five seconds – and the latter, once again, set the fastest lap of the race.
It was all happening. Lap 14 saw Quartararo push his way past countryman Zarco as the number 5 dropped backwards, and Marc Marquez then passed Quartararo on the back straight as, up ahead, both Mir and Pecco made their way through on Martin. Bastianini, in second, then set the best lap of the race as Miller’s lead was cut to 0.3s, the race for the win very much on. The top two also had 1.4s in hand to Rins, who in turn had 1.3s to teammate Mir. Could the Suzukis bridge the gap?
With five laps to go, it looked like it was only a matter of time before Bastianini took the lead off Miller. Sure enough, ducking into the slipstream of the Australian, Bastianini then sliced up the inside of the number 43, hitting the front at Turn 12.
How would Miller respond? Bastianini eked out about three tenths and with three laps to go, the gap was half a second. From there, it only grew – and Rins was closing in fast, too. The Suzuki was now 0.7s behind Miller, Mir was a further second down the road, Bagnaia 0.8s off Mir, and Marquez and Quartararo were getting their gloves off as they shoved Martin down to P8.
Starting the final lap, Bastianini had 1.6s in his pocket and it seemed his to lose. Miller was now on defence duty against a charging Rins, with Mir not too far off the podium fight either. Bagnaia was in a lonelier fifth, and Marquez vs Quartararo was a sensation in the battle for sixth.
For second, the fight started at Turn 11 as the Suzuki got by, but Miller got his Ducati hooked up on the straight and the Aussie was back into P2. Rins then got a great run out of Turn 18, and at Turn 19, the number 42 went for it and dived up the inside. Stopped and turned to perfection, there was no way back for Miller and that was that: Bastianini a MotoGP™ race winner once more, Rins taking second and making that history for Suzuki, and Miller forced to settle for third but still taking a first podium of the season.
Mir’s podium attack didn’t quite come to fruition in the end but it’s a second consecutive P4 for the 2020 World Champion, with Bagnaia also taking a second successive result, his of fifth. And then came Marquez…
From 24th to sixth was a truly stunning comeback, enough even without threatening the podium for it to be a serious warning shot for the rest. Quartararo gave it some elbows to try and deny the number 93 though, taking P7 in the end but the top Iwata machine by some margin.
Martin slipped to P8 as the Pramac duo struggled in the second half of the race, with Zarco just behind in P9. Maverick Viñales got the better of Aprilia Racing teammate Aleix Espargaro as the Aprilias pick up P10 and P11 from P13 and P14 on the grid, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) coming home in P12 on a difficult weekend for KTM.
A fatigued and under the weather Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) saw the chequered flag in P13, just ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) crossed the line in P15 but was demoted one place, handing Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) the final point.
Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) crashed out, the former headed to the medical centre for a check-up and was declared fit.
What a way to celebrate 500 GPs of racing together, with Bastianini putting on a show to remember at the Circuit of the Americas. The Beast is back on top and in winning race #GP500, joins Cal Crutchlow (400th), Casey Stoner (300th), Valentino Rossi (200th), Kenny Roberts Jr (100th) and Mick Doohan, the first winner of the era back in 1992, with a nice little milestone.
Now the stunning Autodromo Internacional do Algarve awaits, with a very different looking Championship table to the one on MotoGP™’s last visit. What will the rollercoaster bring? Find out in two weeks!
Ducati
Miller finishes third in the Grand Prix of the Americas. Bagnaia finishes the race in fifth place in Texas
Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing) takes his second MotoGP victory and is back leading the Championship
Jack Miller scored his first podium of the 2022 season at the Circuit of The Americas near Austin, Texas, where the Grand Prix of the Americas, the fourth round of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, was held this weekend. The Australian rider, who started from second on the grid, did a fantastic race, which saw him in the lead for almost the entire duration.
As he got off well at the start, Jack immediately moved into first place, holding off the Ducati of Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing Team) and then Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing) for over half of the race. However, with five laps to go, Miller no longer had the pace to defend himself from his rivals and got overtaken first by fellow Ducati rider Bastianini -winner of today’s race – and then by Rins, finishing third. For the Ducati Lenovo Team rider, this is his second podium finish at the American track after his third-place here in 2019. Thanks to today’s result, Miller moves up to seventh place in the overall standings.
Pecco Bagnaia, on the other hand, finished the race in fifth place. After a promising start that saw him stay hooked to the leaders in fourth place, the Italian rider could not remain in the fight for the podium. After the Americas GP, Bagnaia is now twelfth in the overall standings, while Ducati leads the constructors’ standings with a 27-point advantage over KTM.
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 3rd
“Honestly, I don’t know if I could have done any better today. I knew I didn’t have the pace to escape and leave the group behind me. When Enea passed me, I tried to follow him, but at a certain point, he went wide. I made the same mistake risking going off the track and getting overtaken. I knew that Rins was very close behind me. I tried to defend myself, but in the end, he overtook me. I’m really happy with this result, although I’m a bit disappointed having tasted victory for so long. The team and I needed this third place, so I’m happy.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 5th
“After FP4 and this morning’s warm-up, I expected a more consistent pace in the race, but that wasn’t the case. Jack was great because he was fast right from the start with the same specs as me, while I struggled a bit in the early laps. Today the goal was to be in the top 5, but I hoped to fight a bit more with the others. Instead, I had to defend myself. This weekend will help us understand where we need to improve to be more competitive in the upcoming Grands Prix”.
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will be back on track from 22nd-24th April at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, near Portimão (Portugal), for the first European race of the 2022 MotoGP season.
Yamaha
BRAVE FIGHT REWARDED WITH 7TH FOR QUARTARARO IN AMERICAS GP
Austin (Texas), 10th April 2022
GRAND PRIX OF THE AMERICAS
RACE
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Fabio Quartararo rode on the limit at the Circuit of The Americas for all 20 laps to collect seventh place and nine valuable championship points. It was a day to forget for Franco Morbidelli. He had a strong end to the race, but a one-place penalty for exceeding the track limit saw the Italian finish outside the points.
7th
FABIO QUARTARARO
+6.760 / 20 LAPS
16th
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
+29.129 / 20 LAPS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Fabio Quartararo showed his tenacious fighting spirit during today‘s Grand Prix of The Americas. He battled like a gladiator at the Circuit of The Americas to bring home 7th place and nine championship points. Franco Morbidelli made the most of a difficult race by saving his tyres and making three overtakes at the end. However, a one-place penalty due to exceeding the track limit on the last lap pushed him back to 16th place.
Quartararo had a strong start from P6 on the grid and gained a place as he stalked the leading group. Despite fighting tooth and nail, he lost a couple of positions in the opening laps and found himself in eighth place after lap 5.
With Marc Marquez on the charge, the current World Champion spurred on his YZR-M1. He made the most of his bike‘s corner speed to overtake Johann Zarco and briefly take P7 before Marquez overtook him. El Diablo shrewdly followed Marquez in the hopes of using him to get past other riders. Jorge Martin was up first. Though the Spaniard put up a fight, the Frenchman was ready to take high risks and fight to the limit for every championship point. In the last two laps, the number-20 rider was putting Marquez under pressure and narrowly avoided clipping his rival when the latter had a moment in Turn 6 with two laps to go, briefly allowing the Yamaha-rider through. Quartararo quickly regained his composure and had another try in Sector 2, but ultimately finished in seventh place, 6.760s from first.
Having struggled to find a good feeling on the bike all weekend, Morbidelli knew he was in for a difficult race. He gained a position at the start, after launching from P19 on the grid. But having dropped back to 20th place in the early stages of the race, he bided his time knowing that preserving tyre life could play a key role at the partly resurfaced COTA track today.
By lap 7, he was starting to get into a solid rhythm and overtook Remy Gardner. He kept hold of 18th place and was pushing to the limit. With nobody close in front or behind him, it was a lonely ride for the Morbido, until there were 3 laps left. As predicted, tyre degradation was starting to take its toll. The number 21-rider overtook Miguel Oliveira, Andrea Dovizioso, and Luca Marini, moving up to 15th place, which he held across the finish line, with a 29.129s margin. However, he was handed a one-position penalty due to exceeding the track limit on the last lap, leaving him 16th in the timesheets.
Today‘s results put Quartararo and Morbidelli in fifth and fifteenth place in the championship standings, with 44 and 14 points respectively. After Round 4, Yamaha and the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team are in fifth place with 44 points in the Constructor championship and sixth position with a 58 points total in the Team championship.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP will be back in action at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve from April 22-24 for the Grande Prémio de Portugal.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
We already expected a tough race, and both riders got the maximum out of today‘s race in this current situation. Fabio rode both defensively and on the attack. He always gives his 100%, but today he added another 10% if possible. For Franco the race was even more difficult because he started from 19th place, which is far from ideal. But as the race progressed, he got more and more used to a new setting that he was trying, and he was able to overtake. Unfortunately, he lost the championship point he scored because of a penalty. We‘re not satisfied with our results so far after the first four races overseas. We are looking forward to going back to Europe to circuits that suit us better.
FABIO QUARTARARO
At the beginning of the race, I had a little bit of the same problem I had in Argentina, but much less. That made me miss some grip compared to the others, but I think I did quite okay. In the beginning it’s more difficult to defend your position because everyone is close together, but I think we did a good race. I enjoyed it a lot! We battled really hard and, even if it was for sixth position, I enjoyed the battle with Marc. Even though we struggled quite a bit this weekend, this race was beneficial to me: I learn much more from these kind of races than I did in some of the races that I have won. Today I learned a lot, and I’m happy. We have pushed ourselves to the limit. Now we’re going to Europe, which has better tracks for us, I think. I’m just going to do my best to fight for the championship.
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
It was a tricky race because finally we used a different setting for the warm-up, but we couldn’t try it, so I needed to try it in the race. Actually, I wasn’t feeling so bad, but it needed adjustments, and I needed to learn how to ride with it during the race. So, I learned it step by step and lap by lap. It was nice, because I could overtake, that’s positive. We will keep working and trying to understand what we need, and we will try to get back stronger in Portimao.
Honda
Marquez steals the show in Austin with scintillating recovery
An Americas GP masterclass was put on by Marc Marquez as he carved through the field, overcoming a problem at the start to show what he and the Honda RC213V are capable of. Pol Espargaro dug deep to conquer illness and net more points.
The King of COTA may not have walked away with another crown, but a heroic recovery after problems on the start line showed that Marc Marquez has lost none of his speed or talent – especially in Texas. A technical problem at the start, which Honda HRC are investigating, saw Marquez drop back from ninth on the grid. Arriving last into Turn One, the seven-time Americas GP winner put the start behind and began his comeback through the field with unrelenting efficiency. By the end of the first lap the #93 had already made up six places and would continue with the laptimes of the race leaders.
As the race entered its second half, Marquez continued to increase his pace, improving on the fastest lap of the race on multiple occasions as he reeled in the likes of Quartararo, Martin and Bagnaia. Firmly inside the top ten, the Repsol Honda Team rider spent the closing laps fending off a ferocious Fabio Quartararo who launched a late counterattack.
Welcomed back to the garage with a round of applause by the team, Marquez’s champion spirit shone through as he was left wanting more from a race which promised so much. Sixth place moves Marquez to 13th in the championship points table, 40 points behind World Championship leader and Americas GP race winner Enea Bastianini. Although sixth left him unfufilled, Marquez leaves America with renewed and refreshed confidence upon his return from injury.
On the other side of the Repsol Honda Team garage, Pol Espargaro’s incredible physical effort was rewarded with a handful of points for 13th place. Battling against illness throughout the weekend, Espargaro used all of his remaining energy and effort to finish the race. A promising start had the #44 well placed in the top ten after another lightning launch aboard the RC213V. Doing all he could to maintain his position, Espargaro put together an overall consistent race to collect valuable points before the paddock returns to Europe. With 23 points, Espargaro is 11th in the championship.
The MotoGP World Championship now prepares for its return to Europe, the Portimao circuit in Portugal starting the calendar’s European tour.
Marc Marquez
6th
“On one hand I am disappointed because it is clear we had the speed today and I was able to enjoy the race a lot, coming through from the back, but 25 points were possible today. We had a technical problem at the start, but it resolved itself and the bike was working well after that – even if I was last. I recovered many positions and had a great race despite some mistakes, which is normal when you are recovering like this. We can see the speed is there and we can walk away from here with a lot of confidence which is important. At the end we had a really nice battle with Fabio but when the race finished, I was destroyed, from that first lap I was giving everything I had on track to recover and finally finish in sixth. Another exciting race in Texas.”
Marc Marquez
Pol Espargaro
13th
“Physically, this was maybe the hardest MotoGP race of my life. With about ten laps remaining I was honestly thinking about retiring from the race because I was feeling so weak. But I saw that we were in the points and I wanted to do it for the team. I was slow and the fast changes of direction were almost impossible. I am finished, I am exhausted. Now we can go home and recover and prepare for the races in Europe. The bike’s potential is much higher than what we have shown and where we are in the standings.”
Gresini Racing
BASTIANINI DOES NOT DISAPPOINT, HE WINS IN AMERICA AND GETS BACK IN THE LEAD
#AmericasGP race. He was the favourite for the win yesterday, despite a fifth place on the grid behind other four Ducati machines: today Enea Bastianini showed he can excel under pressure in a race that in many ways remembered the triumphant ride in Qatar.
After a good start, he managed his pace in the first part of the race behind Miller and Martin, before unleashing the ‘beast’: thanks to a frenetic pace, he crossed the finish line a lonely winner in Texas. The tally goes up to two wins (out of four races) with the rider #23 who returns to the top of the standings with a five-point advantage on Rins and 11 points on Espargaró.
It was a difficult race on the other side of the pit-box, with Fabio Di Giannantonio unable to find the best feeling with the track as he struggled on corner exit on his way to a sub-par 21st place at the chequered flag. The return to Europe in two weeks will surely bring new energy to the #49, who is still looking for his first championship points.
ENEA BASTIANINI #23 (Championship leader – 61 points)
“We had exactly this time of plan for the race. In the beginning I struggled a little in the first sector, but I chose to not take too many risks and try to tail Martin. Then when Rins came from behind and we almost collided, I decided it was time to push harder. I passed Jorge and then Jack: I saw I had a little extra and I tried. I made a few mistakes during my first lap in the lead, but then I was able to put together a good pace. This is a fantastic win, which is the result of incredible teamwork. We can be quick on every track, even though I’m living this season like a rookie, as I see that we still have something to learn from the others on the track.”
21st – FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49
“We improved a lot during the weekend, but then the result in the race didn’t come. We still need to keep working and improving in every area. The race today was extremely hard, as I was losing a lot on corner exit: we’re still missing something in terms of electronics, so in the upcoming European back-to-back we will focus on that.”
LCR
TAKA TAKES POINTS FINISH AT GP OF AMERICAS
10 April 2022 | Americas GP Race
Takaaki Nakagami rider claimed a points finish in Sunday’s Grand Prix of the Americas after a tough race in round four of the MotoGP World Championship in Austin. Despite early promise, the LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider could not find the race pace he was hoping for and ultimately had to settle for 14th position after 20 laps around the Circuit of the Americas.
The Japanese star enjoyed a positive start to race day as he went third quickest in warm-up, emerging as the leading Honda. Departing from tenth, he got away well and moved into seventh on the opening lap before losing a number of positions after before forced to sit up to avoid contact. Having dropped into 14th by lap six, he stayed there for the remainder of the race, following home HRC colleague Pol Espargaro.
Takaaki Nakagami – 14th
“It was a tough race, but I made a really good start from the first lap and got in a good position, but unfortunately the lack of grip and the strong wind didn’t help with the front stability. All the weekend we tried many things to get the best balance from the bike, but unfortunately, we couldn’t find it, so it was a long and really tough race. I tried my best, but I didn’t have enough speed and the performance was not what we were looking for. So now we’re on to the European rounds starting in Portimao and we need to spend a few days analysing what’s happened in these four races.”
CHALLENGING WEEKEND FOR ÁLEX MÁRQUEZ AT COTA
10 April 2022 | Americas GP Race
The Grand Prix of the Americas ended in disappointment for Álex Márquez as he exited Sunday’s race at COTA in the early stages. Departing from the back row of the grid in Austin, the LCR Honda CASTROL rider pushed hard from the start as he looked to make up ground, but subsequently slid out of round four of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship.
Having gone 16th fastest in the warm-up session, the Spaniard knew he needed to start well and made up places on the drag to the first corner. By the fifth lap he had climbed into 16th place, but, as he looked to pass Miguel Oliveira to move into the points positions, he crashed out at corner 10 to bring a premature end to his race weekend.
Álex Márquez – NC
“We suffered a lot this weekend. On Sunday we didn’t even finish the race, we managed five and a half laps, but I’m quite happy. I recovered some confidence during the warm-up, I was quite constant and I was able enjoy a little bit. During the race, I made a good start, was able to overtake some guys and had a good rhythm, but I made a mistake, for which I want to apologise to the team for. Anyway, I want to try and keep this feeling for Portimao, we know we have to improve and score more points, but I’m motivated for Portugal and at least we have some things to take from this weekend.”
Tech 3
Oncu is Back in Top 5 in Austin and Fernandez Goes Home With Another Top 15
With a Sunday schedule slightly different than the usual, the Red Bull KTM Tech3 crew was set for its fourth race of the season for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas. Following the Moto2 and MotoGP races, Deniz Oncu and Adrian Fernandez went to position themselves on the grid, in 4th and 19th places respectively, for the seventeen-lap Moto3 race set to start at 14:30 (GMT-5).
Following a very good weekend that saw him being within the Top 5 positions at the end of almost every session, Turkish rider Deniz Oncu was looking forward to racing in the United-States, a place that he has become very fond of. Starting from the second row, Deniz took an incredible start to the race and was leading at the end of the first lap. He was aggressive and hungry for a good result, so much that he rode his best lap on the fifth lap already, in 2’17.058, registering his fastest lap of the weekend at the same time. The number 53 fought incredibly with the front guys during most of the race, consistently jungling between the podium positions. Towards the end, he eventually lost a bit of time in some corners which meant that the gap got bigger with the front guys. He finished the race in P5, his third Top 5 of the season, and currently sits fifth (tied with Guevara) in the championship. A great result and a great position in the standings before heading to European races.
His teammate Adrian Fernandez finished the race in P14, a satisfying result following the weekend he faced filled with ups and downs. This morning, he suffered a crash at the start of the warm up session, but luckily the team did an incredible job to get the bike ready for the race. When the race started, Adrian was able to keep his head down and focus on his seventeen laps, which he did very well as he managed to do some overtakes to finish in the points. He will now head to Portimao, a track that he enjoys and has already trained on earlier in the winter tests, hoping to score his first Top 10 of the season.
Deniz Oncu
Position: 5th
Championship: 5th
Points: 37
“We have had a good weekend here in Austin. Apart from the FP1 that I was not able to ride due to technical issues, we were always in the Top 5 positions all weekend and were consistent. I had a good race start and pushed really hard to try to take the lead of the race. Towards the end, I lost some positions, and a big opportunity to attack in the last lap, because at the last straight’s exit, I slid on the rear so the gap got a bit bigger with the group ahead. I finished 5th, which is good, but I wanted more and I could have done more. We will now look forward to Portugal.”
Adrian Fernandez
Position: 14th
Championship: 21st
Points: 7
“It has been a strange weekend in Austin with a lot happening. During FP1 on Friday, we had a technical problem and I was not able to go on track, and in the afternoon I was not feeling very well myself. On Saturday, it was better and we were able to start our weekend properly during FP3, and I got so close to qualifying for Q2. This morning, I crashed at the start of the warm-up, which is never ideal. The team did a great job to fix the bike in time for the race. I raced well today, I feel confident with my bike, and I look forward to going to Portugal.”
Hervé Poncharal
Team Manager
“Until the very last lap, we were hoping for our first podium finish of the Moto3 2022 season, but we could not do better than P5 although we were really close. We have to see the glass half full because we are fifth in the championship (tied with Izan Guevara), so we are following our plan which was to arrive in Europe with a good position in the table, with only a few points from the riders ahead of us. On the other hand, I can’t help but be a bit disappointed because Deniz Oncu showed incredible pace and determination during the early stages of the race. He was the most aggressive and fast out there at some point. However, he is now becoming a big boy for the category compared to the other riders who are smaller and lighter, and we could easily see today that he was losing time on the long straights. Nevermind, he rode like a champion today, I am proud of him and grateful to have him with us, and I hope that next race will be our time. Don’t give up Deniz, it is coming.
It was a tough weekend for Adrian. He had technical issues on Friday and was not feeling well on top of that, got a bit better on Saturday but missed out on Q2 by only a fraction of seconds, which was a great shame. This morning, he had a crash during the warm up. Despite all of that, he managed to put his head down during the race and pushed to get another two points. It is not what he is looking for, but it is helping the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team to be fifth in the Teams Championship standings. It is time to rest for both Deniz and Adrian before we start the European Tour.”
Suzuki
RINS TAMES TEXAS RODEO TO TAKE 500TH PODIUM FOR SUZUKI
Team Suzuki Press Office – April 10.
Alex Rins: 2nd (+ 2.058)
Joan Mir: 4th (+ 3.975)
Team Suzuki Ecstar and Suzuki Motor Corporation are celebrating in style today after Alex Rins clinched the factory’s 500th podium across classes with his second place at the Circuit of the Americas. This impressive milestone comes on the same day that the MotoGP™ series celebrates its 500th Grand Prix in the ‘Racing Together’ era (the partnership between the FIM, Dorna, the MSMA, and IRTA). Joan Mir put in another solid race; riding his way from eighth on the grid to fourth at the chequered flag.
After a clean start, at the end of the first lap, Mir and Rins were on the back of the leading riders, in seventh and eighth. The pair proceeded to set their sights high while keeping their cool as the race shook out. By Lap 6 Rins had made his way into the Top 5, simultaneously setting the fastest lap of the race.
With five laps left in the 20 lap race, Rins was in a comfortable third position with air either side of him. Meanwhile, Mir, who had impressively pushed through to fourth, was easing away from those behind and setting himself up for another respectable and consistent finish just off the podium – the same position he now holds in the Riders’ World Championship.
On the penultimate lap at the Circuit of the Americas, Rins had gained considerably on Jack Miller and a great battle between the pair ensued. Rins made the pass at Turn 11 but lost the position, and in one final determined and brave move at Turn 19 he snatched an excellent second place, which also gives him second place in the World Standings.
Rins and Mir will now head to Portugal in two weeks’ time holding second and fourth in the Riders’ Championship, first in the Teams’ Championship, and third in the Constructors’ Championship.
Alex Rins:
“I’m so happy! I didn’t actually expect to get the podium, because in the first few laps I was struggling a bit and in risk to lose ground. I had to try and push the tyres more, to brake later, to make good overtakes. When I got into third I had a couple of moments on the front, some mistakes, and I knew that finishing the race was the most important thing. Then, with just two laps to go, I felt better and my pace was good, it meant I was able to overtake Jack and get second. This result is great, and I want to dedicate this podium to Suzuki for their amazing achievements, but also to the people of Ukraine, and those around the world who are suffering.”
Joan Mir:
“I’m super happy because this is my best result in Austin, and it’s a very difficult track to ride. So, for me, to finish in fourth is a great thing. We managed to do a great race and my performance with the bike has improved race by race, thanks to my team. I started today’s race in a calm and careful way, and I was able to build and up my pace, eventually passing quite a few riders to get fourth. I’m happy and excited to go to Portugal with the improvements we’ve found, starting this European section of the season means a lot of races and pressure but we’re exactly where I hoped to be so far.”
Livio Suppo – Team Manager:
“Our riders had a great race today; both showing determination but balancing it with smooth moves and careful consideration. Both Alex and Joan had really nice pace, the GSX-RR was also working well, and this makes us feel good. I’m proud to be part of this Suzuki squad on the day the brand takes its 500th podium, it’s a special feeling. Now let’s stay grounded and keep our focus on Europe.”
Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager:
“We are very happy with today’s result. We had a podium with Alex last week in Argentina, and we were able to repeat it here at a very different track. This was a ‘classic Suzuki race’ in the sense that we didn’t start high up but we kept our determination and fighting spirit, then both Alex and Joan got the best from themselves and their bikes. It was an excellent way to celebrate 500 podiums for Suzuki. We’ve had a consistent start to the season, and now we’ll go to the European rounds to try and keep this momentum and aim for a win.”
KTM
Red Bull MotoGP™ of Americas delivers top twelve for Binder & KTM
MotoGP 2022 – Round 04 of 21, Circuit of the Americas (USA) – Race
KTM left a hot and challenging Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas with Brad Binder clutching 12th position and four world championship points as MotoGP completed the fourth and final ‘flyaway’ event of the 2022 campaign in the United States.
Top twelve for Binder after a strong recovery from his grid position
KTM hold 6th place in the Riders, 2nd in Teams and 2nd in the Manufacturers standings
Miguel Oliveira, 17th, now anticipates home Grand Prix in two weeks time
The Circuit of the Americas was the captivating stage for round four of 2022 MotoGP and after the series had clocked-up airmiles with trips to Qatar, Indonesia and Argentina since the season launched. A decent resurfacing effort of the 20-turn, 5.5km layout that features a wide range of varied corners and speed demands provided more grip and less bumps. Temperatures were pleasant without being oppressive, but a strong wind was another complication for the riders to handle for 20-laps on Sunday afternoon.
The KTM quartet searched in vain for usable traction and effective one-lap pace in practice and qualification but had to accept slots in the second half of the start grid. Binder was the furthest ahead with 17th place but still had to attack the field in the first laps to gain ground. The South African reached the top ten at one stage before classifying 12th and having recouped five spots. Teammate Miguel Oliveira finished just outside the points in 18th.
COTA was another ‘debut’ experience for Tech3 KTM Factory Racing pair Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez. The Moto2 World Champion rode to 20th and was five seconds behind Fernandez who chased Oliveira and took 19th.
Europe beckons and the first of another back-to-back double begins with the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal at Portimao in two weeks time.
Brad Binder: “The race was going well from the beginning and we made the right choice with the tires because the soft option lasted until the end. I’m not happy at all to finish 12th because I got up into the battle for 9th and ended up tagging the back of a rider and falling back again. There were two laps to go and I couldn’t get back. It’s been a tough weekend but we managed to salvage some points. Let’s see what we can do at the next one.”
Miguel Oliveira: “As expected it was a hard race. I really hoped we’d finish with some points. We had good speed with the medium tire in FP4 so we thought that would be the tire for the race but it turned out to be the opposite of what we expected. After five laps it started spinning and was getting worse and worse. I couldn’t avoid being overtaken and we missed those points. We learned from this weekend and in terms of making changes. We now go to a track where we have been competitive in the past and where we know we can be competitive again. We will go there with zero negativity from this weekend and with full motivation.”
Raul Fernandez: “It was not the result I had hoped for today, but this race was dedicated to Hervé Poncharal, and Thomas Galloux from WP, as it was both their birthdays. The race was really difficult, especially if your regular pace is in 2’05 and you try to go down to 2’04, you destroy everything! Anyway, the team did a great job again this weekend and we will continue the learning process in Europe, where we are hoping to get better results.”
Remy Gardner: “It was not a great day. After 6 or 7 laps, I was physically exhausted, and I was not feeling comfortable on the bike. Towards the end, I managed to do a good lap, but I had to put my heart and soul to every corner and to do that during an entire race is not possible. We also had a big drop with the soft tyres, so maybe we did not pick the right option for the race, and I think that we are still missing a lot.”
Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Team Manager: “A tough weekend. We tried to get the best from the race. Brad nearly finished 9th but had a moment with [Johann] Zarco with two laps to go and lost two positions because of this contact. We will analyze deeply why we had a hard time here this weekend and will be a bit more aggressive for the next Grand Prix. Overall, here I don’t think it is as bad and what we see in the results, today especially we found some good points and maybe we were a bit too conservative on the first day and stretched our problems. A learning experience and we will work better.”
