2023-04-16 20:50:16
The MotoGP race of the Grand Prix of the Americas started at 9:00 p.m. Spanish peninsular time with a temperature noticeably cooler than that of Saturday, 22 °C compared to the 31 °C that the drivers of the premier class had to endure during the Sprint Race on Saturday. This drop in the thermometers was a blessing for the entire grid, which once again opted mainly for the softer Michelin compound on the rear axle.
The poleman Pecco Bagnaia did not fail at the start and he held the lead ahead of Alex Rins and Luca Marini. As soon as we reached the second sector, two Spanish pilots crashed: Jorge Martín lost the front end of his Ducati and took Álex Márquez with him, who stayed hooked on his Ducati until he almost reached the protections. The one from Gresini needed the help of the commissioners to get up.
Before finishing this bumpy first turn, another Spaniard, Aleix Espargaró, also said goodbye to his aspirations in Austin; The Aprilia rider fell under braking at turn 12, at low speed, and opted to retire.
Here you can see the videos of both accidents:
???? @AleixEspargaro also didn’t make it to the end of the first lap!
He lost the front at Turn 12! ????#AmericasGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/7mrKlE8It0
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) April 16, 2023
WHAT A MESS AT THE EXIT!
¡@alexmarquez73 y @88jorgemartin they fall in the same action! Márquez got hooked on his motorcycle ????#AmericasGP ???????? #MotoGP ???? pic.twitter.com/RNDUcGAyQH
— DAZN Spain (@DAZN_ES) April 16, 2023
Third lap of this GP of the Americas and Pecco complies with the expected scripteither; The Ducati rider begins to stretch the leading group and takes Alex Rins with him, who is doing the impossible on his Honda to not give in to Pecco. Behind, eight tenths behind, Jack Miller -who started 10th- and the KTM have placed themselves on the podium, although behind him is Fabio Quartararo and the Ducatis of Marini and Bezzecchi.
The situation of the race did not change until the seventh lap, when Jack Millerwho was still running third, 1.2 seconds behind Rins, he lost control of his KTM in the second sector and said goodbye to his career in Austin. On that same lap, Raúl Fernández was forced to take the pit lane due to a problem with the holeshot system on his Aprilia.
That’s a huge shame for @jackmilleraus! ????
A podium place slips through his fingers! ????#AmericasGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/RzIzyJvSqE
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) April 16, 2023
A lap later, the drama returned to the head of the race: Pecco Bagnaia, who felt the constant pressure from Rins, lost the front end of his Ducati in turn 3 and hit his bones on the ground. The defending MotoGP champion got up on his own feet, apparently unharmed. The KO of Bagnaia left Rins as the unexpected leader of the race, also with a cushion of two seconds over a Fabio Quartararo that he was suffering to close the door on Luca Marini.
The fall festival did not end here; on lap 10, in the middle of the race, Joan Mir added to the list of pilots out of action after losing control of his Honda in the third sector. And two laps later, more crashes: first Brad Binderwho was fighting for seventh place with Johann Zarco, and then was Takaaki Nakagami the one who fell in turn 1 when he was rolling in rear positions.
“Wow…he’s done it again!” ????
Watch out for the reaction @26_DaniPedrosa and the explanation of the fall of @PeccoBagnaia #AmericasGP ???????? #MotoGP ???? pic.twitter.com/g8iPT7e6JO
— DAZN Spain (@DAZN_ES) April 16, 2023
On lap 13, with 8 slopes to finish, Luca Marini consolidated his overtaking on Quartararo after carrying the French wheel for several minutes. In front, Rins had lost some distance to his two pursuers, although the gap was still 1.6 seconds over Marini.
The final stretch of this GP of the Americas no longer brought any more surprises. Alex Rins masterfully managed the advantage he had at the head of the race and claimed his first victory as a rider for the LCR Honda Teamthe sixth he has achieved in the premier class and the second he has achieved here in Austin after his triumph in 2019 with Suzuki.
Luca Marini debuted on the MotoGP podium -on Sunday- with a hard-fought second position, seeing the checkered flag more than three seconds behind Rins; the podium was completed by a third manufacturer, specifically the Yamaha of Fabio Quartararowho got rid of the bad taste in his mouth left by his crash on Saturday in the Sprint Race.
???? @Rins42 HAS DONE IT!
A win that will live long in the history books of Honda and the @lcr_team! #AmericasGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/JRLAtiF3AL
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) April 16, 2023
from behind they finished Maverick Vinales (4º), Miguel Oliveira (5º), Marco Bezzecchi (6º), Johann Zarco (7º), Franco Morbidelli (8º), Fabio Di Giannantonio (9th) and Augusto Fernandez (10th). Up to nine riders crashed throughout the race, the last of them Stefan Bradl, which meant that only 13 of them managed to finish this eventful Las Américas GP.
What happened today in COTA keeps Marco Bezzecchi as MotoGP leader; The Mooney VR46 Team rider has 64 points, extending his lead over Bagnaia (2nd 53p.) to 11 points. With his victory today and his podium on Saturday, Rins rises meteorically to third place overall, 17 behind the leader, with Viñales 4th (45p.) and Zarco 5th (44p.).
Results MotoGP Race GP of the Americas
MotoGP General Classification
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