MotoGP Austin FP1 LIVE: Alex Rins dominates. Captain America already 5th!

9 drivers on the podium in 3 races and the return of Marc Marquez to a circuit where “he can win by driving with one hand”, these are the main data at the start of this Grand Prix of the Americas which takes place on the COTA (Circuit of the Americas) in Austin, Texas.

A week after an Argentinian Grand Prix marked by Aprilia’s first victory in MotoGP and the first success of Aleix Espargaro in Grand Prix, it is therefore the latter who leads a general classification which has had great difficulty in defining a favorite so far.

Can Marc Marquez return to the title race despite two absences in Indonesia and Argentina? With 18 Grands Prix remaining on the programme, the answer goes without saying, especially since the resumption of the Spanish prodigy is taking place on a circuit where the Spaniard’s statistics are simply mind-blowing!
– In 2013, Marquez became the youngest driver ever to start on pole and the youngest to win in the premier class, taking both records from Freddie Spencer.
– He qualified on pole every year until 2019 and went on to win the race every time except 2019.
– Before 2019, he won all nine MotoGP™ races held in the United States, with six wins at Austin, three at Indianapolis and one at Laguna Seca in 2013.
– Additionally, he won the Moto2™ races at Indianapolis in 2011 and 2012, making wins on his 12 visits to the United States prior to 2019.
– In 2018, he qualified on pole, but received a grid penalty after riding slowly on the line ahead of Maverick Viñales in Q2. He then started from fourth place, took the lead on the first lap and crossed the line with a margin of victory of 3.560 seconds.
– 2018 was the third time he qualified on pole, led on the line every lap and set the fastest lap of the race in Austin, along with 2014 and 2016.
– In 2019 he qualified on pole and led the first eight laps before crashing out at Turn 12… the only time this year he failed to finish first or second.
– In 2021, he qualified third (which is the first time he missed pole at COTA) before his arm injury. He went on to win the race, his seventh victory on the circuit.

It is therefore not for nothing that it is nicknamed The Sheriff Where Captain America ! And that’s good because it adds spice to a season so far a bit strange, very open and for the moment dominated by European manufacturers. With the bonus of a helmet dedicated to the event.

Another interesting element, the circuit underwent works last January in turns 2 to 10, in order to answer the ultimatum of the pilots who had threatened not to race anymore if the recurring bumps were not eliminated. We will know this evening the reactions of the pilots on this subject, with moreover a return of the “conventional” Michelin tires 2022…

Despite the sulphurous reputation of the “Tornado Alley” in North Texas, the weather also seems to be celebrating this weekend, with forecasts in the continuity of the past days: pristine skies and high temperatures until Sunday despite strong wind gusts !

While waiting to find out more, as the 24 drivers prepare for this first 45-minute free practice session, under a clear sky with temperatures of 16° in the air and 25° on the ground, let’s take advantage of these few live moments thanks to the official MotoGP.com website:

When the red lights go out… once is not customary, Johann Zarco goes first, Fabio Quartararo penultimate while Fabio Di Giannantonio remains in its box a little longer.