Spaniard Marc Marquez (Honda) won his 7th Grand Prix of the Americas in the MotoGP category on Sunday, ahead of Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), who brings his championship lead to 52 points over Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), 3rd .
With three rounds still to go (each worth 25 points for the winner), Quartararo will have a first chance to win his first title in the premier class, the first also for a Frenchman, at the next event in Misano (Italy) on 24 October. Mathematically, only Bagnaia can still prevent it.
Third on the grid, Marquez got off to the best start and controlled his pace initially, before widening the gap from lap 5 to then comfortably hold the lead.
Zarco loses his 4th place in the standings
This is his second win this season (with the German GP, another counterclockwise track), after missing all of 2020 with a serious right arm injury. Quartararo, he managed in 2nd position against a Bagnaia, author of pole position, less comfortable than expected but still recovered from 6th place in the last laps.
The Spaniards Alex Rins (Suzuki) and Jorge Martin (Ducati-Pramac) finish at the foot of the podium. The latter’s French teammate, Johann Zarco, fell. Italian Valentino Rossi (Yamaha-SRT) is 15th.
The 2020 edition of the GP of the Americas in Austin (Texas) had been canceled due to Covid-19. This year, it took place in the presence of an audience. MotoGP will therefore be back for a second event on the Italian circuit of Misano – the GP of Emilia-Romagna – from October 22 to 24, where Bagnaia won in September at the end of the GP of San Marino.
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