Americas GP: Bastianini reclaims MotoGP lead with Austin win

The
Beast,
as
he
is
known
in
the
padoock
circles,
surged
ahead
of
Alex
Rins
(Team
Suzuki
Ecstar)
and
Jack
Miller
(Ducati
Lenovo
Team)
as
the
Suzuki
and
Ducati
duo
scrapped
it
out
on
the
last
lap
for
P2
and
P3.

Rins’ success
brings
up
a
magical
500
podiums
for
the
Hamamatsu
factory
in
the
historic
500th
GP
for
Dorna,
IRTA,
FIM
and
MSMA.

Americas
GP:
Martin
grabs
last-gasp
pole,
Marquez
ninth

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
pole-sitter
Jorge
Martin
(Pramac
Racing)
and
Francesco
Bagnaia
(Ducati
Lenovo
Team).

It
was
a
nightmare
start
from
P9
for
six-time
MotoGP
world
champion
Marc
Marquez
(Repsol
Honda
Team)
though,
something
went
wrong
off
the
line
for
the
Spaniard
and
at
Turn
1,
the
number
93
was
plumb
last.

Joan
Mir’s
podium
attack
did
not
quite
come
to
fruition
in
the
end,
but
it
is
a
second
consecutive
P4
for
the
2020
FIM
MotoGP
world
champion,
as
Francesco
Bagnaia
finished
P5
from
the
front
row.

COTA
hero
Marquez,
who
had
won
seven
out
of
eight
previous
races,
produced
a
truly
stunning
fightback
after
a
terrible
start
to
claim
P6,
but
it
is
a
case
of
what
could
have
been
for
the
Repsol
Honda
rider
in
Texas.

Americas
GP:
All
eyes
on
Marc
Marquez,
the
King
of
COTA
as
MotoGP
celebrates
500
GP

Defending
MotoGP
world
champion
Fabio
Quartararo
battled
as
hard
as
anyone
to
pick
up
P7,
it
is
not
the
result
he
would
have
been
after
but
with
the
next
best
Yamaha
down
in
P15,
you
have
to
feel
El
Diablo
is
getting
the
very
best
out
of
his
package.

Pole
sitter
Martin
slipped
to
P8
as
the
Pramac
duo
struggled
in
the
second
half
of
the
race,
with
early
pace
setter
Johann
Zarco
P9.

Americas
GP:
Zarco
sets
early
pace,
Marquez
sixth

Maverick
Vinales
got
the
better
of
Aprilia
Racing
team-mate
Aleix
Espargaro
as
the
Aprilias
pick
up
P10
and
P11
from
P13
and
P14
on
the
grid,
as
Brad
Binder
(Red
Bull
KTM
Factory
Racing)
came
home
in
P12
on
a
difficult
weekend
for
KTM.

A
fatigued
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.

What
a
way
to
celebrate
500
GPs
at
the
COTA!
Bastianini
takes
charge
of
the
2022
FIM
MotoGP
World
Championship
title
race
as
we
now
head
to
the
all-important
European
leg
of
the
season
–
Portimao’s
rollercoaster
is
up
next
on
April
24..
Buck
up
guys!

TOP
10
RESULTS

1.
Enea
Bastianini
(Gresini
Racing
MotoGP
2.
Alex
Rins
(Team
Suzuki
Ecstar)
+
2.058
3.
Jack
Miller
(Ducati
Lenovo
Team)
+
2.312
4.
Joan
Mir
(Team
Suzuki
Ecstar)
+
3.975
5.
Francesco
Bagnaia
(Ducati
Lenovo
Team)
+
6.045
6.
Marc
Marquez
(Repsol
Honda
Team)
+
6.617
7.
Fabio
Quartararo
(Monster
Energy
Yamaha
MotoGP)
+
6.760
8.
Jorge
Martin
(Pramac
Racing)
+
8.441
9.
Johann
Zarco
(Pramac
Racing)
+
12.735
10.
Maverick
Vinales
(Aprilia
Racing)
+
12.642

(By
a
special
arrangemet
with
Dorna
Sports)