MotoGP 2023
Round Three – COTA
MotoGP Race
Alex Rins – P1
“The race was amazing. I’m so happy; it’s a great achievement. We put some good lap times together, and the tyres were there. It was quite a good race, and I’m happy because the pace was faster than last year, and the bike is more or less the same, so let’s keep going. Many thanks to the team, my family, the sponsors, and everybody supporting us”.
Luca Marini – P2
“What a fantastic day – I knew this day would come. I was very strong from the first free practice and the Team did a great job. We have prepared very well for today’s race, especially after the mistake in the Sprint and physically I am in perfect condition. I knew I had to manage the first laps well, not be in a hurry. Fabio and Jack overtook me, but I stayed behind to preserve the tyre and be stronger in the final stages. When Pecco crashed, I believed in the win, but Alex was uncatchable. I’m really happy for the Team and for all the people who have always supported me. There’s a great atmosphere in the crew, fantastic people, I knew it could be our season. We are doing great things with Marco too and the goal is to always fight for the win and the podium.”
Fabio Quartararo – P3
“It was really tough. I was struggling, but I had to fight hard on the first laps because the podium wouldn’t be possible if I lost positions in the opening stages. I did my best, and I’m really happy because I’m coming back after a few really tough races. You know, the team works so hard, and they try to keep me calm – that’s not an easy job. It feels good to be back in parc fermé, and hopefully more of these visits will be coming.”
Maverick Vinales – P4
“I’m extremely pleased. It was a super-fast race and I lapped consistently well, recovering a lot of positions. However, we’ll need to improve the start because there is no doubt that if we’re able to stay at the front in the early stages of the race, our results would be even better! We have the speed and that is highly important. I feel very strong with this bike even when I have to battle in duels with other riders, so much that today I managed to overtake a lot and to be effective even in braking despite missing the right part of the winglet. We are faster than I expected. After three races, we are in a good position in the standings and we’re heading to Jerez with confidence.”
Miguel Oliveira – P5
“The race was a bit eventful because of the crashes and the wind. We knew since the Warm Up that the conditions today were going to be a bit more tough. It was a challenge not to crash the first couple of laps, but then we managed to get a good pace and get into a rhythm that was comfortable. The team made an incredible job today, giving me a great and fast bike that performed well. Finally, it is a small victory for us to end fifth on a track, which is normally not great to me, and at the same time, it was my first race for Aprilia, that I could finish. So, I’m happy to get my season restarted like this.”
Marco Bezzecchi – P6
“I’m happy with the weekend: on Friday we had a lot of problems and my feeling wasn’t perfect. Yesterday, however, we managed to make a big step and today it was very easy to make a few mistakes and lose everything. The pace wasn’t bad, maybe I started too fast. I pushed a lot and ran out of front tyre. The last 7 laps I was exhausted, I had to slow down and I have lost the fourth place. This is perhaps the only regret. I’m in P1 in the Championship, it’s really still very early, but it’s always a great feeling. Congratulations to Luca, he deserves it, and to the whole Team. This group is doing something amazing.”
Franco Morbidelli – P8
“This was definitely a better race and better performance than yesterday. The starting position didn’t help at all. We lost our chances on Friday by not getting directly into Q2, and we started from too far behind. We worked a lot to climb our way up. It’s nice that we were able to have a decent performance in qualifying and in today’s Race. We need to take this eighth place, and we need to take the good improvements and the data we have gathered here. We will arrive in Jerez nice and sharp and ready to battle.”
Fabio DiGiannantonio – P9
“It was an excellent race with regards to the data gathered. We understood a lot of things on how to improve the feeling with the bike. We made a good step compared to yesterday and brought home a top ten result. These first three races were maybe the hardest for use and we came out of them with good indications. Now let’s keep working towards Jerez.”
Augusto Fernandez – P10
“It was a hard race but I’m happy because we made a good step. Finishing the race was important; there were a lot of crashes. My feeling on the bike was much better and an improvement on what it had been through the weekend. I was more competitive, so I think we are doing a good job.”
Michele Pirro – P11
“Finishing this race was very important for both the team and me, so I tried to be cautious and not take too many risks. Compared to the Sprint race, I found myself more in trouble in the first few laps: we made a change to the bike that we didn’t have time to try in the warm-up and that, in the end, didn’t allow me to stay hooked to the top ten in the race. In any case, it went well. We finished 11th and also got some points. I am very sorry for Pecco, but I am sure he will make up for it soon in the next Grands Prix. Thanks to the whole team for the great work these days.”
Jonas Folger – P12
“Race done here in Austin. I expected a difficult one…and it was difficult! But I felt much more comfortable on the bike and, together with the guys, we picked out areas of my riding where I could improve quickly and try to get better through the race. I was able to solve some things and understand the bike more. For this reason I’m happy. I was a bit more consistent and faster than yesterday. I want to thank the guys here in the garage and their support. They have taken the pressure away from me because they know it’s not an easy situation to walk in here and to try and be competitive in MotoGP. Really good people and a good experience for me.”
Brad Binder – P13
“The whole weekend here in Austin has been a lot more positive than we might have expected beforehand, based-off our experiences here in the last years. I wasn’t super-happy yesterday but I managed 5th which was fantastic. Today I had high hopes but unfortunately I switched my line going into Turn 1 at the start and it was a big mistake on my part. I ended up getting caught in the chaos on the first lap. I tried my best. I struggled with the front tyre up until a few laps before I crashed. At that moment I was confident and was started to push. Then it just snapped away from me on one of the little left-handers. Luckily, I was able to remount and we still got three points. As frustrating as today was we are not walking away empty-handed. For me it was also a lesson, especially from my mistake at the start. At Jerez we will go a hell-of-a-lot better.”
Jack Miller – DNF
“That was an unfortunate one, let’s say – there’s another word I could use, but let’s go with that – because I felt really good from the get-go here at COTA. I honestly felt the victory was on offer today because of the way the KTM holds the rear tyre, and after five laps I was starting to gain time back on the boys up front (Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia and Honda’s Alex Rins) and I felt that off the slow corners, I was managing the rear tyre a bit better. Rins was starting to spin a bit more than I was in acceleration, so I really felt we were in for a good shout today … but we’re all going to say that when we’re laying in the gravel trap after seven laps, aren’t we?
“I made an awesome start from 10th, got down the inside into Turn 1 and then got (Ducati’s Luca) Marini before the back straight, so I did a lot of my best work early on by being third after the first lap. I realised pretty quickly that I was able to push Pecco and Alex, and it felt pretty comfortable. I got settled into the race and swapped the (engine) map … and then she let go on me and that was all she wrote.
“We had a really competitive package today, so I’m sorry for the team for letting them down. They’ve done a fantastic job all weekend again, and the improvement from last year is huge. To be there fighting with both Pecco and Alex for the first bit of the race was awesome. I really felt like we were in with a shout today.
“Six crashes across the weekend isn’t anything to be happy about, and it’s been a tricky one because the crashes have been so strange, there’s nothing I could do about them when they came. You try to stick your elbow in like you do with every other sort of track and you can kind of save it, but here … you can put your elbow in as much as you like, but you’re not bringing it back. Once it goes, it goes. Pecco’s crash later on and a lot of the other crashes were the same thing. It’s a slippery and unforgiving track, and you had to ride with that little bit of margin because once you lose speed, there’s no way of grabbing back the grip when you have a moment. It looked like Rins was able to do that better than any of us throughout the weekend.
“I always love coming back here to COTA, it’s definitely one of the Grand Prix that I look forward to most on the calendar. Probably one of my favourites, to be honest. The track is just so different to everywhere else that we race, which is nice. We’ve managed to improve the braking performance of the KTM in Portimao and Argentina, so that had me optimistic for here because that’s one of the key factors you need in places like corner one and then the corner before the back straight. The bike’s changing directions well, it gives me really good feedback through the handlebars, and COTA gives you a good old workout there.
“Sunday was a shame, and Saturday wasn’t exactly ideal either – three crashes in the morning practice, two of them in two laps – so to get at least one point in the sprint race was something. The sprint race was a bit calmer than the first two but here, it’s such a physical track that you have to manage yourself a little bit so that probably explains it. It felt like I was getting stronger as the sprint race went on, but I needed more than 10 laps – it went better in the last three laps. I did my second-best lap on the last lap, but I couldn’t really use the front tyre like I wanted because the temperature was too high being in the group, and with it being so hot here on Saturday.
“One point from here isn’t what we all wanted, no question about that, but we’ll draw on the positives from the weekend and try to learn from the negatives, and go towards Jerez with a clear mind.
“I’m looking forward to getting to Jerez, it’s always good to go back to a place where you’ve won before. It’s another new track for me with the KTM, but it’ll be good to be back to some semi-normal conditions. I just can’t wait to get back on this thing because I’m really enjoying riding it, and enjoying the group of guys and working with them to make things better.”
Pecco Bagnaia – DNF
“For the second weekend in a row, I crashed: I can’t give myself an explanation, making it even harder to accept. I made a mistake, but at the moment, I don’t understand what it was. It was a very strange fall, and now I will ask my team to analyse the data well to understand what happened. I know the Championship is still very long, but we have thrown away 45 points in the last two GPs, and it is definitely not the best.”
Joan Mir – DNF
“Overtaking on this track is always a challenge and I crashed while trying to battle with Morbidelli. Everyone has good grip in the first laps, so it is hard to find an advantage early in the race. I was fine after the crash, it’s certainly a shame because we could have had a really good result here. The important point from this weekend is that we found something with the bike that I think can help us a lot in the future. It’s the best feeling I have had with this bike so far so we are focusing on this as we move towards Jerez.”
Stefan Bradl – DNF
“Today we had a lot of potential, the top ten was right there. Of course I am disappointed not to be able to get this result because something like this gives you a big boost – especially when you are a rider like me stepping in for only a few races. It was a strange crash without much warning, but clearly the conditions on track were difficult with many falls. I was riding well and felt quite good on the bike, so this is very positive.”
Aleix Espargaro – DNF
“If the crash had happened on a different track, I won’t say that I would have been less angry, but it clearly would have been special for me to take a spot on the podium here that was well within our potential. After all the difficulties that we have always found at COTA, this weekend I demonstrated surprising potential. This season start has been disappointing, especially because I’m certain that I’m riding better than last year, but for one reason or another, we are not taking home the results we deserve. Hopefully, we’ll reverse this trend as early as Jerez because our potential is clear.”
Raul Fernandez – DNF
“We were unlucky today. I had a good start and was catching up to the group of Maverick (Viñales) and Miguel (Oliveira), but unfortunately, I had a mechanical issue and had to retire and end my race. Overall, both my team and Aprilia did a good job. At the end, we are racing and we may face many issues. We have to be positive, especially my feeling with the bike was improving a lot. I know that once we get a good result, we will see that we can do it. We will try again in Jerez. I am really positive and optimistic, I believe in my team and in Aprilia.”
Alex Marquez – DNF
“It’s been a weekend as positive as unlucky at the same time. We worked well and found the right confidence already from the Friday. Unfortunately, we had a bit too many crashes and today we were simply not fortunate enough. These things happen, Martin apologised to me and everything stays there in the race. It could happen the same to me on another occasion, it happens to everybody. Now we go back to Europe with plenty of confidence in our abilities.”
Team Managers
Pablo Nieto – Mooney VR46 Racing Team Manager
“Another Sunday to remember for the whole Team! Luca’s first podium in MotoGP is something he is particularly proud of after a long growth path from Moto2 to the Top class. He was perfect, he didn’t do anything wrong and he achieved a goal he deserved for a long time. His commitment and attention to detail is something that everyone recognises. Thanks to the whole crew, they never gave up and I’m very happy for all the guys. We are leading the teams championship, an important factor also for our partners who support us and who we try to honour every Sunday on the track. Then Marco, in P1 in the general standings and sixth at the finishing line after a weekend that didn’t start in the best way.”
Massimo Meregalli – Monster Yamaha Team Director
“We got our first podium of the season today! Fabio always gives 100 per cent, but today he gave 10 per cent more, if possible. He rode a smart race: aggressive at the start and clever towards the end. It’s great to see him back on the podium. It’s a well-deserved reward for him and the team after all the hard work. Franco Morbidelli also made a good step compared to yesterday. Though there are still areas to improve, he was able to recover ground in the first lap and he completed the race with solid points. All in all, we leave Austin with a morale boost, and now we are looking forward to starting the European leg of the season in two weeks‘ time.”
Francesco Guidotti – Red Bull KTM Team Manager
“A tough Sunday. We cannot blame our riders today because many were on the limit with the front tyres and we saw many crashes. The good part is that both riders felt good on the bike and we know we can do much better than this result sheet. Jack was on for the podium for half the race and then went down in a corner where he hadn’t had any warning the whole weekend. That’s racing; everybody is on the limit. Brad had good comments. He got stuck in the first corner and ran into some moments with other riders going down. At one point he was the fastest rider on track. We have some signs from this grand prix and that’s why we are looking forward to Jerez now.”
Nicolas Goyon – GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 Team Manager
“Quite a strong result here in Texas with both riders in the points and they managed to survive through the chaos. A smart race from Augusto who achieved a top ten for the first time this season. He was clever, even though – like most – he struggled with the front tyre. He kept his pace. Jonas improved his lap-time by two seconds from yesterday. We kept calm, studied the data and changed his position on the bike. Things were working much better and it was a good result. A positive weekend and now we will pack up and look forward to Jerez.”
Razlan Razali – CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team Principal
“Basically, it was a good weekend for the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team, especially from Miguel. Effectively, it’s his first race for the team, his 200th Grand Prix and to come back from the injury, missing one round and to finish fifth is a fantastic effort by him and the team. We are very happy about that and we know, that there is more to come from him for the season. Regarding Raul, it was a very unfortunate situation for him facing a mechanical failure. He was very upset. We need to investigate what happened together with Aprilia and we know that he will continue to improve once we are back in Europe. So, we are looking optimistic into the future.”
Wilco Zeelenberg – CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team Manager
“The third round is done, we had a bit of mixed fortunes for the team this weekend with the DNF of Raul due to his technical issue. Of course, it’s disappointing, as he had a good pace and we have expected for him to grab some valuable points as he could clearly have done possibly a P10 or P9. However, on the other side of the garage, we’re very happy with the fifth position by Miguel and also seeing him finishing his first race of the season with a strong result. He had good speed and was right behind Maverick (Viñales). We are indeed looking forward to the next races. I think both boys made a bit of a step up, but of course it’s difficult to show it straight away at this challenging track in Austin.”
Piero Taramasso – Michelin
“The track was slightly cooler in the grand prix than during the Sprint Race, but with a ground temperature of 40°C, grip levels clearly weren’t ideal. The combination of the Hard-compound tyre at the front and Soft at the rear was clearly the best, resulting in extremely consistent lap times from start to finish and four different manufacturers represented in the final top four. Every existing lap record was beaten this weekend – and by some impressive margins.”
MotoGP Race Results
| Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | Alex Rins | ES | Honda | 41’14.6490 |
| 2 | Luca Marini | IT | Ducati | +3.498 |
| 3 | Fabio Quartararo | FR | Yamaha | +4.936 |
| 4 | Maverick Viñales | ES | Aprilia | +8.318 |
| 5 | Miguel Oliveira | PT | Aprilia | +9.989 |
| 6 | Marco Bezzecchi | IT | Ducati | +12.049 |
| 7 | Johann Zarco | FR | Ducati | +12.242 |
| 8 | Franco Morbidelli | IT | Yamaha | +20.399 |
| 9 | FabioDi Giannantonio | IT | Ducati | +27.981 |
| 10 | Augusto Fernandez | ES | KTM | +28.217 |
| 11 | Michele Pirro | IT | Ducati | +32.37 |
| 12 | Jonas Folger | DE | KTM | +68.065 |
| 13 | Brad Binder | ZA | KTM | +83.012 |
| Non-classified riders | ||||
| Stefan Bradl | DE | Honda | 2 laps | |
| Takaaki Nakagami | JP | Honda | 9 laps | |
| Joan Mir | ES | Honda | 12 laps | |
| Francesco Bagnaia | IT | Ducati | 13 laps | |
| Raul Fernandez | ES | Aprilia | 14 laps | |
| Jack Miller | AU | KTM | 14 laps | |
| Riders who did not finish first lap | ||||
| Alex Marquez | ES | Ducati | – | |
| Aleix Espargaro | ES | Aprilia | – | |
| Jorge Martin | ES | Ducati | – | |
MotoGP Championship Points
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Points |
| 1 | Marco Bezzecchi | IT | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | 64 |
| 2 | Francesco Bagnaia | IT | Ducati Lenovo Team | 53 |
| 3 | Alex Rins | ES | LCR Honda CASTROL | 47 |
| 4 | Maverick Viñales | ES | Aprilia Racing | 45 |
| 5 | Johann Zarco | FR | Prima Pramac Racing | 44 |
| 6 | Luca Marini | IT | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | 38 |
| 7 | Fabio Quartararo | FR | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | 34 |
| 8 | Alex Marquez | ES | Gresini Racing MotoGP | 33 |
| 9 | Brad Binder | ZA | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 30 |
| 10 | Franco Morbidelli | IT | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | 29 |
| 11 | Jorge Martin | ES | Prima Pramac Racing | 29 |
| 12 | Jack Miller | AU | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 26 |
| 13 | Aleix Espargaro | ES | Aprilia Racing | 18 |
| 14 | Miguel Oliveira | PT | CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team | 16 |
| 15 | Augusto Fernandez | ES | GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 | 14 |
| 16 | FabioDi Giannantonio | IT | Gresini Racing MotoGP | 13 |
| 17 | Takaaki Nakagami | JP | LCR Honda IDEMITSU | 7 |
| 18 | Marc Marquez | ES | Repsol Honda Team | 7 |
| 19 | Joan Mir | ES | Repsol Honda Team | 5 |
| 20 | Michele Pirro | IT | Ducati Lenovo Team | 5 |
| 21 | Jonas Folger | DE | GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 | 4 |
| 22 | Raul Fernandez | ES | CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team | 2 |
| 23 | Stefan Bradl | DE | Repsol Honda Team | 0 |
2023 MotoGP Calendar
| Rnd | Date | Location |
| 4 | Apr-30 | Spain, Jerez |
| 5 | May-14 | France, Le Mans |
| 6 | Jun-11 | Italy, Mugello |
| 7 | Jun-18 | Germany, Sachsenring |
| 8 | Jun-25 | Netherlands, Assen |
| 9 | Jul-09 | Kazakhstan, Sokol (Subject to homologation) |
| 10 | Aug-06 | Great Britain, Silverstone |
| 11 | Aug-20 | Austria, Red Bull Ring |
| 12 | Sep-03 | Catalunya, Catalunya |
| 13 | Sep-10 | San Marino, Misano |
| 14 | Sep-24 | India, Buddh (Subject to homologation) |
| 15 | Oct-01 | Japan, Motegi |
| 16 | Oct-15 | Indonesia, Mandalika |
| 17 | Oct-22 | Australia, Phillip Island |
| 18 | Oct-29 | Thailand, Chang |
| 19 | Nov-12 | Malaysia, Sepang |
| 20 | Nov-19 | Qatar, Lusail |
| 21 | Nov-26 | Valenciana, Valencia |
