Zarco pips Miller for P1 on Friday at COTA | All class coverage

MotoGP 2022 – Round Four – COTA
Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas

Riders reflect on opening day of practice in America

Johann Zarco – P1

“Very happy with the time we were able to do after only one day of practice. It was a long time since I had such a positive feeling. Tomorrow I will try to improve further, I feel in great shape.”

Jack Miller – P2

“The weekend is off to a good start – the bike is working well, and the track conditions are awesome compared to the past, although there are still a few small bumps that I think are part of the characteristics of this track. The Circuit of The Americas is unique, and I always like to come back here. From the start, the feeling with my Desmosedici has been good, and the team is doing a great job, which has allowed me to improve between the two sessions. So I’m happy and confident that I can do well in the next two days here in America”.

Fabio Quartararo – P3

“It’s great to be in the top 3. We still need to improve our pace, but our goal was to finish inside the top 5, and we achieved it. We may have a bit of margin in Sector 2 and the last sector. I feel quite good, and I think that when I’ve done more laps on the soft, it will be great. The new asphalt is a totally different story compared to last year. Last time we missed the pleasure to ride, but this year we can really send the bike into corner 2, 3, and 10. We can really go fast. It’s like finally we are back at COTA for real.”

Enea Bastianini – P4

“I was able to recover the feeling I had at the start of the year, which we basically missed only in Argentina. We’re surely competitive although there’s till work to do. We performed really well on the single lap and that’s very important ahead of tomorrow. We still need to focus on the braking area and on long corners – but as I said the overall set-up is already there. During my best lap I got distracted a little due to a crash at 11 by another rider, meaning we could have done even a little better. We still have to make a decision regarding tyres: I liked the harder option at the front-end, but it’s too early to choose.”

Alex Rins – P5

“Today was a good day and we put together a really nice FP2 session. We chose a different strategy today; putting in a fast lap early in the session and then working on race pace. I did around eight laps with strong pace, so that seemed to work well. Tomorrow I need to continue this work and check the medium tyre compound, and work on my final settings. But today has gone smoothly overall, and I’m pleased with my speed and the way the bike feels so far.”

Marc Marquez – P6

“It’s of course nice to ride again but it was not a simple day. Our focus today was on me, about getting my feeling back and working with the team to see where we are and what the situation is. We have some good speed it and from tomorrow we will start to work for the GP. I mean, work more on the setting and getting closer to the limit rather than having a day to focus on myself. Physically I am okay after today but we were not pushing as much over longer runs, we are looking to be fresh for the race.”

Maverick Vinales – P7

“We’re working extremely well with the team and every time we go out on the track, we manage to take another step forward. I’m adapting more and more to the bike and consequently I’m able to push harder. The settings we found recently work well here as well, so I’m happy about that. Today, partly because of some mistakes, I only missed the flying lap in the finale of FP2, but I’m rather satisfied with our pace.”

Joan Mir – P8

“It was a positive day overall, we made some steps forward and we were able to be pretty strong and competitive, so I’m happy about that. This track is not an easy one, but the bumps are smaller and the surface is improved; it was really bad last year but now we’re more able to cope. We still need to make some improvements with the bike in order to boost my confidence further, but I felt that for a first day on track it’s not been bad. I’m in the Top 10 so far, we just need to work on the setup to try and stabilise the bike a little more ahead of qualifying and the race.”

Pecco Bagnaia – P9

“I’m satisfied with this first day of work here in Texas. It was a normal start compared to the last few races, and today I focused mainly on improving my pace. My feeling with the bike is good, and in FP2, we were able to do a great job. Tomorrow morning in FP3, we’ll try to make the time to qualify directly for Q2, while it will be important to work on the tyre choice during FP4. I’m happy and determined to have a good qualifying session tomorrow”.

Jorge Martín – P10

“I’m very satisfied with today’s work, the pace is very good and I have a very good confidence with the bike. Today I didn’t try the time attack, but I’m positive that tomorrow I can do a good qualifying.”

Aleix Espargaro – P11

“Closing out Friday in the top ten usually makes things easier on Saturday, but we aren’t worried. Quite simply, I was unable to be incisive on the flying lap, so we’ll try again tomorrow in FP3. Last year I struggled a lot on this track and we were far behind the leaders. Now, on the other hand, the situation is completely different. The bike is working much better and I feel competitive. I have a good pace. The asphalt conditions have improved. There are still some bumps, but the times demonstrate that you can be fast.”

Pol Espargaro – P12

“Today was a really tough day, I am not feeling well and I have no power because I have a lot of pain and upset in my stomach. In the morning it was OK but for the afternoon session I was finished, I tried sleeping between sessions to help. The bike is performing well and there’s a lot of potential, but I have no strength. This is maybe one of the most difficult tracks to have a problem like this at because it is so physical. The plan is to head straight to the hotel and rest as much as possible before tomorrow. We need to put together one fast lap for Qualifying but there are many people who will be strong over a lap.”

Luca Marini – P14

“I expected to be closer in terms of gap both on the lap time and on the pace. We have to analyse the data, understand where I lose exactly because the feeling with the bike is not bad at all, but in each sector I leave a few tenths. The tarmac conditions, compared to 2021, are better but there are many bumps, an aspect to consider and on which we took a step forward in FP2 thanks to the electronics. I struggle in the change if direction, but tomorrow we will full exploit the two free practice sessions for getting faster.”

Andrea Dovizioso – P15

“Overall, I felt better today, I was closer, only three tenths behind Fabio and was pretty happy about that. On my last run, I somehow wasn’t able to use the potential of the soft rear and I didn’t make a really good lap time, so I didn’t end up inside the top 10, but the way I rode today, I felt I was close to the top 10. Let’s see how things work out tomorrow, I’m sure the grip will be higher, so everybody will go for the lap time. We also have to keep an eye on the wind as it seems to get stronger with each day. Anyway, I’m happy, because we changed the setup a bit after the race in Argentina from what we felt and learned in the race and with this, I was able to improve a bit on the braking, which helped me today.”

Álex Márquez – P16

“First day here in Austin and we started really well in FP1 with intensity, something that we needed in Argentina. We were quite good, working on different set-ups to try different things. In FP2 we tried our best, but we were still missing confidence on the front and turning, the bike was too heavy and this is where we need to focus tomorrow. In some parts we’re really fast, so we need to try more things, for tomorrow and Sunday especially the wind will be stronger and it will be interesting to see how everyone adapts to that. We need to make a solid Saturday, Q2 will be difficult to reach, but we’ll try our best and thanks to the team for their work.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P17

“Today we struggled a bit, especially in the afternoon FP2 when, from the beginning I didn’t have a great feeling on the front end, we definitely need to find a solution tomorrow in FP3. That’s the main target for tomorrow and, once I get a good front-end feeling, the lap time will come. I’ll try my best and hopefully we can find it during FP3.”

Fabio Di Giannantonio – P18

“We started off quite badly this morning, but we worked well, and with some important changes to the bike I was able to get more confident aboard my Ducati. I need to avoid focusing too on lap-time performances and results and rather think about finding the best feeling aboard the bike… the rest will come.”

Marco Bezzecchi – P19

“For being in Austin, it wasn’t a bad  day. We had some problems with the first bike in the FP2, I was on track with the second bike, with which I don’t have the same feeling, but we are not very far from the top guys. We have to stay focused, keep working and analyse the data well: all the Ducati are very fast, stable in braking but we struggle a little in the change of direction.”

Remy Gardner – P20

“Today was a good day. We are starting to take similar directions as to what Brad Binder is using. Of course, every time we make a change, we need to compensate with the front, but I believe that we are going in the right direction, so I am hoping to take another step further tomorrow in FP3.”

Franco Morbidelli – P21

“We are trying different things to get better, but today our pace was not that good. We need to improve. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do a time attack, because I got yellow flags. We are quite far behind, but we will try to improve for tomorrow.”

Darryn Binder – P22

“It’s really nice to be back in America. The track has definitely improved from last year. It was very nice to get out on this circuit on a MotoGP bike, although it’s definitely a much more physical track to what we’ve been to so far. It’s different, there’s a lot more stop and go than the first three circuits on the calendar, so it’s a little change this weekend. So far, I definitely enjoy riding here and I’m feeling good apart from the small crash I had. Anyway, I’m ready to try again tomorrow.”

Raul Fernandez – P23

“The first day was positive and I had a good pace, which is the most important. However, when we tried to do a fast lap to prepare for tomorrow in order to get a good grid position, the bike was moving too much on the front, so we need to try to understand the reasons and correct this for tomorrow, otherwise it will be difficult to get a good position. We know that we need to target the middle of the grid to be able to score points.”

MotoGP Friday Report

A silky smooth lap at the end of FP2 handed Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) the number one spot on the timesheets on Friday at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas. The Frenchman’s 2:02.542 was enough to beat Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) by 0.247s to earn himself some breathing space, with reigning World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing the top three.

Elsewhere, the returning Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) ended Day 1 in sixth, whereas World Championship leader Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) sits outside the top 10 – with work to do for the Argentina GP race winner in FP3 to move through into Q2.

MotoGP Friday Practice Times

MotoGP Championship Points Standings

Moto2

Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) continues to impress in Moto2 this season as the Spaniard ended Day 1 at the top of the timesheets at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas. Aldeguer set a 2:09.155 in the second Free Practice session to beat Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) by just 0.046s, with Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) beginning his home GP with a P3 overall on Day 1.

Behind Aldeguer, Arbolino and Beaubier, Dixon claimed P4 on Day 1. Second in the Championship, Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40), was fifth with FP1 pacesetter Fernandez in P6. Reigning Moto3 World Champion Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) went well to finish P7, with Argentina GP podium finisher Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) picking up P8. A late effort from Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40) – despite a crash – and Albert Arenas (Shimoko GASGAS Aspar Team) round out the top 10.

Home hero Sean Dylan Kelly (American Racing) headed to the medical centre for a check-up after a crash in FP2, thankfully he was later declared fit, as we also saw a crash for Gabriel Rodrigo (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) – he too went to the medical centre and will be reviewed before FP3.

That FP3 will be a vital session for Vietti after home favourite Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) knocked the Italian out of the top 14

Moto2 Friday Practice Times

Moto2 Championship Standings

Moto3

Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) flexed some speed on Day 1 at the Red Bull Grand Prix of Americas, pulling clear by more than three tenths ahead of compatriot Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team).

Third was an impressive push from Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as the Spaniard starts to stake his claim on some serious pace in his rookie season.

Behind Foggia, Migno and Holgado, Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is fourth fastest on Day 1 and having missed most of FP1.

Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) strung together a great FP2 to claim P5, with Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) in P6 as the final rider to get within a second of Foggia’s blistering time. Tatay suffered a heavy crash at Turn 18 in FP2 but the Spaniard was unhurt and ended the day in P7, he leads Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing), 2021 COTA winner Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) inside the top 10.

World Championship leader Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) claimed P11 on the combined timesheets, 1.1s down on title rival Foggia by the end of play. Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Matteo Bertelle (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) and Alberto Surra (Rivacold Snipers Team), the latter despite a crash, are the final riders currently set to move through to Q2.

Aussie youngster Joel Kelso has a second to find in order to crack into the top ten after finishing P21 on the opening day of practice at COTA, a new track for the 18-year-old.

Moto3 Friday Practice Times

Moto3 Championship Points Standings

MotoGP weekend schedule
Times in AEST

Saturday (Sunday)

Sunday (Monday)