Austin MotoGP, Circuit of the Americas – Warm-up Results

* Rookie

Pole position time:
Jorge Martin SPA Ducati 2m 2.039s

Official COTA MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Jorge Martin SPA Ducati 2m 2.039s (2022)
Fastest race lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 2m 3.575s (2014)

Maverick Vinales and Aprilia lead the field during morning warm-up for the 2022 Americas MotoGP in Austin, Texas, ahead of Ducati’s Enea Bastianini and Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami.

Qatar winner Bastianini, named by several rivals as having the best race pace, was fastest during the middle stages of the 20-minute session, until Aprilia team-mates Aleix Espargaro and then Vinales took over at the top.

Bastianini, Nakagami who explained yesterday he had no choice but to try a big change in search of front-end confidence in warm-up) and factory Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia then managed to split the RS-GPs, but Vinales held firm at the front.

Both world championship leader Espargaro and Vinales have shown good pace throughout the weekend, but will need to fight their way forwards from just 13th and 14th respectively on the gird.

Suzuki’s Joan Mir and Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco were sixth and seventh, followed by ‘COTA king’ Marc Marquez.

As he had suggested, Marquez chose to sit out some of the session to save energy for his first race since the Qatar season opener: “I will try to do 4-5 laps waiting for the race, this is the way I need to work now,” he had said.

The Repsol Honda star qualified just ninth on the grid but has a strong race pace.

Others looking to break the Ducati stanglehold at the front will be the likes of Yamaha’s reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo and Suzuki’s Alex Rins,ninth and tenth respectively in warm-up.

“4

KTM’s tough weekend continued with Brad Binder the top RC16 in 15th, with rookie Raul Fernandez suffering a fall.

But last place went to the Monster Yamaha of Franco Morbidelli, who only completed two laps.

Cool and windy conditions meant soft front tyres were in action this morning, but Michelin expects the hard to be the unanimous choice for the race. For the rear, Michelin tips the soft to be ‘the majority choice’ with the medium an option ‘for motorcycles that are more sensitive to set-up because it is more stable and more progressive’.

“5

Marc Marquez is returning to action after missing the Mandalika race and following Argentine weekend due to a new episode of double vision caused by his huge warm-up accident in Indonesia.

COTA is one of his most successful circuits, having won seven of the eight MotoGP races held at the Texan track, falling while leading in 2019, when Suzuki’s Alex Rins took victory.

Subsurface soil movement means large bumps have been a persistent issue at COTA, resulting in the latest partial resurfacing for the 2022 event, covering Turns 2-10 and 12-16.

“6

Track schedule in UK time – 2022 Austin MotoGP

Friday
3pm-3.40pm: Moto2 Free Practice 1
3.55pm-4.40pm: MotoGP Free Practice 1
4.55pm-5.35pm: Moto3 Free Practice 3

7.15pm-7.55pm: Moto2 Free Practice 2
8.10pm-8.55pm: MotoGP Free Practice 2
9.10pm-9.50pm: Moto3 Free Practice 2

Saturday
3pm-3.40pm: Moto2 Free Practice 3
3.55pm-4.40pm: MotoGP Free Practice 3
4.55pm-5.35pm: Moto3 Free Practice 3

6.35pm-6.50pm: Moto2 Qualifying 1
7pm-7.15pm: Moto2 Qualifying 2
7.30pm-8pm: MotoGP Free Practice 4
8.10pm-8.25pm: MotoGP Qualifying 1
8.35pm-8.50pm: MotoGP Qualifying 2
9.10pm-9.25pm: Moto3 Qualifying 1
9.35pm-9.50pm: Moto3 Qualifying 2

Sunday
3.20pm-3.30pm: Moto2 warm-up
3.40pm-4pm: MotoGP warm-up
4.10-4.20pm: Moto3 warm-up

5.20pm: Moto2 race
7pm: MotoGP race
8.30pm: Moto3 race