MotoGP of the Americas, Austin – Friday Practice Results

* Rookie

Official COTA MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Jorge Martin SPA Ducati 2m 2.039s (2022)
Fastest race lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 2m 3.575s (2015)

Luca Marini leads opening practice for the 2023 MotoGP of the Americas at a cloudy COTA in Austin, Texas.

The uncertain weather gave extra incentive for a top ten place this morning, with Marini’s VR46 Ducati team-mate and title leader Marco Bezzecchi among those needing a dry FP2 this afternoon to avoid a trip to Saturday’s Qualifying 1.

COTA king Marc Marquez may be absent this weekend but the Marquez name was still on the top of the timesheets after ten minutes courtesy of younger brother Alex.

The Gresini Ducati rider, third in the wet last time in Termas de Rio Hondo, kept improving to stay on keep command through the middle stages before finally being deposed by Fabio Quartararo.

Yamaha’s former world champion, who had fitted a new medium rear tyre, edged slightly further away from Marquez on his next lap but was still only 0.097s clear as the final ten minutes began.

Some new soft tyres materialised in the last five minutes when Maverick Vinales shot to the top for Aprilia, before Marini snathed P1 from the Spaniard.

Quartararo put up a fight to briefly take it back but the Frenchman ultimately couldn’t contain Marini with Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco, Alex Marquez and KTM’s Jack Miller (who recovered from an earlier fall) completing the top six on soft rubber.

Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin was the leading rider on the mediums in sixth followed by reigning champion and Portimao winner Francesco Bagnaia, who lost the early 2023 title lead after a fall from second in Argentina. The Italian was in the top three for much of the session on his way to seventh after electing not to use a new soft rear.

Alex Rins, the only previous COTA winner on track his weekend, was likewise a persistent contender at the sharp end until the time attacks when he was pushed down to 14th after electing to stick with the medium rubber.

New MotoGP race winner Bezzecchi began the weekend in 13th after a late fall at the slow Turn 12, at the end of the back straight.

Jonas Folger’s first MotoGP weekend since 2017, in place of Pol Espargaro, began with a black and orange flag due to a technical issue with his GASGAS Tech3 bike in the opening minutes of FP1. Rookie team-mate Augusto Fernandez was then the first faller of the weekend shortly after.

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While Miguel Oliveira and Joan Mir are returning to action this weekend, three riders remain absent due to injuries at last month’s Portimao season opener:

Pol Espargaro is being replaced at Tech3 by KTM test rider Jonas Folger, last year’s COTA winner Enea Bastianini is being replaced by Ducati test rider Michele Pirro and Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez is being replaced by HRC test rider Stefan Bradl.

Marquez has won seven of the previous COTA races, his only defeats coming in 2019 (when he fell from the lead, with Alex Rins taking victory) and 2021 (when he fought from last to sixth after a technical issue at the start).

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The MotoGP Court of Appeal is yet to decide if Marquez’s double long-lap penalty will be carried over from Argentina to his next event.