Another milestone for Marc Marquez on his return from injury as he secured third on the grid, his first front row of the season. Pol Espargaro faces an uphill battle from 12th on Sunday.

Both Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro achieved their targets during the first of the Saturday sessions, the pair advancing into Q2 directly with fourth and seventh places respectively in Free Practice 3.

After leading the way in both Friday sessions, eyes were on Marc Marquez to see what he could produce on Saturday at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas. With a steady FP3 under his belt, the six-time COTA winner used Free Practice 4 to refine his setting for the race and make a final assessment of the bumps before Q2. Marquez’s first run produced a 2’03.209 – moving him to the provisional top of the timesheets. This would stand as his best time of the session as Marquez’s second run was compromised by traffic.

441 days since his last front row, at the 2020 Spanish GP, Marc Marquez returns with a third-place position on the grid. Tomorrow’s 20-lap Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas is set to be a long and physically demanding affair but the #93 is feeling confident with his race pace.

Saturday in Texas was a complicated day for Pol Espargaro. Espargaro suffered a fall at Turn 12 during Free Practice 4, but walked away unharmed and returned to the garage before rejoining on his second Repsol Honda Team RC213V. In Q2, the #44 set a 2’03.875 to take 12th on the grid – his fastest lap of the weekend so far. Left to rue a timing miscalculation, Espargaro was unable to fully capitalize on his second tyre of Qualifying and is ready to grit his teeth through what is set to be a long and demanding Americas GP.

The 20-lap race will start at 14:00 Local Time on Sunday, October 3. Forecasts are predicting another hot day under the Texas sun.

Marc Marquez

3rd 2'03.209

“I am really happy with this front row because Qualifying has been one of my weak points this season. With the first tyre I felt OK and with the second tyre I found some traffic and I was on top of the time sheets so there was not much reason to push a lot. It’s my first front row of the season, which is strange to say but that’s how it is! With the used tyre I feel better than on the new tyre, our race pace is quite good. We will try to make another step in Warm Up and continue this direction.”

Pol Espargaro

12th 2'03.875

“Our first run in Qualifying wasn’t too bad, I was just assessing the bike after our crash and the feeling was there. In the second run, I misjudged the time I had left and I was in a group with Jack and Marc so didn’t have a chance to push with the last tyre. I missed my chance in Qualifying unfortunately. We still have a bit of feeling to find on the front end of the bike but this was not the limit in Qualifying. It’s going to be a very long and very physical race tomorrow, all we can do is put our head down and make the most of what happens. Turn 1 will also be a critical point.”

MotoGP 2021
Qualifying Round 15   Americas

Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas Qualifying Results

Dry
Humidity
54%
Track Temp
41°C
Air Temp
31°C
Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap
Location Information

The Circuit Of The Americas is the first purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the U.S. near Austin, Texas, with a 5.513km track and a capacity for 120,000 fans. Construction of the impressive 1000-acre facility was completed late in 2012, with MotoGP lining up at the track for the first time… read more.

Length 5.513 kilometres / 3.426 miles
Width 15 metres
Left corners 11
Right corners 9
Longest straight 1.2 kilometres / 0.746 miles
Constructed 2012
Modified 2018 (track repairs to the surface to smooth down bumps)

9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd Austin, TX 78617 - View in Google Maps

circuitoftheamericas.com

Records

Pole Position 2m 01.892s (162.8 km/h) Francesco Bagnai (Ducati, 2023)
Race Lap 2m 03.126s (161.1 km/h) Alex Rins (Honda, 2023)
Race Time 41m 14.649s (160.4 km/h) Alex Rins (Honda, 2023)
2023 Sprint Winner Francesco Bagnai (Ducati)
2023 Race Winner Alex Rins (Honda)