Austin (AFP) – Francesco Bagnaia hailed a “fantastic” win in an eventful Grand Prix of the Americas on Sunday to end crash-victim Marc Marquez’s perfect start to the MotoGP season. Six-time elite class world champion Marquez was set fair to make it six wins out of six in Texas after romping to victories in the sprints and main races in Thailand, Argentina, and Saturday’s sprint in Austin. But a crash on lap nine did it for the Spanish superstar, gifting victory to his Ducati factory teammate.
Alex Marquez, on a Ducati satellite bike, took second for the sixth time to move one point clear of his older brother in the riders’ standings. Fabio Di Giannantonio, on another Ducati satellite machine, came in third at the Circuit of the Americas. Under a wide-brimmed Texan hat, Bagnaia beamed: “I’m super happy I have lost my voice. I screamed out loud during (the last) lap.” The 2022 and 2023 world champion, winning for the first time this year, added: “It’s a fantastic feeling to be back on the top step of the podium after a difficult period.”
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New championship leader Alex Marquez commented: “This is something very great. I’m super happy, have to keep going now.” Di Giannantonio meanwhile said he was going to toast his first podium since 2023 with “200 beers.” Bagnaia supplied Ducati with their 20th consecutive grand prix success, just two shy of Honda’s historic benchmark of 22.
– Start chaos –
There was chaos before lights out with riders on the grid, their bikes equipped with wet tyres, all set for the start. But then, with the changeable overcast conditions drying, pole-sitter Marc Marquez dramatically ran back to the pits to swap to a bike with slicks, triggering a domino effect as his grid rivals copied his example. As he had not sat on his bike, Marquez did not break any rules, only causing mayhem and a delayed start with a race reduced by one lap to 19 laps. There was one last twist to the pre-race drama when Maverick Vinales, last year’s winner, had to wheel his KTM bike off the grid with an issue to start from the pits.
Marquez got away to a flyer when they were eventually let go to lead from Alex Marquez with Bagnaia up from sixth to third. Marquez senior quickly stamped his authority on the race with more than a one-second cushion over the chasing pack. Bagnaia moved up to second after eight laps, albeit over two seconds behind the rider who lists the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) as one of his favourite tracks.
Then the race was turned on its head when Marquez crashed on lap nine, slithering off his bike after touching a kerb. He rejoined in 18th place with 10 laps remaining, only to call it a day a couple of laps later. One frustrated bystander at COTA was world champion Jorge Martin, who has missed the opening three rounds after breaking his right hand and foot in a pre-season testing crash in Malaysia. That has delayed his title defense and his debut for Aprilia. He moved to the team after being overlooked by Ducati for the factory ride that was offered to Marquez.
The Spaniard faces a seemingly Herculean task, though, to defend his title when he resumes in Qatar next time out, lagging 87 points behind Alex Marquez on his belated seasonal bow, with Marc Marquez on 86 and Bagnaia third on 75 points.
© 2024 AFP
