17
20:34
Pole setter loses many places
Marc Márquez consistently pulls in at the front and pushes past Martin. It has to open slightly to avoid a collision. It was a tough but fair manoeuvre. Quartarato took a good look at what was behind him and passed Martin at least as hard. The pole setter loses position after position and falls back to eighth place.
16
20:33
Bastianini in the lead!
On the start and finish straight, Bastianini overtakes Jack Miller with last year’s Ducati and takes the lead. Marc Marquez lays out Jorge Martin.
15
20:31
Miller and Bastianini in front
Five laps before the end, the leading duo forms up in front for the first time. Jack Miller and Enea Bastianini are expected to decide the victory among themselves. 1.5 seconds behind is Rins, who in turn is more than a second ahead of his teammate.
14
20:30
Quartararo struggles with the top speed
However, Quartararo cannot hold off Márquez’s attack for long because the top speed of the Yamaha is simply below ground. As soon as the reigning world champion enters the straight, he is an apparently easy victim for the other makes.
14
20:28
Zarco with a driving error
Quartararo wants to avoid Márquez’s attack and presses on the gas. He can’t get past Zarco yet, but he does him the favor of a small driving error that costs him two places.
13
20:25
Rins imitates me
The Suzukis work really well. They seem to be more than able to keep up with the Ducatipower. Joan Mir passes Zarco and Bagnaia to move up to fifth position.
12
20:24
Martin falls back to four
Jorge Martin has to tear something down now. He is caught by Bastianini as well as Rins.
12
20:23
Márquez with the fastest race lap
The first gap opens up behind Joan Mir, who is seventh. He’s about two seconds behind Quartararo. The Yamaha rider tends to have to look backwards, because Marc Márquez is flying in from there. Márquez even sets the fastest race lap with eight laps to go.
11
20:21
Field stays close together
Alex Rins is in an exciting duel with Enea Bastianini for the last place on the podium. Rins was already over, but Bastianini was able to counterattack immediately. At the front, however, Miller and Martin cannot break away from the rest.
10
20:19
Rins advances
Alex Rins uses his good pace and passes Johann Zarco. Zarco also has to look backwards more than forwards, because Bagnaia is slowly turning things up a notch.
9
20:17
Miller ahead
As exciting as the race in the midfield is, it is organized at the top. Jack Miller continues to lead the race ahead of Jorge Martin. In third place is Enea Bastianini, who in turn has Johann Zarco breathing down his neck. Behind them, Rins is catching up more and more and is currently setting the fastest lap times.
7
20:14
Marquez on the rise
Alex Rins blasts the Ducati quintet up front and overtakes Francesco Bagnaia. Marc Márquez continues to plow through the field and is already in tenth place. He has overtaken his teammate Pol Espargaro and now has his brother in front of him.
6
20:13
Fall of A. Marquez
In turn 11, Marc Márquez’s brother is now also hit. Alex Márquez crashes and has to end his race early.
6
20:11
Quartararo is too slow on the straight
Fabio Quartarato keeps losing ground. The El Diablo has to let both Suzukis pass him and attacks sharply. The Frenchman gives everything and tries to compensate for his Yamaha’s lack of speed in the corners. That looks like hard work.
5
20:08
Marquez going wild
Johann Zarco stabs inside at Bagnaia and passes. During this time, Marc Márquez corners much too quickly and is lucky that he finds the gap and doesn’t take anyone with him. He goes far and rejoins. The Spaniard has definitely not lost his fighting spirit.
4
20:07
Zarco turns up the heat
Johann Zarco can use the speed of his Ducati and has again pushed past Fabio Quartararo to fifth position. He’s really catching up now and setting the fastest race lap. The five Ducatis remain close together, with a small gap discernible between Bastianini and Bagnaia.
3
20:06
Out for Bezzecchi
Marco Bezzecchi fell in the transition from sector 3 to sector 4. But he is already back on the bike and can continue riding for the time being. After a few curves, however, he gets the announcement from the race control that he has to park his motorcycle.
2
20:04
catch-up begins
Sheriff Márquez’s comeback has begun. The road is long, but he has already surpassed Morbidelli and Dovizioso. Meanwhile, Jack Miller set the fastest race lap.
2
20:02
Miller stays ahead
Jack Miller and Jorge Martin don’t give each other anything up front. Both overtake each other frequently and fight for the top spot before the start/finish straight. In the end, Miller can hold his own at the front. Behind the two are Bastianini, Bagnaia and Quartararo. The Frenchman was able to collect a Ducati, namely Zarco’s, at the start.
1
20:01
M.Márquez messes up the start
Marc Márquez got off to a completely unsuccessful start. He doesn’t move at all and falls back to second from last. He’s only trailed by rookie Remy Gardner.
20:01
It starts!
The warm-up lap is over and the pilots are ready on the grid. The traffic light goes out and the race begins. Who will be the leader entering the first corner? Jack Miller gets the best start and takes the lead from Jorge Martin.
19:56
20 rounds must be completed
If you look at the Moto2 race, it’s all about staying seated. Of the 29 drivers who started, only 17 crossed the finish line in the end. For the MotoGP riders, the race distance is 20 laps. The Circuit of the Americas has two long straights that will not suit the Yamahas in particular.
19:44
Marc Marquez is back!
On the other hand, it is gratifying that Marc Márquez is back in the paddock after missing two races. After the heavy highside during the warm-up in Indonesia, the Spaniard’s double sightedness returned. It seems like Marquez is living in a real nightmare these days. Again and again he throws back into difficult injuries and endangers his self-confidence and self-image. The seven-time Austin winner vehemently rejects the role of favorites due to the current circumstances. But if everything fits together, a Marc Márquez can at least get on the podium on one of his favorite tracks with doubts.
19:34
Championship leader relegated
On the other hand, it was disappointing for the current championship leader. Aleix Espargaro is not having a good time in Austin after his maiden MotoGP win last weekend. He had to go into Qualifying 1 on Saturday and crashed. As a result, he missed qualifying for Q2 and is only starting from 13th place today.
19:29
Ducati supremacy
Qualifying went particularly well for Ducati. Jorge Martin, who drives for the Pramac customer team, is on pole. Next to him, the two factory drivers Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia complete the front row. The Ducatis are also dominant in the second row of the grid. Johann Zarco is in fourth place, behind his teammate Martin. Next to him is Enea Bastianini, who was able to set a strong pace in the training sessions. The reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo will start the race from position six as the first Ducati pursuer.
Warm welcome!
MotoGP is visiting the USA this weekend. The fourth race of the still young season is coming up at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. The start is at 8:00 p.m.!