Austin, Texas: Marc Marquez Back in Action with Never Give Up Attitude!
Author: Myanna Wedes
MotoGP is celebrating an amazing milestone this weekend with the collaboration between FIM, IRTA, MSMA and Dorna reaching an incredible 500 Grand Prix events together. It showcases the passion each group has for the sport as well as how much it has grown over the years. In addition to this, the track has been re-surfaced and we anticipate Andrea Dovizioso will be vocal about its performance level as he has been quick to comment in the past. Whilst the circuit looks ready to host a battle between the main manufacturers, we have heard that French rider Fabio Quartararo has already started discussions with other manufacturers for 2023, because this year is another reminder of silly season contract talks and team movements. The manager of Quartararo, Eric Mahe has also confirmed that there are other rivals’ teams interested and no doubt, Marc Marquez will be one of the riders’ other teams are trying to court considering the performance levels of the Repsol Honda machine over the past two seasons. Plus, we have our very own Australian rider Jack Miller who appears to be left in the dark regarding his own contract renewal with Ducati Lenovo MotoGP team which is interesting because the Italian manufacturer has created a problem for themselves with the sister team Pramac MotoGP team as they have two riders wanting to progress higher up into the factory team though have two quality riders already on board. The Austin race result is going to be vital for Miller’s success and remaining in the sport with a top ride. Time to shake up the grid and win that race Miller!
This weekend, we anticipate seeing all of the Ducati riders strong as well as the Suzuki dynamic duo of Joan Mir and Alex Rins, Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez purely because of his ability to go fast here regardless of the limitations that exist, Monster Energy Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo as he loves the Austin layout and possibly Aprilia Racing dependent upon if the circuit and tyres allow their bike to flourish. It will not be an easy weekend for KTM and several of the other main manufacturer riders who are yet to find their form in comparison to their teammates. This includes Franco Morbidelli, Raul Fernandez, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez. You only have so much time in the premier class of MotoGP to perform before others in the under study classes of Moto2 want the MotoGP ride. Of course, there is history with many of these riders, although key team personnel can only be patient for so long.
With the return of Marquez, the first few sessions will be important to building his confidence. There will be flashbacks in his mind about the accident which brought back the eye injury and then moments will appear where he goes flat out. Resilience as a MotoGP rider is such an essential ingredient to being successful on and off the track. The Spanish Champion will approach the weekend differently because he did win this race after a long period of time away from the sport. Repsol Honda need their main man back with Pol Espargaro also hungry to put the crash in Argentina out of his mind. On one side you had joy and the other tears of happiness for the other though heartbreak for losing out. Pol Espargaro is truly finding his form with the Honda machine and Austin is sure to be a race where it works or fails. In the past, he has struggled with the circuit and bike.
Marc Marquez #93:
“Of course I am very happy to be back, it’s a great feeling to return and especially to do it at one of my favourite tracks. No matter the situation, I really enjoy riding in Texas and have incredible memories there. We have some work to do after missing two races and the whole Argentina weekend so I am not here to set one target at the moment. There’s many things to do and consider, but the important thing is that we are back on the bike this weekend.”
Pol Espargaro #44:
“After the disappointment of last race I am looking forward to riding again this week. Austin was not the easiest circuit for us last year but with the new bike it’s interesting to come and compare what we did last year to this year. Already it looks like there will be many people in the mix for the championship this year so we need to get back to scoring points and putting together weekends like the start of the year. It’s time to get some more points on the board and start building something.”
Fabio Quartararo #20:
“Austin played a key part in my championship win last year. That second place was like a victory because it gave me my first match point to secure the championship. This time we arrive here in a totally different situation and with a different mindset. Last year I always tried to win, but I was also trying to keep the lead in the championship. We can afford to be more on the attack now. We will do our best as always. Last year the rear grip here was pretty decent, but the bumps were tough. The track has been resurfaced since then. I’m curious to see what we can do this time round.”
The emotional victory of Argentina for Aleix Espargaro is the propeller he needed to go forward with his career and not retirement. Sure, there would have been talks of pulling the pin and spending more quality time with his family, however, the burning desire to keep charging is now red hot. If you analyse the career of Espargaro, you can see how he had highs, lows and also worked tirelessly to bring Aprilia to a place of competition. In the past, Andrea Dovizioso was that chain link for Ducati until the relationship broke down. So, the key question here is: can the momentum continue? Two Spanish riders within an Italian team, both with strong personalities and desire, one younger than the other, both have been at top teams with Espargaro at Suzuki and Maverick Vinales at Yamaha. Do we believe the title Championship could involve Aprilia? Well, if you know anything about MotoGP of late, it is that the job of predicting a race winner is more difficult than ever before. If both riders can manage their expectations, continue developing the bike from circuit to circuit and remain patient, it could play into their hands. However, if doubt creeps in, it could be the nail in the wheel that deflates their morale. The job is a major one in order to prove critics wrong and enable the Italian manufacturer to soar showcasing their growth whilst keeping in the back of their mind, the more success achieve, the greater risks with being restricted due to loss of concessions. At present, Aprilia now have four concession points in their pocket. If they achieve two or more before August 29th, 2023, meaning hitting or surpassing the magic number of six, they will lose their concessions for either 2023 if it happens during this current season or 2024 if it happens next season. This is a benefit and a curse in a way because the more successful you are, the better the bike, performance and rider. There is every chance after this weekend, the Noale factory could lose their concessions for 2023.
Aleix Espargaro #41:
“These past few days have been very emotional for me and I was extremely happy to receive so much affection from the fans and the entire paddock after the exciting win at Termas de Rio Hondo. But now it’s already time to think about the Austin race. We are well aware that it will be one of the most complicated ones for us, because we struggled a lot last year, but we’ll try to take full advantage of this positive moment, continuing to have fun. Up to now, we’ve been competitive on three very different tracks and even in Indonesia in the wet, a condition that I have never been particularly crazy about, the bike was truly fast. We have been consistent and this is demonstrated by the fact that we are also in the lead in the championship, but we are keeping our feet firmly planted on the ground. The important thing is to continue this trend without making mistakes.”
Maverick Vinales #12:
“Aleix’s victory was a huge confidence booster for the entire team and for me, because I got back to battling to the top positions. We knew that the race in Argentina would be very important for us. We were seeking confirmation after the settings changes we tried in Indonesia, and we found it. Now I feel like I’ve found a good base to work on to improve even further and I can’t wait to get back in the saddle. Plus, the Circuit of the Americas is one of my favourite tracks, where I’ve always been fast. That said, we’ll keep going with the same mentality. We are aware that there is still much to learn and in Austin we simply want to make another step forward in terms of me adapting to the bike, because that is the only way we’ll be able to grow and improve further."
The bumps and track resurfacing will be a key indicator on performance for the riders across all manufacturers. We anticipate both Miller and Pecco Bagnaia to be pushing as they monitor the progress of Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco closely as both riders will be quick here on circuit. The mindset with the track needs to be on point in order to push. The first sector and turn ten will be vital for the Ducati performance. If we see the Ducati riders not having to fight the bike, we will know the track updates are beneficial to their overall race package. We look forward to how the race weekend will unfold across the grid. The engineer and rider debriefs will be long and length as the track action gets underway.
Jack Miller #43:
"I am happy to be back on track this weekend and leave the Argentina race behind me. The last GP was special: we hadn't raced in Termas for two years and with such a compact program we struggled a bit. Now let's go back to Texas for the GP of the Americas on a track that I like and where in general I can be fast. I am determined to do well and finally turn my season around.”
Pecco Bagnaia #63:
"During the last GP in Argentina I was finally able to find the same sensations I had last year on my Desmosedici GP and I am very happy because it means that we are working in the right direction. I can say that my World Cup really started last week and now I am determined to keep this positive trend. Sunday we will race in Austin, on a track where I finished third last year starting from pole position. I hope I can be just as competitive this year and get other important points for the championship.”
Let the games begin and make sure to enjoy a double whammy of motor racing this weekend with the Austin Texas MotoGP and Australian Formula One Grand Prix!
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