Thanks to a dirty and above all slippery track in the section that was resurfaced, the times were quite high in the first free practice session of the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas, which ended with Maverick Vinales and the Aprilia seeming eager to start again where they were one lap from the end in Portimao, i.e. fighting for the victory.
The driver from Roses was among those who put on new tires in the final part of the session and set a time of 2'03″294, finishing around 1″4 from the Austin track record. Behind him, 149 thousandths of a second behind, is the world championship leader Jorge Martin, who climbed the rankings at the end with his Prima Pramac Racing-branded Ducati, just when he too switched to new tyres.
Rookie Pedro Acosta continues to amaze. After having achieved his first podium in the premier class in Portugal, the GasGas Tech3 rider also started off strongly in Texas, setting the third fastest time, 312 thousandths of a second from the top.
The one who impressed most of all, however, was probably Enea Bastianini, because the official Ducati rider continued with the same set of tires until the end of the session and right on the last lap, when he had already collected 16, he signed a 2'03″700 which placed him in fourth place, just over four tenths behind Vinales.
Like him, Marc Marquez, Jack Miller and Pecco Bagnaia also continued on used tyres, but they were not able to be as brilliant. The eight-time world champion, eagerly awaited on a track on which he has already won seven times in the past to understand his true value on the Gresini Racing Ducati, had to settle for eighth place at seven tenths of a second, ahead of the Australian of KTM. The reigning champion, on the other hand, is 11th, 948 thousandths behind.
Going back to scroll through the top position, in the top 5 there is also room for Marco Bezzecchi, who not only mounted the new tyre, but also chose a soft one on the rear of his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Ducati. The same choice was also made by his boxing partner Fabio Di Giannantonio, who ended up tenth. Among those with new tires there are also Brad Binder, sixth with the KTM, and Franco Morbidelli who is starting to make great progress with the Ducati GP24 as certified by the seventh time.
Once again the Japanese bikes were rather behind, even if Alex Rins, who defeated the competition last year by winning on the Honda, is among those who continued with used tires and his 13th time is not far from that of Bagnaia . Which confirms his great feeling with the American ups and downs, where he had also established himself with the Suzuki. Among other things, he was faster than his teammate Fabio Quartararo, fresh from his renewal with Yamaha, who placed 14th with new tires.
Rins' victory last year seems like a distant memory for the Hondas, because the best of the RC213Vs was that of Luca Marini in 15th position. If nothing else, this time the Italian was the best of the Tokyo manufacturer contingent, ahead of his teammate Joan Mir. Aleix Espargaro's turn was complicated beyond all expectations, traveling very far from his teammate with the 19th time at 1″5. Alex Marquez also did badly, being the only one to end up spinning and finishing 20th, ahead of the two Hondas of Johann Zarco and Takaaki Nakagami.
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