Last year’s MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas featured holes that made the first sector of the Austin track very similar to a motocross track. This raised the concerns of the pilots, who had asked for action to be taken, otherwise threatening not to return to COTA this year.
To respond to this request, resurfacing works were carried out in the sections between curves 2 and 10 and between curves 12 and 16.
2020 champion, Spaniard Joan Mir, believes the track is now safer than last year, but has also stopped at the fact that bumps on American circuits will always be a constant.
“When we come here to America, the track is always very bumpy,” he said. “We have to live with it, but it’s much better than last year and I’m not complaining because I remember the situation last October. It’s still bumpy, but it’s safe this year.”
Enea Bastianini of Gresini Racing echoed Mir’s comments but noted that it is now much more difficult to achieve a good time, because a small mistake can compromise your efforts.
“It’s not a big step forward, but at least the situation is better at Turn 2 and Turn 10,” said Bastianini when asked if he noticed any progress after the works.
“Now it’s not dangerous, it’s just that now it’s hard to make a great lap time, because if you make a mistake, you’re not fast. If you make a mistake at turn 3, it’s impossible to make four, five and six.”
Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
The leader of the World Championship, Aleix Espargaro, believes that a good job has been done, even if the new fund of the Texan circuit still does not meet the standards required by the MotoGP.
“As for the bumps, the track is much better than last year,” he said. “But like new asphalt it’s terrible. When there’s a new surface, it doesn’t just have to be better, it has to be perfect.”
“It should be completely flat and it’s not. So yeah, I’m happy because it’s another story from last year. But there are still a lot of bumps that make the track very difficult.”
“I know it’s not easy, because this track is crazy, with so many altimetric variations and changes of direction. So it’s more difficult to make an asphalt than other tracks like Misano or Barcelona. Let’s say that for 2022 it’s okay, but for the future we do not know yet”.
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