by VALERIO BARRETTA
Viñales, what a pole in Austin!
There is only one sheriff in COTA's qualifications, and his name is Maverick Viñales. The Aprilia rider destroyed the Austin track record set only yesterday by Jorge Martin, taking the 15th pole position in the top class. Behind him, a Pedro Acosta who – from rookie and with the satellite team – he gave another driving lesson to the other drivers of the Austrian company (Miller 11th, Binder even 17th). A moral slap that also dealt Marc Marquez, third on the grid and first among the Ducatis even with the GP23: in the second row there are in fact the GP24s of Bagnaia, Bastianini and Martin. These are the words of the first three of the COTA a qualifiers Sky Sports MotoGP.
Viñales' words
“On this track my riding style is more effective and the bike is working really well. There's not much to say: I'm happy and I want to continue riding at my best. The Sprint will be difficult, but my goal is to set a fast pace and escape straight away. I have to say that I'm happy with the balance we found last year. I've found speed again and now I have to keep pushing in this direction. This pole continues in the wake of what was done in Portimão“.
Acosta's words
“It's nice to be on the front row: it will be a complicated sprint but we'll try. I'm starting next to two great riders like Viñales and Marquez. Step by step we continue to grow: for tonight's Sprint I'll try to keep up with Maverick, I have nothing to lose anyway“.
Marquez's words
“I'm happy because I did better than I expected. For now we have had a nice weekend: we started badly and far away, but then we looked for ways to be more competitive. The front row will be fundamental ahead of the race. With the second tire I struggled more and the bike, after a change made with the team, became a little more nervous. For the Sprint I will pay attention to who comes from behind: Bagnaia, Bastianini and Martin have a very good pace“.
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