The break is over and MotoGP returns to action for the third grand prix of the season. We fly overseas, to Texas, where the Austin race will take place this weekend. The Ducati team here achieved pole and victory in the Sprint last year with Pecco Bagnaia, while Enea Bastianini had triumphed the year before when he was representing Gresini.
Bittersweet memories for the factory team, which in 2023 saw its victory slip away with the reigning champion slipping when he was in command. The Grand Prix of the Americas will therefore be important for Bagnaia, who is looking for redemption on a track that he appreciates. Not only Austin 2022, but also Portimao. Yes, because the last race held, three weeks ago in Portugal, ended in the gravel due to a contact with Marc Marquez on the last lap.
It will be crucial for Pecco to get back to the top so as not to let his rivals escape. In fact, the two-time MotoGP world champion arrives in Austin fourth in the standings, 23 points behind leader Jorge Martin. “The Grand Prix of the Americas is one of my favorites on the calendar: the track is fantastic, I like Austin a lot and the atmosphere of the event is also different than usual,” says Bagnaia.
“I arrive in America motivated and ready to redeem myself: last year we were competitive all weekend and if I hadn't crashed we would have obtained the victory in the Sunday race too. This year I expect a lot of fast riders and it certainly won't be easy, but we have a good base to start from. In the last GP in Portugal the feeling with the bike was very good, but then in the race on Sunday we were missing something. It will therefore be important to work to prevent it from happening again”, explains the reigning champion.
Enea Bastianini, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Watch out for Enea Bastianini, who at the start of the season is proving to feel particularly at ease aboard the Desmosedici GP24, so much so that he is giving his teammate a hard time and finding himself ahead of him in the championship. The Italian arrives in Austin in third place in the championship and the aim is to replicate the splendid success achieved two years ago at COTA.
In Austin, in fact, Bestia had signed his second career victory. However, he was forced to miss last year's event due to a shoulder injury suffered in the Portimao accident: “I'm happy to return to America where last year I wasn't able to race due to the shoulder injury” .
“COTA is a track that I really like and where I have good memories of 2022, when I got my second victory in MotoGP, my favorite of that year. After the last weekend in Portugal, I arrive in Austin motivated and confident. I expect a very hard-fought GP, but we are ready: we arrive with a good basic setup and we know what we need to work on in order to improve; therefore, we aim to be among the protagonists of the weekend again”, concludes Bastianini
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