2024-04-14 20:43:41
It was a very special Grand Prix. After 20 exciting laps with four different leaders, Maverick Viñales won the “Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas”.
An eventful Saturday on the “Circuit of The Americas” raised a whole host of exciting questions. Can Maverick Viñales, who flies as “Batman” in Texas, transfer his very good form and the equally fabulous set-up of his Aprilia RS-GP to the main event? Will Pecco Bagnaia find his way back to the pace of qualifying from the starting position on the second attempt? Has the time come for the “King of COTA” with the #93 to take his first victory on a Ducati? Will Brad Binder make his comeback to the top and will Pedro Acosta become the big star of the US rodeo?
Before the third GP of the year, there was little doubt that the solid championship leader would once once more have a strong performance – even if Jorge Martin was once once more only in sixth place on the grid following his botched qualifying.
Show time. Crazy start for Pedro Acosta and Jack Miller. The rookie leads on lap one as the Australian shoots from 11th to third. Jorge Martin also got off well in second place. The first “big loser” is pole man Maverick Viñales, who drops to ninth place. The world champion also did very well, displacing Miller from fourth place on lap three. From the fourth round onwards the lead changes several times. The “Martinator” takes command, Acosta also has to let the two Ducatis of Marc Márquez and Pecco Bagnaia pass. A hot lap, at the end of which the record winner Márquez goes on the attack and tries to push past Jorge Martin.
Crazy, following a third of the race the first ten drivers are within four seconds. Yesterday’s winner Viñales bravely pushed his way past Pecco Bagnaia into fourth position.
Even at the top, sparks are flying. Pedro Acosta cracks the championship leader and overtakes the #93 Márquez. Marc Márquez puts everything on one card, brakes brutally past Acosta and, half a lap in the lead, answers the question of his victory with no by sending his Ducati to the ground.
But the man of the Grand Prix is Maverick Viñales. The Aprilia driver manages to drive past Martin and Acosta in an uncompromising manner. Six laps before the checkered flag, “Batman” Viñales sets the fastest lap of the race, putting just under a second between himself and rookie Acosta, who is accelerating with the same “medium-medium” tire combination. Another second behind, Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini are fighting for the last place on the podium.
Behind them are two more Ducati Desmosedici with world champion Bagnaia and the surprisingly strong Fabio Di Giannantonio.
The grand finale of the Texas MotoGP show in blockbuster style. On the penultimate lap, Pedro Acosta closed in on Viñales once more and Ducati factory rider “La Bestia” successfully pushed past World Championship leader Jorge Martin.
Acosta’s brief attempt comes too late: Maverick Viñales wins an exciting US Grand Prix ahead of the scene’s new star Pedro Acosta. Enea Bastianini takes an important podium place, less than three seconds behind “Batman”. Behind Bagnaia and VR46 racer “Diggia”, Aleix Espargaro drives the second factory Aprilia to seventh position. Brad Binder, who had to start from 17th place, achieved ninth place, directly in front of the two Trackhouse protagonists. Jack Miller, who started the race so strongly, ended up finishing 13th behind Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo.
The Grand Prix is once once more fatal for the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. Taka Nakagami, Johann Zarco and Joan Mir are eliminated and Luca Marini, who was allowed on the podium in 2023, comes last.
US GP result:
1. Maverick Viñales (L) Aprilia 41:09.503 min.
2. Pedro Acosta (E) GASGAS +1.728 sec.
3. Enea Bastianini (I) Ducati +2.703 sec.
4. Jorge Martín (L) Pramac Ducati +4.690 sec.
5. Francesco Bagnaia (I) Ducati +7.392 sec.
6. Fabio Di Giannantonio (I) VR46 Ducati +9.980 sec.
7. Aleix Espargaró (E) Aprilia +12.208 sec.
8. Marco Bezzecchi (I) VR46 Ducati +13.343 sec.
9. Brad Binder (ZA) KTM +14.931 sec.
10. Raúl Fernández (E) Trackhouse Aprilia +16.656 sec.
11. Miguel Oliveira (P) Trackhouse Aprilia +18,542 sec.
12. Fabio Quartararo (F) Yamaha +22,899 sec.
13. Jack Miller (AUS) KTM +24,011 sec.
14. Augusto Fernandez (E) GASGAS +27.652 sec.
15. Alex Márquez (L) Gresini Ducati +32.855 sec.
16. Luca Marini (I) Repsol Honda +33,528 sec.
17. Marc Márquez (ESP) Gresini Ducati out
18. Alex Rins (E) Yamaha out
19. Joan Mir (E) Repsol Honda out
20. Franco Morbidelli (I) Pramac Ducati out
21. Takaaki Nakagami (J) LCR Honda out
22. Johann Zarco (F) LCR Honda out
Drivers’ World Championship to Austin:
1. Martín 80
2. Bastianini 59
3. Viñales 56
4. Acosta 54
5. Bagnaia 50
6. Binder 49
7. Espargaro 39
8. Marc Marquez 36
9. By Giannantonio 25
10. Miller 22
11. Bezzecchi 20
12. Quarterly
13. Alex Márquez 14
14. Oliveira 13
15. Raúl Fernández 7
16. Augusto Fernandez 7
17. Mir 7
18. Zarco 5
19. Rins 3
20. Nakagami 2
21. Morbidelli 0
22. Marini 0
Designers:
1. Ducati 96
2. KTM 76
3. Aprilia 72
4. Yamaha 19
5. Honda 8
Teams:
1. Ducati Lenovo 109
2. Aprilia 95
3. Pramac 80
4. KTM 71
5. SCRATCH 61
6. Gresini 50
7. VR46 45
8. Yamaha 22
9. Trackhouse 20
10. Honda 7
11. LCR 7
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#Sensational #Maverick #Viñales #wins #MotoGP
