FIM MotoGP World Championship Circuit of The America Austin, Texas April 21, 2013 Race Results (all on Bridgestone tires): 1. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 21 laps, 43:42.123 2. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), -1.534 seconds 3. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), -3.381 4. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (YAMAHA), -6.616 5. Stefan BRADL, Germany (HONDA), -12.674 6. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), -16.615 7. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), -22.374 8. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (HONDA), -22.854 9. Nicky HAYDEN, USA (DUCATI), -33.773 10. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (DUCATI), -42.112 11. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (ART-Aprilia), -48.837 12. Bradley SMITH, UK (YAMAHA), -50.705 13. Ben SPIES, USA (DUCATI), -74.132 14. Randy DE PUNIET, France (ART-Aprilia), -75.651 15. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (ART-Aprilia), -79.591 16. Michael LAVERTY, UK (PBM-Aprilia), -94.391 17. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Japan (FTR-Kawasaki), -99.823 18. Hector BARBERA, Spain (FTR-Kawasaki), -99.952 19. Claudio CORTI, Italy (FTR-Kawasaki), -106.773 20. Bryan STARING, Australia (FTR-Honda), -108.084 21. Blake YOUNG, USA (APR-Kawasaki), -1 lap 22. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (Suter-BMW), -8 laps, DNF, retired 23. Lukas PESEK, Czech Republic (Suter-BMW), -8 laps, DNF, crash 24. Colin EDWARDS, USA (FTR-Kawasaki), -10 laps, DNF, retired World Championship Point Standings (after 2 of 18 races): 1. TIE, Marquez/Lorenzo, 41 points 3. Pedrosa, 33 4. Rossi, 30 5. Crutchlow, 24 6. TIE, Bautista/Dovizioso, 18 8. Hayden, 15 9. Iannone, 13 10. Bradl, 11 11. Espargaro, 10 12. Spies, 9 13. De Puniet, 6 14. Smith, 4 15. TIE, Barbera/Hernandez, 3 17. Aoyama, 1 More, from a press release issued by Circuit of The Americas: Circuit of The Americas™ draws 131,082 fans for Red Bull MotoGP of The Americas Perfect weather and spectacular competition herald the debut of World Championship motorcycle racing in Texas AUSTIN, Texas (April 21, 2013) – Circuit of The Americas introduced a new tradition at its world-class sports and entertainment venue this weekend, as a robust crowd of 131,082 fans witnessed the debut of World Championship motorcycle racing during the three-day Red Bull MotoGP of The Americas, April 19-21. Spectators were treated to a history-making performance, as rookie Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez became the youngest rider in MotoGP history to win a Grand Prix. His teammate Dani Pedrosa finished second while 2012 World Champion Jorge Lorenzo of the Yamaha Factory Racing Team rounded out the podium with a third-place finish. Repsol Honda claimed the constructor’s trophy. The new state-of-the-art circuit surpassed its original three-day crowd estimate of 100,000, with 26,235 fans coming to watch Friday’s practice sessions, 43,756 guests attending Saturday’s qualifying rounds, and an enthusiastic crowd of 61,091 turning out for Sunday’s races. Patrons were treated to highly competitive racing in all four participating divisions: MotoGP™, Moto3™, Moto2™ and the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. Race sponsor Red Bull joined the Circuit in pulling out all the stops and entertaining fans with stunt riders, skydivers, aerial displays, motorcycle jumping, rider autograph sessions and parades, live music on two stages, including the new Austin360 Amphitheater, and even a Red Bull Air Force B.A.S.E. jump from the Circuit’s 251-foot observation Tower. “It has been a remarkable weekend, and we’re thrilled with the results and the feedback we’ve received from guests and competitors,” Circuit President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Sexton said. “Our Circuit team extends its congratulations to this weekend’s top performers, including MotoGP winner Marc Marquez, and all of the teams for an outstanding show. We also want to thank the fantastic group of fans who traveled from around the globe to help us introduce World Championship motorcycle racing to Texas in such a big way. Circuit of The Americas is pleased to bring large-scale sports and entertainment events to our host community of Austin, and we greatly appreciate the support and vigilance of the dozens of public safety officials who help make each event safe and successful.” High-resolution images of the Red Bull MotoGP of The Americas, including photos of racing and entertainment activities, can be downloaded at www.circuitoftheamericas.com/media-center. About Circuit of The Americas Circuit of The Americas is a world-class destination for premium sports and entertainment. It is the first purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the United States designed for any and all classes of racing, from motor power to human power, and is home to the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX while also hosting MotoGP™, V8 Supercars™, GRAND-AM Road Racing™, American Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championships. The Circuit of The Americas’ master plan features a variety of permanent structures designed for business, education, entertainment and race use. Its signature element is a 3.4-mile circuit track. Other support buildings include the Austin360 Amphitheater, an expansive outdoor live music space; an iconic 251-foot, 25-story tower with observation deck; an events and conference center; a banquet hall; and a state-of-the-art medical facility. For more information and downloadable video, audio and photos, visit: www.CircuitofTheAmericas.com, www.Austin360Amphitheater.com or the Circuit’s dedicated FTP site, media.circuitoftheamericas.com. More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: Marquez takes first MotoGP victory in fantastic Repsol Honda 1-2 Marc Marquez won the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas today and in doing so, has become the youngest ever rider to win a premier-class grand prix at the age of 20 years 63 days taking the record from Freddie Spencer (who was 20 years 196 days when he won the Belgium 500cc GP at Spa-Francorchamps in 1982). His teammate Dani Pedrosa, finished just 1.5 seconds behind him in second position, sealing a great weekend for the Repsol Honda Team and Honda, who with this victory celebrate their 6th consecutive win on American soil. The Spanish riders, wearing black armbands as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in Boston and in West in the last days, set the pace from the first laps. Marc slipped back to third at the first corner and Dani took the lead. Marc regained second position and tracked Dani for twelve laps before passing him with nine laps remaining. It was then Dani’s turn to chase Marc, who had chosen the harder rear tyre (Dani was on a soft), but finally the young MotoGP rookie, who completed a perfect weekend with pole position, fastest lap (2’04.242) and victory, held on for his maiden MotoGP win, in just his second race. Marc Marquez 1st Championship Standing: 1st – 41 points “After taking my first podium in Qatar I was very happy, but I am even more so today after my first win! It went better than I expected and I am very grateful to the team for their efforts over the preseason; we have worked very hard and, without this, the victory would not have been possible. The race was very intense and physical, as I followed Dani for many laps and then decided to launch an attack and try to open a gap with ten laps to go. I could not pull the gap I wanted as some problems emerged that we’d experienced throughout the weekend. Despite all this, we were able to take the victory. The 25 points are important, but what is more important is to have achieved a win in my second race in MotoGP. We realise that more difficult circuits lie ahead for us, but we will try to give 100% at all of them. Our battle is not the one for the championship, but rather taking it race-by-race and enjoying every moment” Dani Pedrosa 2nd Championship Standing: 3rd – 33 points “Today’s race was good and I’m happy with this second place. We had great pace, even though we knew that Marc was very strong. I tried to ride my own race and in the end I was losing a lot of time on the chicanes. I was tiring physically and I could not handle the bike well – especially in the first part of the circuit. In the second section of the track I was recovering quite a lot of time, but it was not enough. Furthermore, in one of the three laps before the end I made a mistake, lost around 1.5 seconds and Marc was able to get away. That was the point at which the race was lost for me. Still, I’m happy, my riding was pretty good today and I have improved compared with Qatar. I have to congratulate Marc as well, because he did a great job! Now we need to focus on Jerez – a circuit I like a lot” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Factory MotoGP Team: Lorenzo Takes 100th Podium in Texas Austin (Texas, USA), 21st April 2013 Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo took third position on the podium today in the Grand Prix of The Americas, his 100th career podium finish. A less than perfect start from third on the front row saw the current World Champion lose position approaching turn one but he was quick to come back as the race settled in. Lorenzo was able to maintain third position to the finish line, holding distance to fellow Yamaha Cal Crutchlow behind in fourth and close down the gap to the front to just over three seconds at the flag. The result delivers an incredible 100th podium finish for the four-time World Champion ten years after he scored his first with victory in Brazil in 2003. The sixteen points brings his 2013 season total to 41 after two races, joint with Championship leader Marc Marquez and places him in second in the standings. Having started form eighth on the grid, Valentino Rossi got involved in an early fight with the mid pack, including riders Crutchlow and Stefan Bradl, eventually bettering the German rider to move up and hold on to sixth place to the finish line. Rossi had to contend with a vibration from his front brakes during the race and had battled all weekend to find the best setup for the demanding circuit. The result places him in fourth place in the overall standings with 30 points, 3 behind Dani Pedrosa in third. Jorge Lorenzo 3rd / +3.381 / 21 laps “Yesterday we were so far from Marc and Dani but this morning in the warm up we found something. The hairpin corners we normally take in first gear we made in second so it improved a lot the feeling and the acceleration, but it was not enough. Just a little bit more, maybe two tenths quicker and I could have fought with Dani and Marc. Today third position was the best we could do. I want to congratulate Cal who didn’t give up until the end and also Marc, he’s the youngest rider in history to win a Grand Prix; he is a phenomenon. It’s an important day for me; I never thought to get this unbelievable number of podiums so today is a magic day. Time flies very quickly, it seems like it was just yesterday that I got my first victory, which was my first podium in Brazil in 2003 ten years ago and now today my 100th.” Valentino Rossi 6th / +16.615 / 21 laps “This is a difficult track for us. We expected to do better, but I had a lot of problems in the race because I had a problem with the brakes. I had a vibration in braking because I lost one part of a disc so this didn’t help. We knew that we had to defend here; we know that when we cannot attack we need to try and arrive in the top five but today it was sixth. The balance of the first two races is positive and we arrive in Jerez optimistic for the next few races as the tracks are better for us.” Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager “This was our target, to be on the podium. To be honest to be just three seconds behind the lead is very nice. When you are ten seconds behind and you finish third you are quite happy but if it’s just three seconds you think you might have been able to get a bit more. Apart from that we must be very pleased with the result, to be on the podium was our target and that will continue to be our target for the next couple of races. We struggled a lot here and everyone could see our competitors were strong; we had it the other way round in Qatar. Let’s hope at the end of the season that the balance is in our favour.” Massimo Meregalli Team Director “We knew since the beginning that this race was going to be really tough for us but I think the team has worked really well and we could manage it in the best way. To finish third, with only three second gap to the leader is for me really good. Jorge did a really intelligent race without a lot of risk. Now we are going back to Europe where the circuits are more suitable to our M1. Vale’s team worked really hard to try and fit the bike to his riding style; they improved the bike through each practice. Unfortunately we made another step from the warm up to the race that didn’t work as we expected. He also had a vibration on the front from his brakes. I think we are leaving Austin in a really good shape and we are really looking forward to the Jerez race.” More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: BRADL REALLY PLEASED WITH FIFTH AT COTA Austin, 21 April: inaugural Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas got underway at 2pm local time in hot conditions with the premier class rookie HRC rider Marquez becoming the youngest ever race winner in MotoGP history ahead Pedrosa and Lorenzo. A lightning start for LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl from the second row, allowed the German to go second. Bradl put in a strong performance and was more than pleased with fifth having hoped for a top five result this weekend. Stefan: “We can be happy today because we have done a good job. I took a very good start but I was not so aggressive as some other riders at the beginning because, on full fuel, I could feel some sliding in the front so I decided to remain calm and focused. At 13 laps to go Crutchlow passed me as he was quite fast in the middle of the race especially in the entry of the corners. We could not match his performance in the entry of the curves but we had a good speed in the exit. I think we have done our best and P5 is the result we were expecting here at COTA”. More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Marquez becomes youngest ever premier class winner at Americas MotoGP™ Round 2: Americas MotoGP™ – Race Circuit of the Americas, Sunday 21 April 2013 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft & Medium; Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric) Weather: Dry. Ambient 25-25°C; Track 43-45°C (Bridgestone measurement) Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez emerged victorious from a race-long battle with his teammate Dani Pedrosa at Circuit of the Americas to become the youngest ever race winner in the premier class of Grand Prix racing. Marquez’s stellar performance at the age of twenty years and sixty-three days sees him surpass former record holder Freddie Spencer who was twenty years and one hundred and ninety-six days old when he won the 500cc Belgian Grand Prix in 1982, coincidentally also on a Honda. Yesterday, Marquez also broke Spencer’s record for the youngest ever rider to claim a premier class pole position during qualifying for the inaugural Americas Grand Prix. Marquez was one of two riders to choose the hard compound rear slick for the race and the decision paid off for the MotoGP™ rookie as he passed Pedrosa on lap twelve and held off his teammate to take the chequered flag by 1.534 seconds. Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo took the final step of the podium, the reigning MotoGP champion finishing 3.381 seconds behind Marquez. In another strong performance, Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaro was the first CRT rider across the finish line in eleventh place. The race took place in similar track conditions to qualifying yesterday, with warm weather and a peak track temperature of 45°C. As a result, tyre choice amongst the riders for the race was similar to what was seen in qualifying, with twenty-two out of twenty-four riders selecting the softer option rear slick, and nineteen riders selecting the harder front slick. The CRT-specific soft option rear slick proved to be extremely popular, with all riders on this specification of machine selecting the option for the race. Marquez and Lorenzo – who claimed his one hundredth podium at the Americas Grand Prix – are now equal on forty-one points in the MotoGP™ championship standings, while Pedrosa moves into third overall with thirty-three points from two races. Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “Congratulations to Marc Marquez for becoming the youngest ever winner in the top class of Grand Prix racing and also well done to Repsol Honda for their excellent team performance this weekend. The first Americas Grand Prix was a great occasion and I am pleased so many fans came to the circuit to enjoy the show. I am pleased with how our tyres performed on a weekend where the grip level of the track changed so much and our tyre allocation for the first race at this circuit was well suited to the conditions we had here. It has been an exciting start to the season and I hope the close racing continues at the next race in Jerez.” Masao Azuma – Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department “Today’s race was a great way to end a good weekend for Bridgestone. Both of the front and rear slick compound options performed well during the race and I am very pleased with tyre performance over the race weekend. We had a wide range of track and weather conditions between FP1 and the race and so every slick option was utilised over the race weekend to help riders get the best out of the changeable conditions. It was also a positive debut for our CRT-specific rear slicks and the feedback we got from the riders this weekend has confirmed that this was a worthwhile change to the tyre regulations.” Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda – Race Winner “To be on the podium in my first race in Qatar was a dream and to win in my second race here is even better. The race was quite hard physically and I tried to push from the start, but I had some problems that I didn’t have in practice. Even like that I continued to push and was able to be consistent and thanks to all my team because without them this victory wouldn’t have been possible.” More, from a press release issued by Avintia Blusens Racing: Aoyama and Barberá finishes fifth and sixth in CRT respectively after a difficult weekend Austin, 21 April 2013. The Avintia Blusens team travelled to Austin with high expectations and wanting to be among the best of the category. However, the weekend was complicated and during the practice sessions they had different problems that did not allow them to achieve their goals. Nevertheless, both riders finished the GP but the result was conditioned by the circumstances of Friday and Saturday in which both riders had different problems. Aoyama started well and remained in the group riding at a good pace and it seemed that he could be faster at the end of the race, but chatter problems limited his progression, finishing seventeenth. It was not better for Héctor Barberá that at the race start lost positions and despite moving up easily, after the first three turns many vibrations appeared, both on the front and back wheel, and prevented him from finishing on the expected places. After this hard weekend, the Avintia Blusens team is already thinking of the Jerez GP. 8 Héctor Barberá (18th, 1?39.952): The truth is that I am not happy. It seems that the problems pursue us despite the fact that the team is doing things correctly. Today in the race, for example, from the third lap an incredible chatter has appeared. It seemed that there was something faulty and I even thought to enter pit-boxes, but out of consideration for the team I have not done this. The race start has been good but soon I have realized that the clutch was slipping and I have preferred to lose positions than the clutch. I knew that I was able to move up but I did not expect the problem of vibration. I am upset because we are not achieving the objectives and both the team and I can do it. 7 Hiroshi Aoyama (17th, +1?39.823):I have finished seventeenth and I can not be happy with this result, but the weekend has been very hard. Despite the problems we had before the qualifying and the difficulties we had in the practice sessions, we have not finished so bad. In the race I started well, I tried to keep myself in the group, being constant despite the chatter. This is an issue that we need to solve because it does not disappear and it is preventing me to ride faster. I want to thank my mechanics because these days have been difficult for everybody and they have worked without a break. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Seventh and ninth for Ducati Team in Austin Weather conditions were perfect for the debut MotoGP race at Austin, Texas’s Circuit of the Americas, where Ducati Team riders Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden crossed the finish line in seventh and ninth places, respectively. The Italian suffered a bad launch off the start before settling into a long battle with Alvaro Bautista. The two traded positions on a couple of occasions, but Dovizioso ultimately made a last-lap, last-corner pass to take seventh place. Hayden meanwhile, after starting from the tenth spot on the grid, made an early pass on Andrea Iannone but never found the proper feeling to advance further aboard his Desmosedici GP13. Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team, 7th “Obviously, we’re not satisfied with seventh place, but the race time wasn’t bad. I was able to keep a good pace below 2:06, so I’m pleased with my aggression and effort. I managed to be pretty consistent up until the final five or six laps. The last three laps with Bautista were fun—a nice battle! We know we have to work hard, because this is our limit at the moment, but we’re really motivated to improve.” Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team, 9th “It was a tough weekend. The track was great, but I lost some time in the beginning and was struggling with change of direction. I was okay on much of the track, but I never found the confidence in the front end to flick the bike into the corners, which hurt me in the esses. The guys did a good job getting me a better bike for the race, and I don’t really have any excuses. Ninth place isn’t what we wanted here today, so I certainly hope we can sort a few things out and start putting up a better fight than we have in these first two races.” Bernhard Gobmeier – Ducati Corse General Manager “We certainly had a slight disadvantage, not testing here in March against the other teams, and we realize that against the other factory bikes we can’t keep up over race distance. We made some improvements to several aspects of the bike, but a major issue remains; we can’t hold a line, so we run wide in the corners. That prevents better lap times and adds up at the end, especially on this track, which has a lot of sequential corners. We look forward to Jerez. In the last test there, we saw some potential for improvement, and in addition, we’ll have the support of our test rider, Michele Pirro, who is doing his first wildcard race for us there.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Marc Marquez became the youngest ever race winner in MotoGP™, triumphing in Sunday’s inaugural Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas from teammate Dani Pedrosa, with reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo completing the podium. On Saturday, 20-year-old Marquez took over from former double title winner Freddie Spencer as the youngest ever pole-sitter in the premier class. He now becomes the youngest race winner, having seen off a challenge from Pedrosa on the other Repsol Honda Team machine. As the red lights went out at the new Circuit of the Americas it was Pedrosa who seized the lead, while Lorenzo headed backwards courtesy of a poor getaway. A lightning start for LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl allowed the German to go second, but he was soon overhauled by Marquez, Lorenzo and Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow. Following Pedrosa and waiting patiently for his moment, Marquez dived up the inside of Turn 7 on the 13th of the 21 laps. Pedrosa would hang onto the back of his teammate, but lost ground courtesy of a small error six laps later. Marquez took the chequered flag by one and a half seconds, with Lorenzo just over the same margin behind Pedrosa. Having not tested at the venue a month ago, Crutchlow was more than pleased with fourth, as Bradl and Rossi completed that particular group, with the multiple title winner having overhauled GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista. The latter also fell behind Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso, who progressed to seventh on the final lap and then avoided a last-corner lunge from his rival. Leading American rider Nicky Hayden and Energy T.I. Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone rounded out the top ten. Extending his lead in the CRT ranks, Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaro enjoyed a strong ride to 11th place ahead of two prototype riders; English Tech 3 rookie Bradley Smith and Ignite Pramac Racing’s American Ben Spies, as well as French teammate Randy de Puniet. PBM enjoyed its strongest weekend to date, with Yonny Hernandez sealing the final point for 15th position while Michael Laverty recorded 16th with the team’s own-built bike. Avintia Blusens maintained the symmetry in 17th and 18th, with Hiroshi Aoyama having overtaken Hector Barbera, while NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Claudio Corti, Gresini CRT rider Bryan Staring and Attack Performance Racing’s Blake Young, the single wildcard rider in the race, completed the field. It was a hugely disappointing afternoon for Came IodaRacing Project. Danilo Petrucci was fortunate to stay upright when teammate Lucas Pesek crashed out of the race directly behind him, only to retire in the pits with mechanical problems only minutes later. Colin Edwards was also on the sidelines, as the local Texan hero racked up the unenviable fact of becoming the race’s first of three retirements with mechanical issues. Moto2 Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2’s Nico Terol has won his first ever Moto2™ race, taking victory in Sunday afternoon’s Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas followed by Tuenti HP 40’ Esteve Rabat and Marc VDS Racing Team’s Mika Kallio. Marc VDS Racing Team’s Scott Redding started from a career-first pole, but had lost his lead by Lap 5 when starting to struggle with tyres. Perhaps the biggest drama of the race came on the previous lap, when Tuenti HP 40’s Pol Espargaro lost control and retired from the race. From third on the grid, Terol avoided any trouble at Turn 1 to seize second place – then taking advantage of Redding as the Englishman began to drop off the pace. The Aspar rider proceeded to stretch out a healthy lead of 3.5 seconds, only backing off as his comfortable position became more apparent in the second half of the race. Behind, a fierce battle roared as Espargaro’s teammate Rabat went head-to-head with Kallio and Technomag carXpert’s Dominique Aegerter. The Spaniard would come out on top from the Finn, with the Swiss escaping a lurid last-lap wobble. Redding completed the top five. Came IodaRacing Project’s Johann Zarco ended the 20-lap race in sixth position, with QMMF Racing Team’s Anthony West enjoying a solid ride at Circuit of the Americas to seventh slot. NGM Mobile Racing’s Mattia Pasini, NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Alex de Angelis and Blusens Avintia’s Toni Elias completed the top ten. Just minutes after the crash of Espargaro, Takaaki Nakagami pulled his Italtrans Racing Team bike into pit lane with suspected gearbox problems. Moto3 Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alex Rins triumphed for the first ever time in the Moto3™ class, winning Sunday’s opening Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas. At the end of a dramatic five-lap sprint following a red flag, the 17-year-old battled with Red Bull KTM Ajo’s championship leader Luis Salom, who lost second place to Team Calvo’s Maverick Viñales at the final corner. The weekend had been controlled by Rins, who on Saturday sealed his second career pole position by a comfortable margin. At the start of race he seized the advantage after being momentarily overhauled by Salom at the uphill first corner. Rins then started to pull away as dramatic battles formed for the positions in the bottom half of the top ten. On Lap 12, the action was broken up because of a race stoppage after Dutchman Jasper Iwema suffered a heavy accident. The RW Racing GP rider lost control of his bike on the exit of Turn 17, flying into the air. The 23-year-old was treated in the circuit Medical Centre before being transported to hospital in Austin. Team manager Jarno Janssen later confirmed his rider was “fine”, despite having been unconscious for two minutes. The five-lap run to the flag commenced shortly before midday. On this occasion, Salom had learned from his first experience and slowed on the apex of Turn 1 in order to seize the lead and keep it. At the Turn 11 hairpin, Viñales shot down the inside of Rins for second, but, carrying too much speed, forced both riders off the track. This gave Salom a healthy leading advantage, yet Rins immediately began to close in. The recovering Viñales also returned to make for a thrilling three-rider squabble. After several changes for position, it was Salom who took control at the start of the final lap. Rins retook the advantage at the end of the back straight, sealing the win when Salom ran wide at the final corner, thus allowing Viñales into second. Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3’s Jonas Folger was fourth from Mahindra Racing’s Miguel Oliveira, Caretta Technology – RTG’s Jack Miller and Ajo’s Zulfahmi Khairuddin. The top ten was completed by Ognetta-Rivacold’s Alexis Masbou, Ambrogio Racing’s Brad Binder and Redox RW Racing GP’s Jakub Kornfeil. More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing: The first American weekend of the 2013 MotoGP Championship concluded before a large and enthusiastic crowd (approximately 61,000 spectators). After a minute of silence to honor the victims of the recent tragedies in Boston, Massachusetts, and West, Texas, followed by the national anthem, the roar of motors took over the Hermann Tilke-designed circuit. Ignite Pramac Racing Team rider Ben Spies suffered from a problem in his chest that struck during the morning warm-up session, preventing him from riding at the level he had shown himself capable of during the previous sessions, in which he had steadily reduced his best time. He finished in thirteenth place, with a best lap time of 2:06.607. Ben Spies – Ignite Pramac Racing Team “I had a little problem with a nerve in my chest for some reason. I don’t know if it’s from overcompensating for my shoulder problem, which is actually getting a lot better compared to Qatar. That said, two laps before the end of the warm-up, I had a twinge in my chest. It was like a knife, so we went to the clinic and they worked on me a lot and got me ready for the race. I tried as hard as I could during the race, but it wasn’t enough. At 8 laps to go, it was either come in or salvage whatever points we could. We need to work harder and get back to 100% and just keep working with the bike. I’m more disappointed for the team, friends, family, fans, Ducati, and Ignite Pramac, because they deserve better.” Francesco Guidotti – Pramac Racing Team “These two rounds took place on two really tricky circuits, at a time when our riders are in less-than perfect physical condition, so the gap to the top riders is larger than it could be in a normal situation. We look forward to the European circuits, which both riders already know, and for which they’ll have had a chance to rest and recover. We expect to finish closer to the lead group.” More, from another press release issued by Pramac Racing: The first American weekend of the 2013 MotoGP Championship concluded before a large and enthusiastic crowd (approximately 61,000 spectators). After a minute of silence to honor the victims of the recent tragedies in Boston, Massachusetts, and West, Texas, followed by the national anthem, the roar of motors took over the Hermann Tilke-designed circuit. Rookie Andrea Iannone (Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team) posted a top-ten finish, bettering his practice-lap times in the early part of the race and staying firmly in the draft of fellow Ducati rider Nicky Hayden. In the latter stages, however, the forearm problem that he had experienced during the Qatar race weekend once again forced him to ride defensively, as he lacked the necessary strength to control the bike. Andrea Iannone – Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team “We improved a lot today. Yesterday I wasn’t competitive at all, and I couldn’t take full advantage of qualifying. It was a shame because if I had managed to start further ahead, maybe it would’ve been more enjoyable, although I think it still would’ve ended the same, as I started losing a lot of strength in my right arm after a few laps. Seven laps in, I started to feel really bad, and I had to conserve my strength. It was very difficult, and unfortunately I couldn’t control the bike. Anyway, it was still a good race; I was more aggressive and confident right away, and I was even able to stay ahead of Nicky for a little while, which is really good for me. I learned a lot of things that will be useful in the future.” Francesco Guidotti – Pramac Racing Team “These two rounds took place on two really tricky circuits, at a time when our riders are in less-than perfect physical condition, so the gap to the top riders is larger than it could be in a normal situation. We look forward to the European circuits, which both riders already know, and for which they’ll have had a chance to rest and recover. We expect to finish closer to the lead group.” More, from a press release issued by NGM Mobile Forward Racing: Edwards and Corti analyze Austin and look forward to jEREZ The Austin GP comes to an end at the Circuit Of The Americas and both Colin Edwards and Claudio Corti leave Texas feeling they have not achieved the set goals for this GP. The American rider had very high expectations for his first ever GP in his home state. Unfortunately last minute chatter problems have prevented the Texas Tornado to achieve his goal of providing a good show for his Texan fans. His Italian teammate had similar issues and struggled throughout the race, managing to finish in 19th position, not far behind the other FTR- Kawasaki bikes. The team is already looking forward to next Grand Prix that will take place at Jerez de la Frontera in two weeks time. Claudio Corti – 19th “It’s been a difficult race and it feels like we are paying the consequences of not having a perfect setup of the bike for this track. Like in Qatar, I had problems at the beginning of the race, having a full tank making it difficult to ride as fast as I would like and as the tank gradually empties it becomes harder to turn the bike. It’s only the second race, we have done very few tests this winter but we are heading back to Europe where I can count on knowing the tracks better and that makes me hopeful in terms of getting better results. I have not achieved the goals for this weekend; I was hoping to be faster than the Avintia´s FTR bikes and Laverty´s PBM bike. We have to go back home and work, I want to makeup for this at Jerez!” Colin Edwards – Not Classified “Not that the bike was perfect yesterday, but it felt ok to be able to race today but unfortunately wasn’t. We went out this morning and overnight we developed chatter problems. We had some issues with drivetrain problems again this weekend that we’ve been trying to sort out and for safety sake, with all the issued that we’ve had it was better to come in before having a serious crash.” Sergio Verbena – MotoGP Technical Director “Yesterday we were confident that we would be able to do a better race today but unexpectedly we had some problems that we didn’t have during the rest of the weekend. A lot of strange vibrations while braking on the rear of the bike that were getting worse lap by lap and not allowing him to stop the bike. In the last lap he went straight twice and the problem was accentuating itself so he decided to retire. Claudio had a similar problem and tried to do his best, managing to finish the race not too far from the other FTR-Kawasaki bikes. We don’t quite understand why we didn’t have this problems on Friday or Saturday so we will have to go over the data to be ready for Jerez.” More, from a press release issued by Power Electronics Aspar Team: ALEIX ESPARGARÓ ROUNDS OFF AN EXTRAORDINARY WEEKEND AS BEST CRT POWER ELECTRONICS places eleventh, ahead of two official bikes. De Puniet finishes as second best CRT, in fourteenth After the practice sessions for the GP of The Americas, it wasn’t hard to predict the results of today’s race in Austin. The three riders on the front row of the grid -Márquez, Pedrosa and Lorenzo- occupied the podium spots. To the amazement of many, Pedrosa was the leader for much of the race, with Marquez close behind. The two Spaniards broke away early, with Lorenzo a spectator to their duel from out of touching distance. In contrast to the opening race of the year in Qatar, the contest became predictable. Many riders were riding alone, as was Márquez when he escaped from Pedrosa towards the end of the race and took the victory. POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider Aleix Espargaró was the best CRT rider of the race for the second event in a row this season, picking up ten points from his opening two GPs of the year. In Losail he was dominant over his rivals and this weekend he repeated the feat. Yesterday he had shown his cards by qualifying ninth and proving to be a match for the riders with regular MotoGP machinery. From the moment the lights went out he pushed hard against the factory and satellite riders, and was able to get past two of them for a creditable eleventh place finish.Randy De Puniet also repeated his CRT honour from Qatar, finishing second of the CRTs for the second time. Still not feeling fully comfortable with the front end of his bike, the Frenchman nevertheless had a solid ride and placed fourteenth today. 11th Aleix Espargaró: “I am very happy that we went again had a complete weekend. I made a good start and was able to overtake Hayden, Iannone and Bautista off the line, but they got back ahead of me. Although I did not lose sight of my goal, which was to be the top CRT, I admit that I tried to pursue them and keep on their tails. It just wasn’t possible. The initial push helped me to gain an advantage over Smith and Spies. The truth is that I had a hard time keeping them at bay, as I could see them gradually approaching, but fortunately I was able to manage the three-second advantage obtained in the first part of the race. Smith did not give me a second’s respite, and in a way I am grateful to him for that because it forced me to push to the maximum and be very focused throughout the race. I am very satisfied with the work we are doing, everything is working perfectly and we are still the reference point for the CRT competition.” 14th Randy De Puniet: “In the end we ended the weekend positively, but a similar thing happened to us as in Qatar, where we struggled to find the right direction. I got me the impression that we were always a session behind Aleix. Our problems were mainly due to the lack of confidence in the front. We planned a change in the rear suspension for the warmup session, but the track was too cold and we could not gain good conclusions from it. Although during the race the temperature had risen greatly, I preferred not to take any risks. I started well and I slotted in behind Smith, but there was almost a collision with another rider and I had to brake really hard -allowing other riders to pass. I was stuck with a group of riders for five laps and they slowed me down. I got away from them and upped my pace, before reaching Hernández. We were the second best CRT once again, which isn’t a bad result, but we have to continue working in order to be more competitive.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: MARQUEZ MAKES HISTORY, PEDROSA SECOND AT COTA Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) made history in today’s Grand Prix of the Americas outside Austin, Texas, by becoming the youngest-ever winner of a premier-class Grand Prix. The 20-year-old rode a magnificent race to beat team-mate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) by less than two seconds. The Repsol Honda pair have dominated proceedings since the MotoGP circus arrived at the superb new Circuit of the Americas venue, doing a one-two in practice and qualifying, when Marquez became the youngest rider to score a premier-class pole position. Marquez has taken both records from another sublimely talented Honda rider, American Freddie Spencer, who achieved his first pole at Jarama, Spain, in May 1982 and his first win at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, in July the same year. On that day Spencer was 20 years and 196 days old. Today Marquez – who achieves such dizzying angles of lean that he scrapes his elbows on the tarmac as a matter of course – is 20 years and 64 days old. The duo played a tense game of cat and mouse on their RC213Vs throughout the 21 laps, Pedrosa grabbing the lead after Marquez ran wide at the first corner. The positions stayed that way for the first 12 laps, Marquez happy to wait behind his more experienced team-mate. Finally, on lap 13 he dived ahead at Turn Seven. Pedrosa did not give up and was on the new leader’s rear wheel for the next few laps, until he made a mistake on lap 19. That lost him a second, putting him 1.6 seconds down, but still he did not give up, closing the gap to 1.2 seconds as they began the final lap. That was too much of a disadvantage, however, and Pedrosa realised he had to be content with second today. The pair crossed the line 1.534 seconds apart. Marquez’s historic victory didn’t just rewrite the record books, it also moved the former 125 World Champion and reigning Moto2 World Champion into the joint lead of the 2013 MotoGP World Championship, with reigning champ Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha). Spencer still holds the record for being the youngest premier-class World Champion, but for how much longer? Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) had a strong ride to fifth on his RCV, making amends for his tumble in the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix. The German had a busy first few laps, running second for the first few corners, then battling back and forth with Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) who finished behind final podium finisher Lorenzo. Eventually Bradl settled into a lonely fifth position, setting a good pace aboard his RC213V. Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V) had to fight hard for his eighth-place result, first with Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) and then with another factory rider, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati). He might have beaten the Italian but for an error at the final corner. Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) came home 20th aboard his CBR1000RR-powered CRT bike, happy to have scored his first MotoGP finish after sliding off in Qatar. During the race he was able to learn plenty from other more experienced riders that will help him improve in the future. Nicolas Terol (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 Suter) scored a runaway maiden Moto2 victory today, the former 125 World Champion taking the lead in the early stages and never relinquishing it. Some way behind him a thrilling three-way contest developed for second place. Esteve Rabat (Tuenti HP 40 Pons Kalex) won the battle, coming from ninth on the first lap to grab the runner-up spot at the final corner where Mika Kallio (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex) made a mistake. Dominique Aegerter (Technomag carXpert Suter) crossed the line just behind Kallio after making contact with the Finn a few corners from the finish and almost falling. Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex) started from pole for the first time in his career and led the race until Terol assumed control. The lanky Briton lacked top speed against his rivals and lost several positions on COTA’s back straight, the longest in MotoGP. He eventually crossed the line all alone in fifth position. The result, following his second-place finish in Qatar, puts him in the World Championship lead for the first time. Johann Zarco (Came Ioda Racing Project Suter) came through strongly to finish sixth, beating Anthony West (QMMF Racing Team Speed Up) on the final lap. Mattia Pasini (NGM Mobile Racing Speed Up), Alex De Angelis ((NGM Mobile Forward Racing Speed Up) and Toni Elias (Blusens Avintia Kalex) completed the top ten. Qatar winner Pol Espargaro (Tuenti HP40 Pons Kalex) crashed out as he charged through the pack after starting from the third row. The Moto3 race was stopped and restarted after Jasper Iwema (KTM) crashed heavily and was knocked unconscious. The Dutch rider was concussed and bruised in the accident, but is otherwise okay. The five-lap restart was won by Alex Rins who had dominated the original race. He came out on top of a final-corner duel with Luis Salom, who was passed on the run to the line by Maverick Vinales. All three rode KTMs. Jack Miller (Caretta Technology – RTG FTR Honda) rode a brilliant race to finish sixth and top Honda, just a few tenths off fifth place. The young Australian made up in the corners what he lost on the straights to finish 8.6 seconds behind the winner. After a terrible start in the first race, Alexis Masbou (Ongetta-Rivacold FTR Honda) was grateful for the restart, in which he got away much faster and worked his way through the pack to finish eighth. Brad Binder (Ambrogio Racing Suter Honda) crossed the line ninth, just two tenths behind Masbou. The South African now heads to next month’s Spanish Grand Prix as the top-placed Honda in the World Championship. Danny Webb (Ambrogio Racing Suter Honda) finished 11th, with Isaac Vinales (Bimbo Ongetta-Centro Seta FTR Honda) ending up 13th. The MotoGP World Championship now returns to its European heartland for the first of a series of six races on the Continent, commencing with the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez on May 5. Honda MotoGP rider quotes Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda: race winner “After taking my first podium in Qatar I was very happy, but I am even more so today after my first win! It went better than I expected and I am very grateful to the team for their efforts over the preseason. We have worked very hard and, without this, the victory would not have been possible. The race was very intense and physical, as I followed Dani for many laps and then decided to launch an attack and try to open a gap with ten laps to go. I could not pull the gap I wanted as some problems with the front emerged that we’d experienced throughout the weekend. Despite all this, we were able to take the victory. The 25 points are important, but what is more important is to have achieved a win in my second race in MotoGP. We realise that more difficult circuits lie ahead for us, but we will try to give 100% at all of them. Our battle is not the one for the championship, but rather taking it race-by-race and enjoying every moment.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 2nd “Today’s race was good and I’m happy with this second place. We had great pace, even though we knew that Marc was very strong. I tried to ride my own race and in the end I was losing a lot of time in the chicanes. I was tiring physically and I could not handle the bike well – especially in the first part of the circuit. In the second section of the track I was recovering quite a lot of time, but it was not enough. Furthermore, in one of the three laps before the end I made a mistake, lost around 1.5 seconds and Marc was able to get away. That was the point at which the race was lost for me. Still, I’m happy, my riding was pretty good today and I have improved compared with Qatar. I have to congratulate Marc as well, because he did a great job! Now we need to focus on Jerez – a circuit I like a lot.” Stefan Bradl, LCR Honda MotoGP: 5th “We can be happy today because we have done a good job. I took a very good start but I was not so aggressive as some other riders at the beginning because, on full fuel, I could feel some sliding in the front so I decided to remain calm and focused. With 13 laps to go Crutchlow passed me as he was quite fast in the middle of the race, especially in corner entry. We could not match his performance in the entry of the curves but we had a good speed in the exit. I think we have done our best and fifth place is the result we were expecting here at COTA.” Alvaro Bautista, Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini: 8th “I was expecting a better race after the feeling I had with the bike yesterday in qualifying and honestly thought I could even improve my pace today but the bike was moving around and I didn’t have the same confidence. I tried to stay with the group but couldn’t manage it. In the end after pulling back two seconds on Dovizioso I got into a nice battle with him but in the last corner I made a mistake and he passed me. It’s a shame but we have chance to make up for it in a couple of weeks in my home Grand Prix at Jerez, a place and circuit that I really like.” Bryan Staring, GO&FUN Honda Gresini: 20th “I am really happy to have finished the race here, which was important for me in terms of learning the lines from the other more experienced riders and the fact that we managed to improve on our best lap from practice. Overall I think this proves that we need more time on the bike to adapt and to become more competitive in this class.” Moto2 rider quotes Nicolas Terol, Mapfre Aspar Team: race winner “I’m very happy with my first victory in Moto2. My feeling at this new track has been incredible all weekend. The race was very difficult because after about five laps we had many tyre issues. But of course we leave here very happy with the result and I would like to say a big thank you to the team for their incredible work.” Esteve Rabat, Tuenti HP 40 Pons: 2nd “The start was amazing – Mika touched me and damaged my clutch lever. I thought my race was finished because I thought I had no clutch. But in fact it was okay. Then I started passing people. The only issue was that my gearbox was too short, so I was using second gear where others were using first, which gave me some issues with acceleration. That made it difficult to pass but in the end we were able to make it through to second, so I’m happy!” Mika Kallio, Marc VDS Racing Team: third “I’m really happy. I knew we would have a moment in the last few corners – because I knew there were guys behind me. I was lucky to stay on the bike. Everything went really well, though we struggled with top speed and front grip. I saw quite early on that I could stay with the front group and that I had a good pace. Before the race my crew modified the front setting and it was better. I’m satisfied with the race, apart from the mistake I made at the very last corner.” Honda Moto3 rider quotes Jack Miller, Caretta Technology – RTG: 6th “Oliveira came past me on the back straight on the last lap and then I had to close the throttle when someone crashed in front of me. It was a good race, though we were struggling with top speed. The bike handled so well, that’s where I was making up all my time.” Alexis Masbou, Ongetta-Rivacold: 8th “I didn’t get a good start in the first race, so I was a bit angry, then I went straight on because I tried to pass too many guys in one go. The restart wasn’t so bad and then I was able to pass one or two guys every lap to finish eighth. With more time I could have caught the group in front of me. I just rode the whole race like it was qualifying.” Brad Binder, Ambrogio Racing: 9th “The race was really good. I felt confident during the first race and felt like I could go faster. When the race restarted I got an awesome start but unfortunately I dropped back a little and ended in ninth. I had aimed for a top-ten finish here and I’m happy to have achieved that. I’ve got to say thanks so much to the team, the bike is handling like it’s on rails.” More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3: Fantastic fourth for Crutchlow in Texas Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow rode to a fantastic fourth place finish in today’s inaugural Grand Prix of the Americas in Texas to consolidate his place in the top five in the World Championship standings after two races. For the second race in succession, the British rider comfortably finished as leading non-factory rider after he superbly recovered from an early off-track excursion to claim his best finish of the 2013 campaign. Crutchlow was locked in an early fight with Stefan Bradl when he ran off track on lap four, which dropped him back to sixth as Alvaro Bautista swept through. The 27-year-old wasted no time in getting back up to his fast pace and he brilliantly recovered the lost places with two expertly executed overtaking moves on Bautista on lap five and then on Bradl on lap nine. Crutchlow maintained his fast pace and was easily able to streak away from Bradl and Bautista to finish behind factory trio Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo, which was a fantastic achievement considering they had all tested at COTA last month. It was mission accomplished for Bradley Smith in the 21-lap race as he gained priceless experience by guiding his YZR-M1 machine home to his first point scoring finish in his rookie campaign. Opting to run Bridgestone’s hard compound front tyre for the first time all weekend, Smith gradually built up his confidence and an impressive charge in the second half of the race saw him set a personal best lap of 2.06.415 on the penultimate lap to finish in 12th position. That was 0.3s faster than his best qualifying lap and the confidence and experience gained this weekend means Smith heads to Jerez next month optimistic that he can battle for a maiden top 10 finish. Cal Crutchlow 4th – 24 points: “I’m very pleased and we did a better job than any of us expected before we arrived in Texas. With no testing here I was worried that it would be more of a struggle and the fire in the garage on Wednesday meant we couldn’t do any of our normal preparation work. So to finish fourth and be behind Marquez, Pedrosa and Lorenzo is a great achievement for all of us and I want to say a massive thanks to my crew. We qualified well and I rode very well in the race and the most pleasing aspect was my consistency. Unfortunately I ran wide while trying to pass Bradl but I managed to fight my way back through and I was running the same speed as Lorenzo for a long time and that gives me a lot of confidence to take into the next few races. I’m giving it my all and I’ll never give up and I think this weekend again we showed how competitive the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 package is. Now we go to Jerez and I was quickest at the winter test a few weeks ago, so it is going to be another big battle that I’m excited about.” Bradley Smith 12th – 4 points: “I am really happy to finish the race because what I learned over a full race distance was priceless. I ran the hard front tyre on the advice of Bridgestone and while it was definitely the right choice, it took me a few laps to understand how it was working. The last thing I needed was to push too hard and make another mistake like in Qatar but the best thing about the race is I got faster and faster. I was quicker as in qualifying on the penultimate lap of the race, and that’s a sign of how much better I was riding the bike. I am learning more and more about the bike on each lap and I can go to Jerez now confident that I can be even more competitive and the goal will be to get closer to the top 10. Finally I can’t praise my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team enough. After the garage fire on Wednesday night it really put everybody on the back foot, but we all rallied round and it is nice to see both Cal and I finish in the points to reward their hard work.” Herve Poncharal – Team Manager: “That was a very good first race here in Texas and Cal did an amazing job. He was in a very hard battle in the early laps and after he ran off the track his recovery was fantastic. He was back on his pace immediately and he brilliantly passed both Bradl and Bautista, even though it was clear that they had a very competitive package at this track. What was very impressive was the way Cal pulled away and he was able to run the same pace as Lorenzo in front of him, which is not an easy task and something he should be really proud of. Bradley also had a good race and he did exactly what he had to do after the crash in Qatar. He was calm at the beginning but once his confidence grew he got faster and faster and at the end he was as quick as a lot of those inside the top 10. This will give him a big boost and also the experience he is lacking, so we can look forward to an even stronger challenge from him in the next few races. Cal and Bradley did an awesome job but so did the whole Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. We didn’t test here and that put us at a disadvantage and after the fire on Wednesday night our preparations were far from ideal. So to get this result in a crucial race for Yamaha and Monster Energy is extremely satisfying.”