Race Lap Record: 2:03.575, Marc Marquez, 2014

All Time Lap Record: 2:02.135, Marc Marquez, 2015

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Circuit of The Americas

Austin, Texas, USA

April 12, 2019

Free Practice Two Results (all on Michelin tires):

1. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), 2:03.857, 208.5 mph (335.5 kph)

2. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 2:03.901, 212.5 mph (342.0 kph)

3. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), 2:04.003, 211.1 mph (339.7 kph)

4. Jack Miller, Australia (Ducati), 2:04.005, 213.2 mph (343.1 kph)

5. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), 2:04.118, 214.6 mph (345.3 kph)

6. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), 2:04.353, 212.1 mph (341.4 kph)

7. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM), 2:04.364, 213.8  mph (344.1 kph)

8. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Yamaha), 2:04.548, 207.7 mph (334.3 kph)

9. Fabio Quartararo, France (Yamaha), 2:04.589, 210.0 mph (337.9 kph)

10. Francesco Bagnaia, Italy (Ducati), 2:04.630, 209.5 mph (337.1 kph)

11. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), 2:04.714, 212.0 mph (341.2 kph)

12. Joan Mir, Spain (Suzuki), 2:04.851, 210.5 mph (338.8 kph)

13. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), 2:04.906, 211.2 mph (339.9 kph)

14. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), 2:04.953, 213.2 mph (343.1 kph)

15. Takaaki Nakagami, Japan (Honda), 2:05.020, 210.5 mph (338.7 kph)

16. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Honda), 2:05.169, 212.1 mph (341.3 kph)

17. Johann Zarco, France (KTM), 2:05.491, 210.1 mph (338.1 kph)

18. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Aprilia), 2:05.955, 210.5 mph (338.8 kph)

19. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), 2:06.162, 209.2 mph (336.6 kph)

20. Tito Rabat, Spain (Ducati), 2:06.204, 212.6 mph (342.2 kph)

21. Miguel Oliveira, Portugal (KTM), 2:06.276, 209.2 mph (336.6 kph)

22. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (KTM), 2:06.850, 207.7 mph (334.2 kph)

More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:

Uphill opening day for Oliveira and Syahrin in Texas

The Red Bull KTM Tech3 duo began this weekend’s Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas in sunny Texas today with some steady progress, although their first visit at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) with the KTM RC16 was challenging.

While MotoGP rookie Miguel Oliveira had to learn one of the most demanding tracks in the calendar in Free Practice one this morning, the Portuguese lowered his fastest lap from FP1 to FP2 by strong 1.759 seconds. At the same time, Hafizh Syahrin made some huge steps forward from the first to the second session, improving by impressive 2.488 seconds to complete day one just 0.574 seconds behind his teammate. Both Red Bull KTM Tech3 riders are eager to find their way closer to the front from Saturday’s FP3 at 9.55 local time (16.55 CET).

Miguel Oliveira

Position: 21st

Time: 2:06.276

Laps: 31

“It has been a difficult day to learn the track with the new bike, as COTA is a quite tricky circuit and it takes some time for me to understand how to ride and also how the bike can help me to ride the track better. At this moment, we are for sure not happy with the result we did today, but we need to learn and to understand that it’s maybe normal to suffer a bit more for the first time here. We just work hard as always to get the best result tomorrow. In Qualifying the weather is going to be critical, but we will manage it at our best.”

Hafizh Syahrin

Position: 22nd

Time: 2:06.850

Laps: 31

“We made a huge improvement on the time. This morning it was difficult for me, because the track was very bumpy and I didn’t have confidence while braking as the bike was moving a lot. But we made some changes and in the afternoon, I felt really good. We still miss something for the turning. I was already talking about it with the team, so we know where to work on for tomorrow, although it might rain, which can be good for us to learn to ride the bike in these conditions. In the beginning of the weekend we always start a bit behind, because we were on this track for the first time with the bike, so we needed to collect some data first, which we used in FP2 to step ahead. We keep working hard and pushing 110 percent.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:

 FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE IN AUSTIN FOR THE GP OF THE AMERICAS

AFTER A GOOD FIRST SESSION WITH BOTH RIDERS IN THE TOP TEN, APRILIA FINISHES WITH ALEIX 14TH AND ANDREA 18TH

After a good first session in the morning, where Aleix Espargaró finished ninth, followed by teammate Andrea Iannone in tenth, the RS-GP machines were unable to fully exploit the new tyre in the decisive minutes of the time attack in FP2.

Although both Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders improved their times significantly, the session ended with Aleix fourteenth at 2’04.953 and Andrea eighteenth at 2’05.955. On a circuit that is traditionally difficult for the V4 from Noale, attention now shifts to the Saturday morning session, the last chance to clinch a spot among the top ten which would mean going straight through to the second qualifying session.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“The asphalt is a disaster. It is very bumpy. On the corners it can be managed with difficulty, but the real problem is on the straight where, at more than three hundred km/h, you risk losing control of the bike. It is really very dangerous. This is MotoGP, not motocross. Our problem is that we are unable to get the most out of the new tyre. I feel like I am in great shape and I also have a good race pace. We know that this is certainly not the best circuit for us. I give it my all, riding aggressively, but we are unable to exploit the grip of the new tyre. With used tyres, we are always around sixth or seventh place, but when we all put on the tyre to do the time, we lose a lot of positions.”

ANDREA IANNONE

“The positive side of today is that we assessed the various tyre choices for the race, identifying the ones that seem to work better. This morning, we were rather competitive, whereas in the second session, we were unable to exploit the soft tyres on the flying lap and that kept us from improving. We need to maintain our concentration and stay calm, because getting the most out of the technical package we have available to us is fundamental.”

More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:

MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP SHOW COMPETITIVE SPEED ON FRIDAY AT COTA

Austin (Texas), 12th April 2019

GRAND PRIX OF THE AMERICAS

FREE PRACTICE

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi followed up a positive FP1 at the Grand Prix of The Americas with another hot-paced FP2 session, securing first and third place respectively in the combined timesheets.

1st MAVERICK VIÑALES 2’03.857 (FP2) / 16 + 15 LAPS

3rd VALENTINO ROSSI 2’04.003 (FP2) / 18 + 17 LAPS

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi made the most of the sunny riding conditions and signed off the first day of the Grand Prix of The Americas in first and third place in the combined timesheets.

Viñales was quick to show a strong pace in FP1, securing second place, and raised the level even higher in FP2. Despite feeling some pain in his knee during the rapid direction changes at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) as a result of his fall in Argentina, he was pushing hard to get the bike‘s settings ready for Sunday’s race. He put in an impressive run in the final stages and earned first position in the FP2 and combined free practice results with a 2’03.857s best lap, giving him a 0.044s margin over his closest rival.

Rossi was also feeling encouraged by his strong start this morning, taking a top-5 finish. He worked on fine-tuning his bike‘s balance in the afternoon, only to put his head down once more at the end of the second 45-minute session. The pressure was on to secure a spot in the top-10, as rain is predicted for tomorrow’s FP3, but the Doctor was in control. With two soft tyres on his YZR-M1, he found a quiet spot on the track and dropped a 2’04.003s lap, the third fastest time of the day, 0.146s from his team-mate.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

“Today was a really positive first day in COTA with both riders, in FP1 as well as FP2. We started where we ended things in Argentina, set-up wise, and we saw that the riders were quite comfortable, and this gave us the opportunity to calmly work and make further improvements in FP2. There are still areas where both riders would like to improve, but for a first day we are quite satisfied. Considering the weather forecast for tomorrow, having both Maverick and Vale in the top-10 is very good. We will now prepare some bike adjustments for tomorrow’s FP3, hoping that it will be dry. Otherwise, we will try to be ready to adapt the bikes to the wet conditions and start from there.”

MAVERICK VIÑALES

“I think today it was very important to work on the basic set-up, because in Argentina we misunderstood some things. I think we worked quite well here today. I tried to be very competitive, especially on the first laps, but we still have to improve. We have to be more precise in the first laps and I need a little bit more grip, especially on the rear, because I still didn‘t feel that I‘m at my best. It’s important to be at the top today, because I think tomorrow it‘s going to rain, and we need to start at the front. The track is very bumpy. It was funny, when I was pushing I made a big lateral slide, but honestly I was lucky I didn‘t make a big highside. For sure, I‘m expecting to be fast in qualifying. In Valencia I finished at the top in the wet. It‘s true that I also crashed, but I was one of the fastest on the track. I have a good feeling, and when you have a good feeling it doesn‘t matter what the conditions are like.”

VALENTINO ROSSI

“Today wasn’t so bad, especially the third position is very good. I did a good lap, and this is very important in order to stay in the top-10. We have some problems with the pace, I’m not fantastic on the race tyre. We have to work on the balance of the bike, but for a first day it’s quite positive. The weather forecast for tomorrow is grim, but we’re hoping it’s wrong. Maybe the weather will be good tomorrow, but if it rains we will all start from zero again. We’ll need to try to understand the conditions and we need to find a good setting for the wet, but anyway we hope to have a dry race on Sunday.”

More, from a press release issued by Automobili Lamborghini Pramac Racing:

#AmericasGP FP. Impressive Friday at COTA: Jack 4th and Pecco 10th to complete a precious double Top 10

It was an exciting Friday for Automobili Lamborghini Pramac Racing at the Grand Prix of the Americas. Jack and Pecco scored a precious double Top 10 that could be decisive for the direct qualification to Q2 in case of rain tomorrow. Here are the high lights of the first day of free practice in Texas.

FP1 (Conditions: dry – Air 18° – Ground 27°)

P3 Jack Miller (2’05.936, +0.625 from P1)

From the very first laps, Jack is permanently in the Top 10. At the end of the session, he notches up a great chrono with the used medium rear tire.

P19 Pecco Bagnaia (2’07.407, +0.715 from Top 10)

Some initial difficulties – on a very demanding track – for Pecco who still manages to make progress during the session.

FP2 (Conditions: dry – Air 26° – Ground 48°)

P4 Jack Miller (2’04.005, +0.148 from P1)

Jack doesn’t suffer from the non-ideal conditions of the circuit and is immediately among the fastest. With 3 minutes to go from the end of the session, he is in first place, then he finishes very close to the best time of Vinales.

P10 Pecco Bagnaia (2’04.630, +0.773 from P1)

First important Top 10 for Pecco who makes huge progress improving by almost 3 seconds his FP1 lap-time, finishing less than three-tenths of a second from the virtual second row. A great result that, in case of rain tomorrow, would allow him to win the first Q2 in MotoGP.

P10 – Pecco Bagnaia

“I’m happy because this morning I had a lot of trouble riding over the many bumps of the circuit. We worked well on the setup and the feeling improved a lot in the afternoon. I was quick in the time attack but especially in the race pace with used tyres. It’s a very difficult track for me and that’s why I’m very satisfied”.

P4 – Jack Miller

“Finishing in Top 10 is always the main goal on friday. That’s why I can say I’m satisfied also because the weather tomorrow could be a factor for the direct qualification to Q2. The bike is working very well and I feel comfortable. In the afternoon I had some difficulties because of the wind but the balance of the day is very positive”.

More, from a press release issued by Mission Winnow Ducati:

GP of the Americas: Andrea Dovizioso in 11th position in Friday’s free-practice at Austin, Danilo Petrucci 13th

The Mission Winnow Ducati team resumed action today at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin (U.S.A.) for the third round of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship. In Friday’s free-practice sessions, the factory riders worked on the setup of their Desmosedici GP 19, showing good progress throughout the day despite facing some issues in their quest for a flying lap with soft tyres at the end of FP2.

Andrea Dovizioso, who improved his lap times by 1.2 seconds in FP2, finished the day in 11th position on the time sheets with a personal best of 2:04.714, about eight tenths of a second from the provisional lead. Despite taking almost two seconds off his best time in the second and final session with a 2:04.953, Danilo Petrucci was 13th in the standings, about two tenths of a second behind his teammate.

Andrea Dovizioso (#04 Mission Winnow Ducati) – 2:04.714 (11th)

“We knew we would have struggled a bit more than usual on this track but, all in all, we’ve been competitive enough with a race setup. This afternoon, in particular, our pace was decent. In retrospect, I think we didn’t choose the best front tyre for the final time attack in FP2. I couldn’t put together the lap that I wanted, and it’s a shame because tomorrow it’ll probably rain. Looking at the positives, going through Q1 could represent an advantage to have more feeling on the wet in Q2. We’ll have to see what the weather is like tomorrow. Conditions may make a big difference in terms of grid positions and, consequently, the race itself: we’ll have to be ready for all scenarios.”

Danilo Petrucci (#9 Mission Winnow Ducati) – 2:04.953 (13th)

“We were able to improve quite a bit throughout the day, but I still don’t have the right confidence. Despite feeling more at ease in FP2, we couldn’t seize the top 10 in the final minutes, which somewhat complicates our plans for tomorrow because the forecast says it’s going to rain. We don’t have one big issue to solve, and this makes the work on the setup a bit tricky. We need to improve in terms of grip and stability to be more consistent. I can’t say I’m satisfied with our position, but we still have ideas to try and I’m confident we’ll be able to make progress tomorrow.”

The Mission Winnow Ducati team will resume action tomorrow, April 13th, at 09:55 local time (CET -7) for a third free-practice session ahead of qualifying, which is scheduled to start at 14:10, shortly after FP4.

More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team:

 Positive start in Austin with Top 10 for Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo

The two PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team riders finish eighth and ninth respectively, on the first day of Free Practice at the Circuit of The Americas.

CLEAR SKY | AIR 26ºC | TRACK 42ºC | HUMIDITY 41%

FRANCO MORBIDELLI +0.691

FABIO QUARTARARO +0.732

The MotoGP World Championship season reaches Round three this weekend, with the Americas GP. Just as they did two weeks ago in Argentina, the PETRONAS Yamaha SRT riders were both inside the Top 10 on Friday, keeping up their impressive form at the start of the campaign and putting them in a good spot, should conditions be wet on Saturday.

In FP1, Fabio Quartararo quickly adapted to the demanding Circuit of The Americas – the scene of his first GP podium, in Moto3. The Frenchman finished seventh in FP1, stopping the clock with a 2:06.332. Teammate Franco Morbidelli was eleventh in the first session of the weekend, with a best time of 2:06.729.

Hours later, the track conditions improved considerably and both riders were able to lower their times. With the threat of rain a strong possibility for Saturday, the MotoGP field treated FP2 as their last chance to get into Q2. Both PETRONAS Yamaha SRT riders succesfully achieved that goal: Morbidelli finished in eighth position with his 2:04.548 time, set on the last of 15 laps. Just behind the Italian was his teammate, who was ninth with a 2:04.589 and completed 16 laps during FP2.

The action at the Circuit of The Americas will continue tomorrow with FP3 and FP4, just before Q1 at 2:10pm and Q2 at 2:35pm.

#21 Franco Morbidelli

“Today was a tough day because we had some small problems that I think slowed down our progress. Even so, we were able to be get into the Top 10 with only one quick lap at the end, which is a good result. I need to put in more kilometres here with this bike, because I feel like I haven’t done enough laps in a row to understand the track fully. We have to keep working because we still have room for improvement. The difficulty we encountered today were the bumps, of which there are a lot. Towards the end of the day we found a good line and we are going to continue working on that tomorrow. We’ll see what happens and if today’s time is enough to qualify for Q2.”

#20 Fabio Quartararo

“We are not officially into Q2 yet, but today the most important thing was to finish in the Top 10 because we know that tomorrow it is likely to rain. I made some mistakes on my two fastest laps, so I’m pretty happy because we only had one tyre to set our flying lap. It’s very good to finish in the Top 10 on the first day here in Austin. This circuit is very physical, but I felt ok on the bike. I think it’s one of the most demanding circuits of the year and we know it’s a good test of our fitness, although I think we’re in pretty good shape. We will see in the race, but it is a hard circuit.”

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Tight at the top in Texas, Marquez second and Lorenzo 16th on Friday

Less than a second split the top 12 MotoGP riders with Marc Marquez finishing second and Jorge Lorenzo 16th on the opening day of practice.

Marc Marquez’s love affair with the Circuit of the Americas showed no signs of stopping as the six-time winner led Free Practice 1 from his first fast lap. The pattern continued into Free Practice 2 as Marquez improved his lap time on just his second flying lap. With the track at 41°C and the sky clear above, Marquez produced a 2’03.901 to end the day as the second fastest rider in Austin after a tense final five minutes of on track action.

Friday for Jorge Lorenzo was spent adapting his Honda to the unique layout and challenges of the Texas track. An improvement of over two seconds between Free Practice 1 and 2 left the five-time World Champion feeling pleased with progress and ready to attack qualifying on Saturday. Just 1.312 seconds behind first place, Lorenzo will have a chance to move into Q2 during Free Practice 3 tomorrow should the weather hold.

The day also saw 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden’s #69 retired from the premier class as the paddock came together to remember the life and achievements of the Kentucky Kid. Hayden’s family was joined by Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and FIM President Jorge Viegas, who presented Nicky Hayden’s father, Earl, with a commemorative 69.

Riders will be back out on track for Free Practice 3 at 09:55 local time Saturday, 13 April. Qualifying begins at 14:10 local time to decide who will start from pole position for the 2019 Americas GP.

Marc Marquez

2ND 2’03.901

“Today was not a straight forward day, the circuit has changed a lot since last year and it’s bumpy so we had to adapt to this. We also had some other areas to work on and some things to try to improve our pace. The rhythm and the pace is there so we are happy and we even tried the soft rear to get a good lap. Overall it was a productive day and we did what we needed to. Of course this weekend we also have Nicky Hayden in our minds, remembering a great champion.”

Jorge Lorenzo

16TH 2’05.169

“A tricky day today. First of all the track is very bumpy for everyone and we need to improve a little bit to handle this. The circuit for me personally is always very difficult so it is quite complicated but we won’t give up. We’re trying many things to improve the bike and still perfecting the ergonomics to feel comfortable when changing direction. It was very special to have the ceremony for Nicky today, we all miss him a lot.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Idemitsu Honda:

DEMANDING START FOR NAKAGAMI IN TEXAS

LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider was not at his very best as the Grand Prix of the Americas got underway in Texas on Friday. The Japanese rider has been a revelation so far this season with top-10 finishes in both Qatar and Argentina, but he found the going tougher in Austin and had to settle for 15th position after the first two free practice sessions.

Nakagami was clearly not comfortable on a difficult surface in FP1 as he finished in 17th position, but improved by almost two seconds as he took 15th in FP2. The LCR man believes he is now on the right path and remains confident that he can find further improvement ahead of Saturday’s qualifying sessions.

Takaaki Nakagami – 15th

(2’05.020 – lap 16 of 16)

“We really struggled here on the first day in America, during FP1 we were not so competitive throughout the session. In FP2 we improved little by little, but we have work to do ahead of tomorrow. The gap (to the front of the field) is not huge, but it’s all about small details as this track is 20 corners and it’s impossible not to make any mistakes on a lap. But I feel we are improving and we understand where we are losing time, so we’ll keep focused and work hard tomorrow. The weather forecast is not great, but we’ll try our best.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:

RINS LOOKING KEEN AT COTA ON DAY 1, MIR GAINING GROUND

Alex Rins: 6th – 2:04.353 (+ 0.496)

Joan Mir: 12th – 2:04.851 (+ 0.994)

• Alex Rins makes important progress on Friday.

•Joan Mir finding his feet and not far off the pace.

•Team working hard for tomorrow’s qualifying.

Day 1 at the Circuit of the Americas saw Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s riders working hard to build on their pace ahead of what could be a challenging weekend in terms of conditions.

Alex Rins has a good affinity with the Texan track and the Spaniard saw a big improvement between the FP1 and FP2 sessions. 15th place and 1.5 seconds off in the morning, Alex closed the first day 6th overall following a strong FP2 which saw him just 0.496 seconds off. He was also the fastest rider through the first sector.

Meanwhile, Joan Mir also made a big step in the afternoon, rising from 15th to 12th and improving his time impressively. The rookie is still learning this unique track with his GSX-RR, but he reported positive feelings.

The afternoon’s FP2 session saw hot competition with the top 12 riders covered by less than one second. With doubts about conditions in tomorrow’s FP3, Rins’ 6th place could well be crucial for securing passage to Q2.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“It has been a positive day. These two sessions were very important as it might rain tomorrow, so we wanted to get a lot done today. Alex did well and stayed in the Top 10, Joan learned a lot today and came very close to the Top 10. So for both our riders it’s been a good Friday, let’s see what we can do in qualifying tomorrow.”

Alex Rins

“I lost a bit of time stuck behind another rider, but I’m still quite satisfied with my lap times today, and I was fastest in Sector 1. We’ve worked well today and we tried a few different tyre combinations. Now I’m thinking about the race, it seems that I could already be in Q2 due to my time in FP2, which would help a lot.”

Joan Mir

“I’m really happy overall because I made big improvement from the morning to the afternoon. I missed out on using a second set of soft tyres to try and push for a fast lap and get into the Top 10 today, but apart from that I feel confident and ready to build on my time further tomorrow.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:

CRUTCHLOW FIFTH FASTEST IN AUSTIN

Cal Crutchlow was again back on the pace during the opening day of free practice at the Grand Prix of the Americas in Texas. The LCR Honda CASTROL rider – who will carry the lead sponsorship of Flex-Box this weekend – has already demonstrated he is amongst the quickest in the MotoGP class so far this season, and did so again at the Circuit of the Americas on Friday as he finished in fifth position on the timesheets.

The Briton was eighth fastest in FP1, but found almost two and a half seconds of improvement in FP2 to climb into the top five. It left him just a quarter of a second behind Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales in first position and Crutchlow feels he is in a good place ahead of qualifying on Saturday.

Cal Crutchlow – 5th

(2’04.118 – lap 15 of 16)

“Today was a good day, we’re happy with the feelings on the bike. It’s really nice to be riding here at the Circuit of the Americas despite the track being in very poor condition. We look forward to trying some different settings on the bike tomorrow and qualifying, but at the moment I feel very good with the team and the bike.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Viñales deposes Marquez on Day 1

The King of COTA loses his throne on Friday as Viñales takes over at the top

Saturday, 13 April 2019

Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) upset the odds on Day 1 at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, ending Friday at the top of the timesheets to depose six-time COTA winner Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). Viñales stalked the reigning Champion’s laptimes throughout the day and by the end of action his 2:03.857 was just enough to pull 0.044 clear. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completes the top three, with just 0.146 splitting the trio. Top Independent Team rider Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) was incredibly close, however – only another 0.002 in arrears in P4.

After a cat and mouse FP1 between Marquez and Viñales, action really heated up with 11 minutes to go in FP2. The weather forecast looks like it could well worsen, meaning Friday’s times could decide direct entry to Q2 if conditions don’t allow riders to improve in the third practice session of the weekend on Saturday morning. The stage was therefore set for a serious time attack on Friday – and one that Viñales topped.

Rossi was the first big improver; ‘The Doctor’ jumping up to P2 from P9 to put himself 0.105 off leader Marquez, before it was red sectors galore on the timing screens as FP2 entered the final seven minutes. Miller was shadowing Marquez and initially it was the Ducati man who took top spot as the pair crossed the line exchanging fastest laps. But it wouldn’t last long as Viñales took over at the top, going quicker by over a tenth. After that benchmark was laid down, it looked like Marquez would go back to the top but a moment for the reigning Champion kept him in P2.

Behind the four riders within a tenth and a half at the top, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was the man who locked out the top five, two and a half tenths down on Viñales. Behind him, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) took P6 with a late lunge – and broke some hearts at Mission Winnow Ducati as that pushed Andrea Dovizioso out of the top ten. Teammate Danilo Petrucci also misses out on a provisional automatic Q2 place, as does Repsol Honda Team’s Jorge Lorenzo.

Seventh was a completely different story. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pol Espargaro built on an impressive FP1 to get right in the mix in FP2 as well, putting in an impressive lap to take P7 – only just over half a second off the top for the Austrian factory. Next up was Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) in eighth, with his rookie teammate Fabio Quartararo just behind him. Second rookie Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) completed the top ten for a provisional place in Q2, with he and teammate Jack Miller the Borgo Panigale representatives highest up the timesheets on Friday.

The aforementioned Dovizioso was P11, with rookie Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) splitting him from teammate Petrucci, who was down in 13th. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) complete the top fifteen, just ahead of Lorenzo.

Will the weather hold on Saturday morning and give us an almighty fight in FP3 for a place in Q2? Or have the cards been played until Q1 and qualifying? Practice for the premier class begins at 9:55 (GMT -5), before qualifying and Q1 from 14:10.

Schrötter dominates the first day of action in Austin

Teammate Lüthi takes P2 as Dynavolt Intact GP duo lock out the top on Friday

Dynavolt Intact GP’s Marcel Schrötter made a statement on Day 1 at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, moving half a second clear of teammate Tom Lüthi to end the day top in the Moto2™ class. Even more impressively, the German’s time of 2:09.982 meant he was within just 0.034 seconds of Franco Morbidelli’s COTA lap record from 2017, as well as half a second quicker than the lap Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) set to earn pole position last year. Marquez, meanwhile, was just 0.090 off Lüthi to complete the top three.

Sky Racing Team VR46’s Luca Marini was fourth fastest and still less than a tenth behind Lüthi, with former winner at the venue Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) completing the top five. Sixth quickest, having improved from 14th in FP1, was Championship leader Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40). But he had some close company as rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio (Beta Tools Speed Up) ended the day just 0.058 behind the Qatar and Argentina race winner.

On his return to the Moto2™ class, replacement rider Mattia Pasini (Flexbox HP 40’s) was eighth quickest, just ahead of Jorge Navarro (Beta Tools Speed Up), who slipped down from the top three in FP1. Argentina podium finisher Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) completed the top ten ahead of teammate Tetsuta Nagashima, who was another of the big improvers after moving from 23rd in FP1 to P11 by the end of play. On course to join the Japanese rider in Q2 are Andrea Locatelli (Italtrans Racing Team), Simone Corsi (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) and rookie Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team).

Following a spectacular crash into Turn 2 leaving him unhurt, Xavi Vierge of EG 0,0 Marc VDS is currently 18th overall meaning the Argentina poleman looks like he might have to fight it out in Q1. Jake Dixon (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team), meanwhile, was also crasher on Day 1 and the Brit was declared unfit for the remainder of the weekend after suffering a concussion.

Weather in FP3 could be cause for concern, so it may prove impossible for those not in the provisional graduation zone for Q2 to improve. Find out if the intermediate class can make another push for the top from 10:55 local time (GMT -5), before qualifying at 15:05.

Veteran Fenati fastest on Friday

Two-time COTA winner quickest out the blocks in Texas

VNE Snipers’ Romano Fenati was fastest on Day 1 at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, with a frantic Moto3™ FP2 session seeing the field squabbling for provisional graduation to Q2 and the two-time COTA winner coming out on top. The Italian was half a second clear of everyone else as the chequered flag came out, but SIC58 Squadra Corse duo Tatsuki Suzuki and Niccolo Antonelli closed his advantage down to 0.275 at the last minute to end the day in second and third respectively.

Leopard Racing’s Lorenzo Dalla Porta was 0.612 adrift in fourth place after his final lap of the session saw him jump up the order, with Fenati’s teammate Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers) just 0.001 seconds off Dalla Porta to complete the top five. Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing) was sixth quickest.

Redox Prüstel GP’s Jakub Kornfeil took P7, with Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3), Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Andrea Migno (Bester Capital Dubai) rounding out the top ten. Migno and Antonelli were both crashers on Day 1.

Sky Racing Team VR46’s Dennis Foggia, Petronas Sprinta Racing’s John McPhee, BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race roder Kazuki Masaki and Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alonso Lopez – the third and final faller of the session – all hang on to provisional places in Q2 as the final riders in the fastest 14.

Two men who currently stand to miss out if they can’t improve in FP3 are the Grand Prix winners so far in 2019: Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) and Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai). They have one final opportunity to move straight into Q2 tomorrow at 09:00 (GMT-5) but they’ll be praying the rain that is forecast doesn’t materialise. Qualifying starts at 12:35.