TEXAS BOUND! RED BULL GASGAS TECH3’S COWBOYS ARE READY FOR THE AMERICAN RODEO
American rodeo time! It is that time of the year for Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, as the team is heading to Austin in Texas for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, the third round of the 2024 MotoGP™ World Championship. After two weeks away from the circuits due to the cancellation of the Grand Prix of Argentina, Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez will be eager to challenge themselves on their RC16s, on the very physical Circuit Of The Americas.
Two weeks should have allowed MotoGP™ rookie Pedro Acosta to come down from cloud nine after the nineteen year-old became the third youngest rider in the history of the championship to stand on a MotoGP™ podium, after he brilliantly finished third of the Portuguese Grand Prix, on his second race. Yet, another challenge awaits MotoGP™’s number 31 this week, as COTA’s bumps, its 20 corners and changes of directions make the American layout one of the most physically challenging of the season. Although the young Shark’s fast adaptation to the queen category has been impressive, it will be interesting to witness how he gets on with COTA on the MotoGP™ machine, on a circuit that he particularly enjoys after he won the edition in Moto2™ last season.
On his side, Augusto Fernandez holds good memories from the Red Bull Grand Prix of Americas after he signed off his first MotoGP™ Top 10 last season in Austin. The least we can say is that last season’s MotoGP™ race was chaotic, but the number 37 made it through the chaos to finish P10 on what was his fourth race in the category at the time. Time has flown by since then, and the Spaniard has been facing a challenging start to his 2024 campaign, but being back on a circuit where he performed well last season will surely give him an extra boost of confidence, as he continues his pursuit to reuniting with a good feeling on his GASGAS RC16.
America, we can not wait for the show to start! Track action will start on Friday with Free Practice 1 at 10:45 (GMT-5), followed later on in the afternoon with the one-hour Practice from 15:00 to 16:00. Can Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 cowboys secure a Q2 ticket with a top 10 finish on Friday? The action will then resume on the following day with a Super Saturday as we love them. Acosta and Fernandez will hit the track with Free Practice 2 at 10:10 local time, just before the qualifying sessions kick off at 10:50. At 15:00 local time, la crème de la crème of MotoGP™ will line up on the grid for the Tissot Sprint for a ten lap-shootout. Then it will all come down to Sunday as the main race is scheduled at 14:00 for twenty-laps. Will there be a new cowboy in town? We can not wait to find out!
Pedro Acosta
Championship: 5th
Points: 28
“We are heading to Austin after a very good weekend in Portugal. I have had time to train well and assimilate the last race, seeing what we did well and what we did wrong. COTA is a very nice circuit but one where we will have to work hard to continue with our main objectives. Let’s go for it!”
Augusto Fernandez
Championship: 16th
Points: 5
“After the first two rounds which were not easy, I am looking forward to going to Austin, to continue working, improving and recovering our feeling with the bike. COTA is amazing, very spectacular and I really enjoy riding there, so I am pleased to be back in the USA. Let’s continue to work hard, and get back to our level very soon.”
Nicolas Goyon
Team Manager
“It is that time of the year to give a visit to Uncle Sam’s country for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas. It is going to be a very important round for the Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 team, as we share the same title sponsor as the event. In addition, the United States of America is a huge market for GASGAS, represented by local superstar Justin Barcia in supercross, so we know that we will have eyes on us. Austin is an atypical circuit, it is the first left hand-sided layout of the season, and its 20 corners make it the circuit with the most turns. Beyond everything else, it is one of the most physical races of the calendar, because riders have to deal with bumps and numerous changes of direction. Austin will be a proper test for our rookie Pedro Acosta. Our young star got a dream start to his MotoGP career, after he went on the podium after just two races. This round is not easy, but he won last year in Moto2 and he will be coming with good confidence, so we are looking forward to observing his evolution this weekend. Augusto Fernandez is in the process of regaining his confidence, which is what he did in Portimao. Last year, the weekend in Austin was very tricky for him, but after a chaotic race, he ended in the points and was first of the Pierer Mobility bikes, so I am sure that it will give him confidence. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s get the show going!”
