Until the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Until the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Marc Marquez’s debut as a Ducati rider at the Circuit of the Americas demonstrated that he is still a formidable presence at the Texan track – although he did not appear to be in complete control.
Marquez has a remarkable MotoGP record at COTA, having won every race there from 2013 to 2018 before crashing out of a comfortable lead in 2019.
COTA was not included in the calendar for the next two years due to the various disruptions caused by COVID, and Marquez would probably have won in 2022 (despite being on a significantly weakened Honda) if not for an issue at the start. Last year, he was absent due to injury.
Therefore, it is highly unusual for Marquez to enter MotoGP race action at COTA without being the overwhelming favorite – but that is the impression given by Friday’s practice.
Marquez was the third fastest in terms of single lap times, four tenths behind, and did not show dominant race pace either. He started the day with a “not-so-good feeling,” although he managed to turn it around by the end.
“As I expected – not the people, maybe, but as I expected – there are two or three riders who are super-fast and faster than me,” he said.
“At the moment, I am able to compete for a place in the top five. Let’s see if tomorrow we can be in the top three – but it will be difficult.”
His former team Honda’s strong performance at the circuit contributed to his dominant record at COTA – they also won there with Alex Rins last year. However, the 2024 RC213V looked uncompetitive on Friday, and Marquez acknowledged that he has not yet fully optimized the Ducati’s potential on the circuit’s long and complex layout.
“Honda was excellent in those stop-and-go corners, but with the Ducati, you need to understand and ride in a different way, find the time at different points. I have started to understand, and the lap times were improving.”
He also identified sector one, which includes rapid changes of direction in the esses, as his weakest sector – a rarity for him. He attributed this to the fact that it used to be a place where he could exploit the strengths of the previous Honda models and also mentioned that he was simply “more fresh” in those days, referring to his career-altering injuries.
“I need to try to understand how to be fast in other sectors. I know why I am struggling in that one. Let’s see if tomorrow I can improve my lines a bit and be faster in other parts.”
But if Marquez appears to be vulnerable at COTA, who is best positioned to challenge him?
If it is not Marquez, the obvious contenders in terms of race pace are the top two performers of the day, championship leader Jorge Martin and factory Aprilia rider Maverick Vinales. However, there are other riders who Marquez may have had in mind when he mentioned those who currently have a slight advantage over him.
The pace of Enea Bastianini, the winner of the 2022 COTA race, caught the attention in the morning’s first session, as the factory Ducati rider secured fourth place on 16-lap-old tires.
His teammate (and reigning world champion) Pecco Bagnaia was able to achieve even more in the afternoon session. He claimed that it was his best Friday in months and expressed confidence heading into Saturday’s sprint race.
“I think Enea was really strong this morning,” Bagnaia acknowledged at the end of the day. “The strongest.
“This afternoon, it was more difficult to assess. Martin and Vinales are certainly stronger in terms of time attack, but I believe Vinales is the strongest in terms of pace.”
Martin also somewhat agrees with this sentiment, admitting that despite setting the fastest time and obliterating the existing lap record, he is well aware of Vinales’ threat.
“For now, I see Maverick as a rival,” he explained, “but I also think Pecco and Marc will be the toughest competitors of the weekend.”
As for Vinales, coming off the back of what may have been his best weekend ever for Aprilia at the last round in Portimao (despite a “human error” causing a gearbox issue that cost him a podium finish and possibly more in the actual race), he remains optimistic about his prospects at COTA.
“Since last year in Qatar, when we identified what we were missing, we have been very strong. Always at the front.
“And I feel this is a good moment. This is how you build confidence.”