Table of contents:
- Bagnaia wants to rush his title options against Quartararo
- Marc Márquez is the lord and master of Austin
- The usual hours change due to the difference with the United States
- Schedules MotoGP Americas 2021
The MotoGP World Championship enters its decisive phase. There are only four races to go and this weekend's going to be very special, because it means the world's first trip to America since the COVID-19 pandemic. It had been almost two and a half years since MotoGP had been on the new continent.
In fact, if we ignore Qatar, that of this Grand Prix of the Americas is going to be the first MotoGP outing in Europe since the pandemic broke out. A very important step forward that should mark the way for future calendars. And in sports, we face a totally decisive race.
Bagnaia wants to rush his title options against Quartararo
There are two very clear focuses of attention for this Grand Prix of the Americas. The first is in the fight for the championship, where Pecco Bagnaia wants to rush his last title options on a circuit where neither he nor Fabio Quartararo have raced in MotoGP more than once, and when they had just reached the category.
It gave the feeling that Quartararo was already thinking of singing the alirón- something that could even happen here in Austin, but Bagnaia's two consecutive victories at MotorLand and Misano have rekindled the flame of a possible Ducati title. Austin and the repetition of Misano will dictate sentence, but Quartararo should have it under control.
The other focus of attention is going to be the fight for the victory of the race, if there is one. Because Marc Márquez is the lord and master of Austin. He has won all the MotoGP races that have been contested here except the last one, in which he fell when he was the outstanding leader. It must be the big favorite.
Not just because of the story, but also because of what we've seen this season. Even in a very difficult year for him, Márquez has shone on the left-wing circuits. He won at Sachsenring, his other fiefdom, and finished second, glued to Bagnaia, at MotorLand. The third left circuit of the season should be a ride for him.
In Suzuki they will look for that first victory of the year that prevents them from finishing the defense of the title without any triumph. It is true that Austin is Márquez's orchard, but it is also true that The last time the Spaniard did not win, Alex Rins did with the Suzuki. Hamamatsu's bike should do well in the United States.
For KTM and Aprilia this Grand Prix of the Americas is going to be a new experience, as they have never raced in Austin with a competitive bike already. It will be interesting to discover how these frames adapt to the peculiar American layout and, in the case of Maverick Viñales, will continue the acclimatization process to the Aprilia.
Marc Márquez is the lord and master of Austin
The one in 2021 will be the eighth Grand Prix of the Americas to be held at the Austin circuit, a race that has only been absent from the calendar in 2020. The pandemic was also about to truncate this year's appointment, but it will finally come forward. And by now it's pretty clear who the best driver is here.
Marc Márquez won all MotoGP races between 2013 and 2018 consecutively, and he also did it quite forcefully. Austin entered the world championships the same year that Márquez got into MotoGP, so there haven't been many opposition to his dominance. The only one, that of Rins in 2019 because Márquez fell leading.
Therefore, by brands the accounts are just as clear. Honda has won six MotoGP races in Austin, with the remainder being taken by Suzuki in 2019. That one it could be the last victory of Valentino Rossi in the world cup, but he could not overcome an impeccable Rins who got his first in MotoGP.
Careful with Rins, because he has won at Austin in all three categories. He did it in Moto3 in 2013, in Moto2 in 2016 and in MotoGP in 2019. In addition, Pecco Bagnaia, Franco Morbidelli, Maverick Viñales, Jack Miller and Jorge Martín also add some triumphs in the Grand Prix of the Americas, although in small categories.
The usual hours change due to the difference with the United States
To follow the Grand Prix of the Americas live there are two alternatives. DAZN remains the sole holder of the MotoGP rights in Spain, but Movistar + will click the signal of the entire Grand Prix on its DAZN 1 channel, after the agreement reached by both platforms. In addition, the MotoGP VideoPass will always be available.
The schedules in the United States will be different than usual due to the huge time difference, so we will have night races. A) Yes, the MotoGP test will start at 9:00 p.m.. And be careful about the weather conditions, because the days before the race the rain is being frequent in Austin.
Schedules MotoGP Americas 2021
Friday 1st
- (FP1) Moto3 free practice: 16:00
- (FP1) MotoGP free practice: 16:55
- (FP1) Moto2 free practice: 17:55
- (FP2) Moto3 free practice: 20:15
- (FP2) MotoGP free practice: 21:10
- (FP2) Moto2 free practice: 22:10
Saturday 2nd
- (FP3) Moto3 free practice: 16:00
- (FP3) MotoGP free practice: 16:55
- (FP3) Moto2 free practice: 17:55
- (Q1) Moto3 timed practice: 19:35
- (Q2) Moto3 timed practice: 20:00
- (FP4) MotoGP free practice: 20:30
- (Q1) MotoGP timed practice: 21:10
- (Q2) MotoGP timed practice: 21:35
- (Q1) Moto2 timed practice: 22:10
- (Q2) Moto2 timed practice: 22:35
Sunday 3
- (WUP) Warm Up Moto3: 15:40
- (WUP) Warm Up Moto2: 16:10
- (WUP) Warm Up MotoGP: 16:40
- (RAC) Moto3 Race: 18:00
- (RAC) Moto2 Race: 19:20
- (RAC) MotoGP Race: 21:00
