Frenchman Johann Zarco (Ducati Desmosedici GP22) and Australian Jack Miller (Ducati Desmosedici GP21) put the speed of their bikes at the end of the first day of free practice for the Grand Prix of the Americas, in which the Spaniard Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda RC 213 V) finished in sixth position.
Zarco, who ran out of gas on his Ducati in the morning, managed to make a good fast lap to move up to first position with 2:02.542which was more than two tenths faster than Jack Miller’s time, until then the leader and who had been the first to improve his personal best to roll in 2:04.1212.
But that did not initially alter the third position he occupied in the morning session, which the Spanish had dominated Alex Rins (Suzuki GSX RR), while at the same time Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda RC 213 V) was seen filming with Jorge Martín (Ducati Desmosedici GP22), literally glued to the slipstream of his bike.
Marc Márquez finished in the sixth position, just half a second behind Zarco and still with a full day ahead to improve without problems, as the weather conditions forecast good weather throughout the weekend, something that reassures almost all the riders.
Special mention went to Alex Rins (Suzuki GSX RR), who despite being fifth after dominating much of the session, was one of those who showed a best lap pace throughout the entire session, in which he used used tires for a long time.
But the Repsol Honda rider was aware of the situation and did not want anyone in his wake, so he let his opponent pass, who in the winding area of the track, where there are a series of esses, suffered some strong movements from his Ducati that you forced to cut gas and go to the side of the track to control the situation.
On the track, the Australian Jack Miller managed to lower the morning record of Alex Rins, as well as the Italian Enea Bastianiniboth on Ducati Desmosedici paths, to roll in 2:03.567, as well as the brilliant winner in Argentina, the Spanish Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia RS-GP), who was third, also beating Suzuki, but still with more than half training hour ahead.
Complying with his work plan, the Repsol Honda rider managed to climb to fourth place shortly after with a time of 2:04.033, while his teammate, Pol Espargaró he struggled and wished on more than one occasion to control his bike and stay on the track, but persevering at all times and trying to find a notable improvement from the discreet thirteenth position he occupied.
The focus of attention later had to focus on the Spanish Maverick Viñales (Apilia RS-GP), who rose to second position just 140 thousandths of a second behind Miller, but with twenty minutes to go the chances of change were very high and The forecasts did not fail because Alex Rins lowered Miller’s time by half a second by shooting in 2:03.030.
The Australian was also overtaken by his teammate, the Italian Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaiain just 46 thousandths of a second, with defending world champion Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha YZR M 1) close behind, but Jack Miller still had the ability to take advantage of Marc Márquez’s first attempt on new wheels to climb up to the first place with 2:02.789.
Márquez set his fastest lap, but only to move up to the second place after Rins, who was the third when Miller passed through the goal next to him.
Miller was overtaken by Frenchman Johann Zarco (Ducati Desmosedici GP22), who lapped in 2:02.542, while Enea Bastianini (Ducati Desmosedici GP21) got between Miller and Rins, albeit with the checkered flag waving on the straight world champion Fabio Quartararo rose to third position, after Zarco and Miller and ahead of Bastianini, Rins, Márquez, Viñales, Joan Mir (SUzuki GSX RR), Bagnaia and Jorge Martin.
They were the first ten and therefore those who until now have guaranteed a pass to the second classification, while pilots such as the leader of the world championship, Aleix Espargaró, who was eleventh, ahead of his brother Pol Espargaró, are left out, all the KTM riders, with the South African Brad Binder and the Portuguese Miguel Oliveira in the first instance, in addition to Alex Márquez (Honda RC 213 V).
