Ducati double with Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia, ahead of the surprising Alex Rins, third with Honda. Other Italians: Luca Marini fourth, Marco Bezzecchi 11th, Franco Morbidelli 16th, Michele Pirro 17th, Fabio Di Giannantonio 19th. Aprilia: Maverick Viñales (6th) and Aleix Espargaro (9) both in the top ten
April 14, 2023
Awin – 15 minutes to goi turned on fireworks: All pilots did at least two attacks per tempo with the soft rear and front (someone used the hard front).
Lap after lap the times are the same lowereduntil’excellent 2’02”178 by Jorge Martin0”063 faster than Francis Bagnaia e 0”217 di Alex Rinsthe true, big positive surprise of this day. Moreover, Rins was consistently up frontconfirming that, sometimes, the preference for a track it makes more of a difference than the chassis that Alex would love to try (Mir’s), but which HRC keeps only for the official team.
Rins who goes fortissimoremember that it is one of the three pilots of MotoGP to have climbed to the top step of the podium in this GP (the other two are Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini): in short, he’s going very fast in Austin and he did it again today with the much criticized (rightly…) Honda. Bravo Alex.
To close the speech of the Japanese manufacturer, it should be emphasized how Joan Mir is 12thcrashed in the final stages on Johann Zarco’s Ducati, who crashed shortly before. 13esimo Takaaki Nakagami: Overall, the RC213V still seems to work a little better on this track.
Ducati bikes to beat
It’s obvioushowever, that the bike to beat it is and remains Ducati, above all with Pecco Bagnaiawhich beyond the excellent second half, has shown a reference step with the medium tire at the rear.
to one first quick analysis of the rhythm, it is Pecco the one put betterwhile championship leader Martin was effective in the flying lap, but at the moment he’s not in too good shape over the distance, as confirmed by team manager Gino Borsoi.
Also good costanza Of Luca Marinifourth, in front of Alex Marquez: both are doing well. Marco Bezzecchi in more difficulty, 11th and therefore forced to pass from Q1: he seems less effective compared to the amazing Argentine weekend.
Aprilia, step forward
RCompared to P1, the two official Aprilia riders seem to have taken a step forward, even if Aleix Espargaro actually continued to struggle until he put on new tyres. Aleix moved up to ninth place, with Maverick Viñales sixth.
Solo 15esimo Miguel Oliveira, crashed twice without consequences: mistakes that affected his performance. The RS-GP isn’t bad, it struggles to restart from low gears: it doesn’t seem to be the track to be able to aim high.
Yamaha: Quartararo back in the 10, Morbidelli in trouble again
BHere is Fabio Quartararo’s step, seventh in the flying lap: as usual, Fabio is not in bad shape if you look at the consistency, but it seems difficult that he can play with a bike that obviously always has its difficulties. As confirmed by the performance of Franco Morbidellireturned to great difficulty: a worrying step backwards compared to Argentina.
Due KTM now 10
DTwo KTM riders are also directly in Q2: Brad Binder eighth, Jack Miller tenth.
Here are the ten drivers who have already qualified: Martin, Bagnaia, Rins, Marini, A. Marquez, Vinales, Quartararo, Binder, A. Espargaro, Miller.
Final classification P2
