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The city of Austin, the state of Texas, the realm of Marc Marquez: that's the address of the Circuit of the Americas, where MotoGP will be racing this weekend. Since the Grand Prix of the Americas joined the calendar in 2013, Marquez has racked up the trophies there. In the first 6 editions (until 2018) Marc was unbeatable with a streak of 6 wins. It was interrupted in 2019 when Marquez crashed when he was in the lead. In 2020 there was no trip to the United States because of the Covid pandemic, so the Spaniard had to wait until 2021 to take his number of wins on Texas soil to 7. In 2022 he was returning from yet another stop due to his battered right arm and had to settle for 6th place (his worst result when he saw the chequered flag). In 2023 he missed the GP due to injury, while last year (after finishing 2nd in the Sprint) he crashed when he was ahead of everyone.
This is the brief history of the American campaign of Marquez, who has not been on the top step of the podium at Cota for 4 years and is desperate (ignoring the possibilities, we mean) to end the winless period in a handful of days' time. The Texas circuit is one of his talisman tracks and he clearly sees an opportunity to extend his dominance that he has started to build in the first two season's events.
That's quite a problem for Bagnaia, who has experienced a very different start to the year than his teammate. It would be the right time to go on the attack, but on paper Austin is a GP in which he will probably have to limit the damage. Not that Pecco doesn't digest Cota, he won there in 2018, when he was racing in Moto2, while in MotoGP he won two years ago in the Sprint. His best result on Sunday in the premier class in Texas remains that of 2021, a 3rd place.
These are quite different numbers from Marc's, but the rider from Piedmont has an obligation to believe in it. It may be an impossible challenge, but being able to put his wheels in front of Marquez at his favorite track would be worth more than just a victory. Hoping costs nothing, but Pecco cannot rely on luck alone. He must first regain the pleasure and confidence in riding his Ducati, two things he has been lacking so far. Then, we will see how it goes.
Without forgetting that Cota is a very special circuit, one where the rider can make the difference. Alex Rins, the most victorious there after Marc, knows it well : he achieved the victory in 2019 on the Suzuki and repeated it in 2023 with Honda (the last victory of the Tokyo manufacturer's bike). Enea Bastianini, on the other hand, celebrated 1st place in 2022, while last year Maverick Vinales gave Aprilia a double whammy, winning both the Saturday and the Sunday races.
Enea and Maverick are now together in the Tech3 team, but neither of them are digesting the KTM at its best. Rins, on the other hand, is on a Yamaha which is not yet able to play on a level playing field with the class leaders. We are not forgetting the other Alex, Marquez, who has been the surprise of this early season. However, Cota is not in his DNA and his younger brother has never particularly shone in Texas (apart from a second place in 2018, in Moto2). Who knows, it may be the right time, but whatever one's last name, beating Marc will require a miracle, or close to one.
