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2018 Austin MotoGP Preview: Breaking Marquez' American Win Streak

By David Emmett | Tue, 17/04/2018 - 22:50

Normally, the Grand Prix of the Americas, as the MotoGP round at COTA in Austin is known, is a straightforward affair. 24 MotoGP riders line up on the grid, and 23 of them stage a fierce battle over who is going to come second behind Marc Márquez. The Repsol Honda rider has won every single one of the five editions staged at the Circuit of the Americas. In fact, the Spaniard has never been beaten in any of the nine MotoGP races he has contested on American soil, at Laguna Seca, Indianapolis, or in Austin.

Will someone finally break Márquez' winning streak in the US? On the evidence of the 2018 season so far, the only person capable of beating Márquez at one of his strongest tracks is Marc Márquez himself. In Argentina, the Repsol Honda rider managed to thoroughly sabotage his own race. First by stalling his bike on the starting grid – a grid already thrown out of kilter by the changing weather. Then by trying to make up for the time he lost serving a ride through penalty for a multitude of infractions at the start by charging through the field like a wrecking ball, slamming into one rider after another, taking out his arch nemesis Valentino Rossi, before being hit by another penalty, this time adding 30 seconds to his race time and demoting him out of the points.After the race and in the intervening days since, Rossi has gone on the attack, calling Márquez a dangerous rider who is a threat to everyone on the track with him. He doesn't feel safe on the track with Márquez, Rossi said. Rossi's remarks, while understandable, should be seen within the wider context of his vendetta with Márquez, after he lost the 2015 championship, which Rossi blames entirely on deliberate interference by Márquez. Further stoking the fire, Rossi was pictured in a social media post with a framed picture of the Argentina incident lying on a sofa at his dirt track ranch.

Whatever the root of Rossi's remarks, there can be no doubt that they are a distraction, both for Márquez and for Rossi himself. When the pair arrive at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, they will face questioning on one subject only. And that won't be Márquez' chances of winning on Sunday.

Easier makes it harder

Along with the distraction of relitigating the Argentina race, Márquez will have another obstacle to face, though for many, it will be regarded as an improvement. Two weeks ago, the Circuit of the Americas embarked on a program to help smooth out the worst of the bumps which litter the circuit, created by the mixture of cars which use the track, and pull up ripples in the braking zones. There is some question as to how well the work has been done – reports are that the circuit chose to try shave the top of the bumps, with mixed results. But after the complaints from last year, any improvement will be welcomed.

Why will improving the track surface be a handicap for Marc Márquez? The Repsol Honda rider has been exceptional at managing difficult circumstances and difficult surfaces – one of the reasons he came through the field so fast at Argentina. A smoother track creates quite literally a more level playing field.

The playing field is already more level in other ways. The 2018 Honda RC213V is a better bike than last year, extra power meaning the rider doesn't have to put everything into the braking zones. It is arguably a better bike everywhere, an advantage in a year when both Yamaha and Ducati have improved their bikes some areas only by sacrificing others. The Suzuki has now also proved itself to be competitive with the top three marques, Alex Rins taking his first podium in MotoGP in Argentina, and Suzuki's since Maverick Viñales left.

King Cal

This level playing field means we find ourselves heading into Austin with Cal Crutchlow leading the championship. The LCR Honda had taken a strong start in Qatar, vying for the podium for part of the race, and winning with a brilliant display of patience in Argentina, waiting for just the right moment to strike while Johann Zarco, Alex Rins, and Jack Miller battled it out in front of him. With Marc Márquez taking himself out of the running, Crutchlow is defending the honor of HRC, and proving that he has matured as a rider and become a genuine threat at every race. If Márquez stumbles in Austin, there is every chance that it will be Cal Crutchlow who picks up the pieces.

He is helped by his incredible fitness. Though Crutchlow likes to brag that he never trains on a motorcycle – an exaggeration, he doesn't ride much motocross, but he does make regular appearances on MX bikes, pit bikes, and Supermoto bikes – he does spend an awful lot of time on a bicycle, racking up tens of thousands of kilometers a season.

That fitness comes into its own at the Circuit of the Americas, which is probably the most physically demanding track on the calendar. A combination of the endless Esses, from Turn 3 all the way to Turn 10, plus heavy braking at Turn 12, the rigors of the uphill braking for Turn 1, before the rollercoaster ride down through Turn 2 make the circuit a punishing one for the riders' bodies, and especially for their cardiovascular systems. If you're not fit, you're not going to be competitive in Austin.

The physical nature of the Austin track offers a tough choice for Dani Pedrosa. The Spaniard fractured his wrist in Argentina, after being forced wide onto a damp patch of the track by Johann Zarco. He will be traveling to Texas in the hope of making a decision there on whether to race, but there are easier circuits to come back from a fractured wrist.

Dovizioso's revenge

If Honda's hegemony is to be broken at last, then you would expect it to be Ducati which is doing the smashing. Andrea Dovizioso does not have a bad record at Austin, finishing second in 2015, and being in contention for second in 2016 until Dani Pedrosa took him out in Turn 1. Last year, the Italian struggled over the bumps, especially down the back straight. A smoother track should help him, and to be honest, he needs the help right now.

These next few circuits are tough for the Desmosedici – Austin was a difficult race last year, and Jerez has never been a strong circuit for Ducati, so salvaging as many points as possible will be important if Dovizioso is to sustain his title challenge. The good news is that Dovizioso is second in the standings with 35 points, 3 points behind the lead Crutchlow, but more importantly, 15 points ahead of Marc Márquez. There are still 17 races to go, but Dovizioso needs to get through the first part of the season as strongly as possible before hitting the Ducati's weakest tracks in the latter half of the year.

How Jorge Lorenzo will fare in Austin is open to question. It has never been one of his favorite tracks, even on the Yamaha. Last year, he managed to be relatively competitive until he started having problems with his front tire. But after a dismal showing in Argentina – Lorenzo struggles badly in mixed conditions with unpredictable grip – added to a crash in Qatar, he needs to add to his total of a solitary point. Lorenzo's marriage to Ducati is looking increasingly moribund, with rumors growing that he is in serious talks with Suzuki to take the place of Andrea Iannone on a bike which would much better suit the natural high-corner-speed style of Lorenzo. Lorenzo will be picking and choosing his races for the rest of the season, but Austin does not look like being a race which will make his target list.

Staying away from distractions

Austin will be a target for the Yamahas, however. Valentino Rossi has had a strong run at the Circuit of the Americas, despite the dominance of Marc Márquez and Honda. The Italian finished on the podium here last year, despite an incident with Johann Zarco which saw him docked three tenths of a second for exceeding track limits when the Frenchman left him little space to escape through the Esses. He had a podium in 2015 too, though he crashed out in 2016 trying to make up too much time through the treacherous Turn 2. Rossi has gotten better and better in Texas, and could turn this in his favor.

But he will have to avoid the distraction of the Argentina aftermath, however. Normally, Rossi has been very good at compartmentalizing issues with other riders, but his hatred of Márquez burns hot and it burns deep. Success in Austin will depend on whether he lets it burn out of control.

Maverick Viñales will be looking to get his season back on track, after a disappointing start to 2018. After winning the first two races of 2017, this year he fought with the front group in Qatar, and was best of the rest in Argentina. Austin is a track that suits the Movistar Yamaha rider: he was fourth there in his second year on the Suzuki, and looked like posing a real challenge to Marc Márquez last year. But a crash on lap 2 left him out of the race, and fuming. He didn't want to blame the crash on the tires, Viñales told the media afterwards, but he and the team had ruled out every other possible explanation.

You get the distinct feeling that Viñales is not too far off a breakthrough. Though he continually looks dejected after every race, Viñales has been close enough to being in contention at the two first races so far. If the dice rolls his way in Texas, he could find his momentum again.

The Fast Frenchman

Perhaps the most interesting prospect in Austin is Johann Zarco. It is a track that suits the Frenchman, as he demonstrated by battling with the Movistar Yamaha of Valentino Rossi for a large part of the race last year. He made huge steps forward last year, and another step again over the off season and in the first couple of races of 2018. At Qatar, he led for most of the race, before a tire issue saw him drop through the field. In Argentina, the Monster Tech3 Yamaha rider looked set for his first win until Cal Crutchlow pushed home his advantage at the end. It didn't stop Zarco trying, but the win stayed tantalizingly out of reach.

That win is coming for Zarco at some point, that much is obvious in the way he is riding. A few things need to fall into place for the Frenchman, and Texas could be the place where this starts to happen.

True blue

Alex Rins is another rider who has been on the verge of a breakthrough. The first part of that came in Argentina, when the Ecstar Suzuki rider finally got on the podium on the Suzuki GSX-RR. After missing a significant part of the 2017 season due to injury, Rins is finally riding at the level everyone hoped for when he moved up to MotoGP at the beginning of last year. The Spaniard crashed out of the leading group at Qatar, then bagged the podium he had been chasing at Termas De Rio Hondo. The Circuit of the Americas suits the Suzuki, so Rins must be eager to see what he can do at the track.

His teammate Andrea Iannone will also be hoping to make an impression in Austin. The Italian veteran has been outshone by his teammate so far this year, but Iannone has also shown real signs of the speed which he proved he possessed in previous seasons. Iannone's place in Suzuki is looking very tenuous indeed, with Jorge Lorenzo rumored to be lined up to take his seat next year. Iannone needs to put some results on the board to prove he deserves a shot in another factory.

The Circuit of the Americas will be the scene of more than just racing. Significant announcements are expected at the Texan track. That Randy Mamola is to be inducted as a MotoGP Legend is already known. That Alex Rins will announce a two-year extension of his contract with the factory Suzuki team seems a pretty safe shot.

But some satellite teams could make announcements as well. The German-language website Speedweek is reporting that the Marc VDS team will announce a switch from Honda to Suzuki for the next three seasons. The timeframe of that announcement is in line with what MotoGP teams told me back in February: if they are to switch manufacturers, then they need to have contracts signed and in place by the end of April, and Austin is the last race in April.

The reason Speedweek gives for Marc VDS choosing Suzuki over Yamaha is simple: Suzuki offered more competitive machinery, the latest bikes rather than year old machines. Whether the Angel Nieto Team takes on the Yamahas remains to be seen, but at the Jerez Moto2 and Moto3 test in March, the team did not deny they were interested in at least talking to Yamaha about a move.

The Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas promises the fans surprises aplenty. It has been a weird and interesting season so far. Let's see how long this can continue.


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Austin, Texas
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Comments

reynard11

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

Marc in Minnesota

Probably not even worth mentioning but MM was at the Supercross race this past Saturday in Minneapolis. He was sat down in the announcers booth briefly after a commercial break where upon he was chatted up for a couple minutes. To their credit... and I've long loathed one of the men in the booth and often watch the races muted because of him, but I digress... to their credit, not a word was mentioned about Argentina, Rossi etc. The only subject was MX/SX and his love of it and how he wishes he could train more on his MX bike, along with a good luck wish for the USGP. 

I was impressed (with whomever made the call) to not stir the pot at all with the drama du jour.

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Agent55

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

In reply to Marc in Minnesota by reynard11

I was floored when I...

... heard that. Apparently they even hung out at local bowling alley Memory Lanes after the race, only a mile from where I live! The "snowpocalypse" must've been a sight to behold for them...

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Firefly

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

In reply to Marc in Minnesota by reynard11

Nice

Very refreshing, thanks for mentioning.

Sport 'journalism' (present company mostly excluded) can be such a petty business.

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Muggsly

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

In reply to Marc in Minnesota by reynard11

Ralph is not that bad unless

Ralph is not that bad unless you listen to him cast another series then yeah mute him but for supercross he does an Ok job.

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motocanuck

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

Shaved COTA

My wife and I just rode the Circuit of the Americas tonight (on bicycles) and many bumps were visibly shaved off and felt much smoother than when we rode the track last year on our motorcycles on a race weekend parade lap. Admittedly we weren’t allowed to ride more than something like 60mph last year, and this year let’s just say we were considerably slower on bicycles, but it felt genuinely less bumpy.  I do wonder though how it might affect traction - the shaved sections seemed smoother.   

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Poseidon

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

Marc and COTA

Wasn't Marc's domination supposed to end last year with Vinales winning two races in a row? Wasn't it supposed to end in 2016 after Honda's horrible pre season? 

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Profile picture for user ants24

ants24

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

Suzuki

As much as I love Suzuki, I hope Jorge stays in Ducati, at least until he gets a win or two. And hopefully MarcVDS will truly take the second team role for them

 

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isoia (not verified)

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

Shake, Rattle and Roll?

After watching the Argentina race (a week after it went off) and reading the posts and comments, I'm left wondering if MotoGP teams ever collaborate the way professional cycling teams (and riders) sometimes do to (a) help a rider to a higher placement at the end of a race and (b) deny a rider support during the race.  Any history of this?  Any clues?

Marquez probably angered more riders (and teams) than we've seen and heard reported given the way he rode and the risks he pushed onto other riders.  I admit that it's simpler and safer to play games at speeds under 50mph in a cycling road race than it would be during a MotoGP race.  Dorna probably has a series of fines and penalties for such behavior or even a hint of it.  Still, I wonder.

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Lokeend12

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

In reply to Shake, Rattle and Roll? by isoia (not verified)

Agressive riders

are not a new thing. Romboni, Schwantz, Iannone and supersic were examples. But what sets Marquez apart is his ability to cross the limit in such a way that the limit seems not thin line, but just a place unknown yet. And get away with it.

I can imagin that to fully explore that area in a fight you need a higher entrance speed.  You never know how hard or deep someone in front of you will brake exactly. And it is difficult to judge especially at high speed. So the claim that Marquez is doing it by purpose is not likely at all. He just tries where others back off. I think the Rossi/Marquez clash is due to track conditions: Rossi took a wide cornerentry and therefor had to cross a wet patch. So brakingforce or cornerentry speed must have been relatively low. Marquez took a straight inside line on a dry patch. The difference in speed was already there (1sec per round), so this must have felt like passing care with a caravan.

After the race Marquez claimed that he hit a wet patch while braking. I do not believe that was true, but I think racedirection could have verify this claim by a look in the data.

I can imagine that Rossi claims Marquez is destroying the sort and is too dangerous on track. If you enter the last corner in front and you know he is behind you ... I would be affraid too!... And that proofs to be right looking at history

 

 

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macrocephalic

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

In reply to Agressive riders by Lokeend12

Disagree about Marc's line

Marc's line into the corner, when he hit Rossi, was never going to work.  I don't think it was malicious, just (dangerously) careless. If he had any chance of making the corner then he wouldn't have stood both Rossi and himself up and run all the way to the edge of the track in a near straight line.  He lost seconds on that corner.

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MSS 58

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

In reply to Shake, Rattle and Roll? by isoia (not verified)

“Any history of this?” Yes!

See the 2015 MotoGP season, starting at Philip Island!

 

...sorry. Couldn’t help but rip off another VR46/MM93 scab. 

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R6rider

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

Meet and greet

Great write up as always. Was wondering if you and some of the crew will be out and about in Austin? I think I remember a few years back you did but I wasn't able to go.

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The old site was great!

TRIUMPH

Not happy - why have this area so big on the left here? Then the comment area stacked so thin on the right? It was so much better before. NOT HAPPY. And DISCORD?! Not sticking around.

Motoshrink

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

"When the pair arrive at the

"When the pair arrive at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, they will face questioning on one subject only. And that won't be Márquez' chances of winning on Sunday."

If the COA is thought of as the media center et al, yes. For some of us the COA is a track. Arriving at it starts when rolling out of the pits. The "questioning" you refer to also sounds a bit like "blah blah blah," or what the adults sounded like on the Peanuts cartoons.

When all the riders arrive at the CIRCUIT of the Americas, they are ALL faced with the question: who might challenge Marquez, or what will happen in the battle for 2nd through 5th?" There just ISN'T a "war" of words and wills between old and new top dogs on the track. Nor was there at Argentina.

I don't give half a ham filled shite how Lorenzo does at COTA. I do care that he gets on a Suzuki. I don't care where Iannone goes, but do hope that once there he goes quickly - he is gifted when he gets past his glorious story about himself. Aprilia? (Sorry Scott!)

Rossi will go well here. As will Crutchlow, Vinales, Zarco and Rins. I certainly hope that Dovi does too. All this though? For scraps behind Marquez.

Marquez will have a squeaky clean race. Betcha a package of baby wipes.

MARCVDS TO SUZUKI - Now HERE is a story! This is is a wonderful marraige for both. And a wake up call for Yamaha. You are fooking fortune to have the VR46 academy falling in your lap.

Aprilia got Gresini. KTM grabbed Tech3. Suzuki is rising to the occasion and establishing a mutually evolutionary relationship with MarcVDS! FANTASTIC. Ducati has a so-so benefit relatively in Pramac. Funny, but the big three Manu's aren't the current winners in the Jr Team endeavors!

Lower class projects. Rider pipelines. Sponsorship/war chest offerrings. Culture conducive to excellence. Technical savvy. Influence politically within the circus. The winners now are the lesser Manu's and their mergers! The Goliaths have been asleep with rotund complacency, Yamaha in particular. As luck would have it, a second time, with Vale & Co a second time, Yamaha will come out the other end of this musical chairs of Jr Teams just fine. Honda and Ducati are the ones sitting still here.

HOORAY SUZUKI! Glad you got pulled out of your self-imposed mediocrity! Welcome to the big leagues.

Perhaps we have a surprise at Austin. First place it won't be, eh?

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Colonial Piglet

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

In reply to "When the pair arrive at the by Motoshrink

Honda does not need a rider pipeline,

as long as they are serious about building the best MotoGP bike (unlike 2015 when other things took priority).  After all, where did Doohan, Crivillé, Rossi, and Stoner come from before joining Honda on the factory team?

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Fred Gassit

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

Love ya stuff Motoshrink.

Love ya stuff Motoshrink.

Being a Suzuki fan, well said.

Disagree with your Yamaha statement though. Fortunate, or boxed into a corner ? If they couldn't ( presuming it's not a case of wouldn't) give tech three current bikes due to resources and cash, won't having VR46 (presuming his deal will stipulate current equipment) be a drain they gain ill afford, given their current confused development direction ?

MarcVDS. Glorious news. Honda's loss, Suzuki's gain, Yamaha's chagrin.

Is it sunny outside, or is that reflected light from Herve's smile ?

I hope, somehow, that Zarco is a shadow Marquez can't shake this weekend.

We can all dream, can't we ?

 

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username

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

Am i the only one ...

... that sees a different social media posting David is describing in this article?

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RichDesmond

4 years 9 months ago

Permalink

Nice try David...

and I appreciate you having a go at convincing us that there might be a race for the lead on Sunday, but I ain't buying it. :)

Marc will clear out, the battle for second will be entertaining.

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