- 2021-10-03
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Donate to support families affected by the crisis in Ukraine ➔ MotoGP Austin: Francesco Bagnaia Claims Third Consecutive Pole Position at COTA
The Round 15 of MotoGP 2021, Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas took place at circuit of the Americas in Austin on October 2, 2021.
Before this event, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Gresini) announced that he will not be on the starting grid for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas.
Last week, his younger cousin Dean Berta Viñales passed away due to the accident involving during the first race of the Jerez round.
Maverick Viñales, with the full and unconditional support of Aprilia Racing, has therefore decided to take a break.
In Qualifying, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Team) claimed his third consecutive MotoGP pole position with a 2m02.781s lap.
He became the first Italian to claim three MotoGP™ poles in a row since Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) in 2009.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Yamaha) took 2nd position behind Francesco Bagnaia by 0.348s to secure his 14th front row of 2021.
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) was 3rd position. It is his first front row of the 2021 season.
Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) will head the second row tomorrow ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) and Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati).
While, two Suzuki riders Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) and Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) was 7th and 8th, each.
Rookie Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati) advanced to Q2 from Q1 along with Joan Mir and took 9th.
Francesco Bagnaia said, “I started getting a better feeling in FP4 and in the Q2 I was able again to have the same feeling. It was easier for me to push more. Then when I saw I was down (faster) in the first sector by two tenths I tried to push more and I'm very happy because we started this weekend a bit in trouble and now we are again on top. When I started with Ducati I was always crashing, my feeling was never very good. I was trying to push but my riding style was not adapting so well to the Ducati. In Moto2 I was always with a lot of corner speed and in Moto2 you can't brake so hard because the rear slide always. When I arrive to MotoGP I was fast, but just because I did time attacks. It's something I learned after because in MotoGP the top riders never do time attacks apart from maybe the first test of the season. From Qatar we have started to work with used tyres because I was in trouble and was not feeling good. Until this year I was without a good feeling. Last year I did two or three good races, but this year I think and I changed a bit my mentality on the bike, I feel that I know very well this bike and I adapt very well on the braking. Now on the braking I can stop the bike very well and I feel great. Also I try to adapt the setting of my Ducati to my riding style in the corners.”
Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas Qualifying Results- Francesco Bagnaia / Ducati Team / 2'2.781s
- Fabio Quartararo / Monster Yamaha / +0.348s
- Marc Marquez / Repsol Honda / +0.428s
- Jorge Martin / Pramac Ducati / +0.497s
- Takaaki Nakagami / LCR Honda / +0.511s
- Johann Zarco / Pramac Ducati / +0.598s
- Alex Rins / Suzuki Ecstar / +0.672s
- Joan Mir / Suzuki Ecstar / +0.747s
- Luca Marini / Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati / +0.765s
- Jack Miller / Ducati Team / +0.939s
- Brad Binder / Red Bull KTM / +1.000s
- Pol Espargaro / Repsol Honda / +1.094s
- Franco Morbidelli / Monster Yamaha / 2'3.872s
- Andrea Dovizioso / Petronas Yamaha / 2'4.044s
- Alex Marquez / LCR Honda / 2'4.1s 7/7 346k
- Enea Bastianini / Avintia Ducati / 2'4.118s
- Iker Lecuona / KTM Tech3 / 2'4.324s
- Miguel Oliveira / Red Bull KTM / 2'4.392s
- Aleix Espargaro / Aprilia Gresini / 2'4.419s
- Valentino Rossi / Petronas Yamaha / 2'4.699s
- Danilo Petrucci / KTM Tech3 / 2'4.829s
- source : MotoGP
