🏁🔥 History was made at the Circuit Of The Americas, and Maverick Viñales was the man of the hour! 🙌 Strap in, folks, because this race had more twists and turns than a rollercoaster at full throttle. Maverick, riding for Aprilia Racing, not only clawed his way back from P11 but also snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, becoming the first rider ever to win a Grand Prix with three different manufacturers in the MotoGP™ era. 🏆 Now, if that isn't the stuff of legends, I don't know what is!
If you’re going to make history, it’s best to do it in style – and Maverick Viñales got the memo. After a chaotic start that saw the #12 punted down to P11, the race was absolutely on to claw back through the field and unleash his stunning pace, so that he did. Pass after pass after pass put him back in the postcode of the podium, and from there he threaded the needle to the front and got the hammer down to make history as the first to win with three manufacturers in the MotoGP™ era. And did we mention it was one of the greatest races of all time?
But Maverick wasn't the only star of the show. Pedro Acosta, riding for Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, showed us why he's a force to be reckoned with, securing second place and earning the title of the youngest rider to grab back-to-back MotoGP™ podiums. 🥈 And Enea Bastianini, representing Ducati Lenovo Team, rounded out the podium, making a late surge to secure his spot among the greats. 🥉
The action-packed race had everything a MotoGP™ fan could dream of: breathtaking battles, jaw-dropping maneuvers, and heart-stopping moments. Maverick's comeback was the stuff of dreams, with pass after pass propelling him towards the front of the pack. And boy, did he deliver! 🚀
22 of the world's best riders stormed to turn one, fighting for the same piece of tarmac, with Acosta leading after a historic launch off the line. However, there was drama at turn one for both Aprilia Racing machines with Aleix Espargaro and polesitter and Sprint winner Viñales having a disastrous start after a move from Martin up the inside caused a shuffle. The race was on...
Martin's aggressive moves in the opening stage of the race saw him able to storm through to second at the end of the first lap. Martin then responded to leader Acosta, testing the rookie, but the test was passed. Meanwhile, behind it was a nail-biting start for Marc Marquez, who was inside the top five and touched with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) on the exit of turn 11, both continuing unabated.
The action continued, causing the crowd to roar as Martin finally found a way through on Acosta. The rookie then dropped to fourth, but setting his sights on reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who just lost a place to Marc Marquez.
All eyes were soon on the eight-time World Champion, who attempted to find a gap in Martin’s armour to steal the lead at the final corner, making contact with the 2023 runner-up. This jaw-dropping near miss dropped Marc Marquez down to fourth – forcing the Spaniard to go back into battle with Bagnaia.
Martin began to put the hammer down early and build an early lead of nine-tenths from Marquez and Acosta, who continued in second and third. However, the lead was short-lived as Marc Marquez made time on the Prima Pramac Racing rider and soon stole first place from Martin at turn 11, pushing the #89 wide in a show-stopping move. But just one lap later it all ended in disaster, at the very same corner, as Marc Marquez lost the front - crashing out of the Grand Prix, to the disappointment of the American fans.
The next rider to charge to the front was Viñales, showing resilience after dropping back to ninth at the end of the first lap. ‘BatMav’ carved his way through the field, demonstrating his determination to return to the front on the road to make history. Viñales eventually battled to fifth before finding a way through on Martin before going head-to-head with Acosta in an unbelievable duel for the victory. The #12 made a move stick with eight laps remaining, and the rest was history – stretching a one-second lead.
Acosta gave it everything, but it would not be enough as Viñales crossed the chequered flag, which was waved by Sonic the Hedgehog at the Americas GP. Acosta was a mere 1.728 behind – becoming the youngest rider to take two consecutive podiums. Joining them on the podium was the ‘Beast’ with Bastianini getting the better of Martin, who missed out on a podium finish by less than two seconds. Bagnaia rounded out the top five places – losing time late in the race but scoring solid points in Austin.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) came across the line to take sixth position, finishing ahead of the second Aprilia Racing machine of Aleix Espargaro. Marco Bezzecchi took eighth place with both Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati machines scoring points. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) ended a great recovery ride in ninth after qualifying in 17th. The South African finished the Grand Prix ahead of Raul Fernandez, who rounded out the top 10 at Trackhouse Racing’s home round.
The MotoGP™ paddock now heads back to Europe at the historic Circuit de Jerez – Angel Nieto, a battleground where many races have been decided at the final corner, including Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau in 2005 and Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo in 2013. So, make sure you don’t miss the next chapter, and keep up to date with all the action on motogp.com. Top 10:
- 1 Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing)
- 2 Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) +1.728
- 3 Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) +2.703
- 4 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) +4.690
- 5 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) +7.392
- 6 Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) +9.980
- 7 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) +12.208
- 8 Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) +13.343
- 9 Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) +14.931
- 10 Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) +16.656
Images and technical data courtesy of motogp.com.
