MotoGP of the Americas, Austin - Saturday Practice Results
| 2023 MotoGP of the Americas, Austin - Free Practice (3) Results | |||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff | Lap | Max | |
| 1 | ^1 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP23) | 2'03.295s | 9/12 | 341k |
| 2 | ^3 | Alex Marquez | SPA | Gresini Ducati (GP22) | +0.085s | 4/13 | 344k |
| 3 | ^1 | Luca Marini | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | +0.239s | 6/7 | 346k |
| 4 | ˅3 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP23) | +0.313s | 5/11 | 342k |
| 5 | ^2 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.367s | 11/11 | 334k |
| 6 | ^5 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | +0.384s | 9/11 | 342k |
| 7 | ^7 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | +0.414s | 6/11 | 345k |
| 8 | ^1 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP23) | +0.435s | 12/12 | 341k |
| 9 | ^10 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP22) | +0.491s | 5/11 | 338k |
| 10 | ˅2 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.542s | 9/11 | 346k |
| 11 | ˅8 | Alex Rins | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.672s | 11/12 | 342k |
| 12 | ^3 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | RNF Aprilia (RS-GP22) | +0.768s | 6/12 | 343k |
| 13 | ˅1 | Joan Mir | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.770s | 8/11 | 335k |
| 14 | ^4 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | RNF Aprilia (RS-GP22) | +0.869s | 9/10 | 340k |
| 15 | ˅9 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP23) | +0.967s | 9/11 | 342k |
| 16 | ^1 | Michele Pirro | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP23) | +0.979s | 7/10 | 339k |
| 17 | ˅7 | Jack Miller | AUS | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.064s | 9/11 | 342k |
| 18 | ˅2 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.128s | 6/11 | 335k |
| 19 | ˅6 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +1.137s | 9/10 | 334k |
| 20 | = | Stefan Bradl | GER | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +1.312s | 7/12 | 335k |
| 21 | = | Augusto Fernandez | SPA | Tech3 GASGAS (RC16)* | +1.567s | 5/12 | 335k |
| 22 | = | Jonas Folger | GER | Tech3 GASGAS (RC16) | +2.466s | 14/14 | 339k |
* Rookie
Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than Practice 2.
= Rider is same position as Practice 2.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than Practice 2.
Fastest Friday time:
Jorge Martin SPA Ducati 2m 2.178s
Official COTA MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Jorge Martin SPA Ducati 2m 2.039s (2022)
Fastest race lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 2m 3.575s (2015)
Francesco Bagnaia leads Alex Marquez in Saturday morning's Free Practice for the Americas MotoGP in Austin, Texas.
Marquez, fifth on friday, dominated much of the half-hour session on his 2022 Gresini Ducati as he seeks to back up his Termas podium, before reigning champion Bagnaia moved ahead with the factory GP23 machine in the closing minutes.
Friday leaders Luca Marini (Practice 1) and Jorge Martin (Practice 2) were third and fourth, with Martin's 2m 2.178s - despite sickness - from yesterday remaining the best of the weekend so far.
Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo was rhe top non-Ducati in fifth, with title leader Marco Bezzecchi improving to sixth for VR46.
Some lingering damp patches from overnight rain complicated the conditions, with LCR Honda's Takaaki Nakagami the first faller of the day, at Turn 11, on his out lap.
KTM's Jack Miller lowsided not long after at Turn 8 and was forced to abandon his damaged RC16 and get a scooter ride back to the pits, costing the Australian track time.
Qualifying 1 will now begin, where the likes of Bezzecchi will battle for the remaining pair of places in the Qualifying 2 pole position shootout.
While Miguel Oliveira and Joan Mir are returning to action this weekend, three riders remain absent due to injuries at last month’s Portimao season opener:
Pol Espargaro is being replaced at Tech3 by KTM test rider Jonas Folger, last year’s COTA winner Enea Bastianini is being replaced by Ducati test rider Michele Pirro and Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez is being replaced by HRC test rider Stefan Bradl.
Marquez has won seven of the previous COTA races, his only defeats coming in 2019 (when he fell from the lead, with Alex Rins taking victory) and 2021 (when he fought from last to sixth after a technical issue at the start).
The MotoGP Court of Appeal is yet to decide if Marquez's double long-lap penalty will be carried over from Argentina to his next event.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
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