Marc Marquez was the fastest in both Friday’s practice sessions for the America’s Grand Prix, twice sidelining Jack Miller as world championship leader Fabio Quartaro denouncing the Austin track as “dangerous”. On a track where he has always dominated, the Spanish Honda rider recorded a time of 2 minutes 4.164 seconds in the driest conditions in the afternoon, just 0.015 seconds faster than the Australian Miller on Ducati. Six-time MotoGP world champion Marquez posted his time near the end of the season. “Cheeky fastest lap with 20 seconds of FP2,” tweeted the Honda team.
His lap was more than 1.5 seconds slower than the track record he set in 2014, but Miller’s late attack saved the time.
Marquez has taken pole position in the last seven races at Circuit of the Americas, having joined the MotoGP event in 2013.
The Spaniard won the first six, but fell while leading in 2019. The race was canceled last season while he was recuperating after crushing his right arm in an accident.
He made a comeback this season and, while he’s clearly not 100 percent, he’s been very strong in some counter-clockwise circuits like Austin’s, which put less pressure on his right arm.
Quartaro was third in 2:04.366, followed by Honda of Spaniard Pole Espargaro and Japanese rider Takaki Nakagami of the Satellite team.
On a circuit where the long 1.2-kilometer straight favors the raw power of Ducatis, in-form Italian Francesco Bagnaya, who has won the previous two races to jump to second place in the rider standings, was sixth.
George Martin and Johann Zarko’s satellite Ducatis occupied the next two positions.
Quartaro was unhappy with the bumps he saw on the track, especially at Turns 2, 3 and 10.
“It looks like a motocross training ground,” Quartaro said. “It’s barely acceptable to race … and dangerous.”
Rain slowed down the riders in the opening session on Friday and thunderstorms are expected on Saturday as well.
Knowing this could be the only dry practice session, the riders worked hard to achieve a top-10 time in the afternoon, which could mean they go straight to the second qualifying session on Saturday afternoon and the first four on the grid. Guaranteed to start in rows.
Marquez was also fastest in the morning session with a time of 2:15.872 in damp conditions.
Miller made the most of what appeared to be a dry line at the end of the session and was second best, 0.167 seconds slower, with Zarco (Pramac Racing) third ahead of Marquez.
Fastest times from the first two MotoCoGP free practice sessions on Friday at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin:
1. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 2MiB 4.164 sec, 2. Jack Miller (AUS/Ducati) at 0.015 sec, 3. Fabio Quartaro (FRA/Yamaha) 0.202, 4. Pole Espargaro (ESP/Honda) 0.388, 5. Takaki Nakagami (JPN/Honda-LCR) 0.448, 6. Francesco Bagnia (ITA/Ducati) 0.499, 7. George Martin (ESP-Ducati-Pramac) 0.513, 8. Johann Zarko (FRA/Ducati-Pramac) 0.559, 9. Alex Rins (ESP/Suzuki) 0.638, 10. Enya Bastianini (ITA/Ducati-Avintia) 0.672
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