Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas 2016

Posted on Apr 05, 2016 by Nick Harris

ROUND THREE 2016 MotoGP™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – SUNDAY 10TH APRIL


Lowes and Kent return to scene of triumph
Sam Lowes and Danny Kent return to the scene of triumph last year when they compete in the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas on Sunday. Last year Lowes secured his only grand prix win in the Moto2™ race around the 3.426 miles Texas circuit on the outskirts of Austin while Kent won the Moto3™ race on route to the world title.

This year they compete in the same Moto2 19 lap race with Lincolnshire – based Lowes in good form. Riding the Federal Oil Gresini Kalex he finished second at the previous round in Argentina and is third in the World Championship, just seven points behind Championship leader Tom Luthi. Wiltshire – based Kent struggled in Argentina but still lies tenth on his return to the Moto2 Championship.

Irishman Eugene Laverty arrives in America for the third round of the MotoGP™ World Championship as the top British rider after his superb fourth place in Argentina. The Aspar Ducati rider kept calm in the hectic flag to flag encounter to secure his best ever MotoGP result. He has one more Championship point than Bradley Smith who finished eighth in the opening two races on the Monster Tech3 Yamaha. Last year the Oxfordshire rider was sixth in Austin and a repeat would really kick start his steady start to the season.

Gloucestershire’s Scott Redding hit cruel luck in Argentina when mechanical problems side-lined his Octo Pramac Yakhnich Ducati while lying a comfortable fifth which could have easily resulted in a podium finish by the end of the race. Another rider looking for a change of fortune is Isle of Man – based midlander Cal Crutchlow who still has to get off the mark in 2016. He was brought down in the early stages in Argentina, remounted the LCR Honda only to crash again. A repeat of his fourth place in Austin three years ago would be a welcome boost.

Scotsman John McPhee arrives in good spirits after a morale boosting seventh place in the Argentine Moto3 race after a difficult start to the season on the Peugeot Saxoprint RTG Mahindra. Last year the Racing Steps Foundation supported rider was sixth in Texas.


Did you know?

  • This is the fourth successive year that a MotoGP event has been held at the Austin circuit.
  • Marc Marquez has qualified on pole and won all three MotoGP races that have taken place in Austin.
  • Andrea Dovizioso has finished on the podium in Austin for the last two years: Third in 2014 and second last year.
  • The only podium finishes for Yamaha at Austin are third place finishes for Jorge Lorenzo in 2013 and Valentino Rossi last year.
  • In total, there have been 28 previous Grand Prix events hosted in the USA: Daytona – 2, Laguna Seca – 15, Indianapolis – 8 and Austin – 3.
  • The last twelve MotoGP races in the USA have all been won by Honda riders. The last non-Honda MotoGP winner in the USA was Jorge Lorenzo, at Laguna Seca in 2010.
  • Marc Marquez has won on each of the seven occasions that he has raced in the MotoGP class in America; at Austin and Indianapolis for the last three years and at Laguna Seca in 2013. Only once in these five appearances in MotoGP in America has Marquez not been on pole; at Laguna Seca in 2013 when he qualified in second place on the grid behind Stefan Bradl.
  • Two years ago in Austin, Marquez won by 4.124 seconds – his largest margin of victory in a MotoGP class, in a dry weather race that has not involved a pit-stop.
  • British riders had a great day at the grand prix of Americas last year, with Sam Lowes winning the Moto2™ race and Danny Kent the Moto3™ race. It was the first time that two British riders have won solo grand prix races on the same day since the Grand Prix of Sweden in 1977 when Barry Sheene won the 500cc race on a Suzuki and Mick Grant the 250cc race riding a Kawasaki.



    In form Marquez chases four in a row at Austin
    Marquez secured his first MotoGP victory at the track three years ago to become the youngest ever premier-class winner. He returns for the 21 lap race on Sunday leading his great rival Valentino Rossi by eight points in the Championship after the Italian finished second in Argentina on the Movistar Yamaha. Rossi’s team-mate World Champion Jorge Lorenzo, who won the opening round in Qatar, crashed out on Sunday and slipped to fourth place in the title chase 16 points behind Marquez. Dani Pedrosa took a fortuitous third place on Sunday to move into third place while the Ducati pair of Andrea Dovizioso, who was second last year and Andrea Iannone, who was fifth, will want to forget their penultimate bend collision that cost them podium finishes in Argentina.It was also a bad day for the Ecstar Suzuki team with crashes for Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales who won the Moto2 race in Austin two years ago. Australian Jack Miller who also crashed out in Argentina won the Moto3 race in Texas in the same year.British rider Sam Lowes took his only grand prix victory in the Moto2 race last year and returns third in the championship just seven points behind championship leader Tom Luthi, who won the opening Qatar round. World Champion Frenchman Johann Zarco won his first grand prix of the season in Argentina to grab second place in the championship just five points behind Luthi who was seventh on Sunday.South African Brad Binder chases his first ever Moto3 grand prix win leading the championship on the Red Bull Ajo KTM after finishing third in Argentina. History was made on Sunday when 17 year old Khairul Idham Pawi became the first ever Malaysian to win a grand prix and he moved into fourth place in the championship just 11 points behind Binder.



    Television Times
    BT Sport 2
    Friday 8th April 15.00pm – 22.00pm (practise)
    Saturday 9th April 15.00pm – 22.15pm (practise & qualifying)
    Sunday 10th April 14.30pm – 16.15pm (warm-ups)
    Sunday 10th April 16.30pm – 22.00pm (races)

    ITV 4 Highlights
    Monday 11th April 22.00pm – 23.00pm





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