The return of the sheriff: The Marquis pulls off a stunning win in Austin
Marquez was hard to stop in Texas, his stellar performance in the race earned him a second win in the 2021 season and the Repsol Honda team’s 450th Premier Class podium. Signs of rain blocked the start of the Red Bull Grand Prix of America, although it was sunny during the US national anthem just before the 20-lap MotoGP race.
Marc Marquez and his Repsol Honda Team RC213V took a brilliant lead at the very first turn as soon as the lights went out. From here he never looked back. The eight-time world champion, the rider maintained excellent speed during the next 20 laps. From the fifth lap to the 15th, Marquez did not slow down from 2:04:9, and his difference with Fabia Quarteraro was 4 seconds. So on Sunday there was no stopping the Marquees in Austin and they took a seventh-place win on the circuit.
With the Marquis’ second win in 2021, he brought the Repsol Honda team to the 450th podium in the Premier Class since 1995. Dani Pedrosa is the second most successful rider in terms of podium finishes for the Marquess team with 978 podiums at the iconic Repsol Honda Team Colors, with 112 top three finishes. With this the No. 93 win tally reached 58 in the Premier Class and they have moved up to seventh in the World Championship with 117 points.
Starting from 12th place on the grid, Pole drifted slightly off the Aspargaro line and was soon in the top tan. Espargaro performed well on the track in the opening laps and kept his pace on the rough quota track. Despite the fall of several riders around him, he continued to strive at the Americas GP, finishing tenth and reaching Nakagami’s level with an additional six World Championship points.
The entire Repsol Honda team is now taking some rest after three races and one test over the past four weekends. On 22 October the adventures will resume on Marco Simoncelli at the Misano World Circuit for Round 16 of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship season.
After the race, Marc Marquez said, “We performed exactly what we had planned for today. Started well, fought on the first corner, the first few laps were easy, then the tires started dropping a bit. After that I had to push. I did exactly this. I saw my gap widening, my lap type was up 2:04. I was maintaining it with ease and comfort. In the last few laps I was very tired, I was finding it difficult to maintain concentration but Fabia was far behind me. I felt he would not take the risk as he was fighting for the championship. Today was a great day. I would like to congratulate the entire HRC and Repsol Honda team for putting up a great performance all weekend. It was very difficult to understand everything this season, my eyes were fixed on this victory. Because we knew we had a good chance here. This win also means a lot to Nicky Hayden and the Vinales family. I have known him since I was eight years old. This year has been tough for him and for the racing world.
Pol Espargaro said, “We knew the race was going to be very difficult yet we started. From the very beginning the situation was not very good. We had to try a lot. I couldn’t have done better in this situation. It’s very strange because the rear was a problem for us in previous races. But today the front was the cause of our problem. It is unfortunate that we had a good start to the weekend. Now we have set a target for Misana. We know the situation will be good for us here. We are ready for this. The year is not over yet, so we will keep trying. Many congratulations to Mark and the Repsol Honda team.
