MotoGP Pre-Race: Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas
The third round of the 2024 MotoGP World Championship heads to Austin, Texas and the Circuit of The Americas this weekend. With two thrilling races in the books so far, the championship fight is already shaping up to be an intense battle.
Leading the standings is Jorge Martin from Prima Pramac Racing with 60 points. The Spaniard has started the season in dominant fashion, building an 18-point lead over second place Brad Binder. Martin's inseason average rankings have him top of the class in weighted predator and prey, meaning he has showcased excellent offensive and defensive skills in the opening rounds. His consistency has also been superb, ranking third overall.
Just behind Martin is Binder, riding for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. The South African has 42 points after in-season average of third place finishes from seventh on the grid. While Binder's historical average record at COTA is average, his in-season average performance has been stellar. He ranks second in efficiency and fifth in speed, proving he has the pace to run at the front. His metronomic style has given him incredible consistency this year while still allowing him to pick off rivals, evidenced by his fourth place rankings in both predator and prey indexes.
In third place is Enea Bastianini with 39 points for Ducati Lenovo Team. The young Italian took victory last time out in dramatic style and will be brimming with confidence heading to Austin. Historically his results at COTA have been strong with higher rankings in speed, consistency and tire preservation. This season Bastianini lies third in outright speed and has maintained his reputation for protecting the tires, ranking fourth in deterioration. His ability to nurse the tires to the end while still running fast lap times could prove decisive on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Moto2 champion Pedro Acosta is embarking on his rookie MotoGP campaign with Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 currently sitting 5th in the championship. Acosta has finished 6th in average this year after qualifying 8th on average. His weighted predator and prey rankings of 6th demonstrate that he is already competing well in the pack battles. Acosta’s speed ranking of 4th is particularly impressive for a rookie, matching more experienced riders. However, his consistency ranking of 16th shows he still needs to find that last bit of race pace.
The reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia has not had the start to his title defense that he hoped for. The Ducati rider sits 4th in the standings with 37 points. His inseason average stats are intriguing, with the highest rankings in efficiency and consistency meaning he has converted his on-track actions into maximum results while maintaining metronomic lap times. However, his 50% crash rate this season will be a concern. 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo languishes down in ninth place with just 15 points after a tough start.
The battle behind the top five looks to be intense, with Marc Marquez, Aleix Espargaro, Maverick Vinales and Jack Miller all covered by just 11 points. Marquez has 27 points aboard his Gresini Racing MotoGP machine but comes in recovering from a tough inseason average where he finished 10th. The 8-time world champion will look to turn it around at a track where he has a strong history. Espargaro sits just behind with 25 points for Aprilia Racing, though his 75% historical average crash rate in Texas will be a concern.
Di Giannantonio has been a revelation early on, with 15 points for Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. The second year rider's average finish is already up to 8th from 15th last year. 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo has also started slowly, gathering just 15 points so far for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. But his rankings remain strong, including top 6 historical average figures in speed. He'll aim to recapture his podium COTA form from 2021 this weekend.
In summary, Martin and Binder have stormed out of the gates this season but face a stern challenge from the likes of Bastianini and Bagnaia. Quartararo cannot afford another poor result if he wants to keep his championship hopes alive. Meanwhile, the rookie has proven he belongs and will be pushing to close down the leaders. With 19 rounds still remaining and the Circuit of The Americas full of overtaking spots, we are set for a scintillating race in the heart of Texas.