Marco Bezzecchi
The Grand Prix of the Americas has produced some iconic moments since it was first held in 2013. MotoGP News has taken a look at five unforgettable moments from the race held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
The race first took place a year after the Circuit of the Americas opened in 2013, becoming the third race to take place in the United States alongside Indianapolis and Laguna Seca.
It has taken place every year since it joined the calendar apart from 2020, when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Marc Marquez is the most successful rider at the track, having taken seven victories at COTA. The Spaniard also had some great moments at the track over the years.
2013 – Marc Marquez wins first MotoGP race with Honda
The start of Marquez’s dominance in MotoGP can be traced back to his victory in 2013, when he won his first race in the premier class.
After he secured pole for the race, Marquez would engage in an intense battle with Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa for the lead.
Marquez came out on top and stretched his lead to 1.5s in the final laps of the race, taking the chequered flag to become the youngest rider to win in MotoGP at just 20 years and 63 days old.
2014 – Jorge Lorenzo’s huge jump start and another Marc Marquez triumph
As jump starts go, none of them are as big as the one that triple world champion Jorge Lorenzo suffered at the start of the 2014 race.
Like something out of a Playstation online lobby, the Spaniard reacted to the red lights coming on rather than being extinguished, causing him to set off significantly earlier than the rest of the pack.
The whole saga earned him a ride-through penalty, which became a significant setback for his race. Marquez meanwhile, would go on to take a second successive victory from Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso.
2019 – Alex Rins ends Marc Marquez win streak
By the time MotoGP visited the Circuit of the Americas in 2019, Marquez had racked up six race victories in a row at the track.
He would be dethroned when Alex Rins took his first MotoGP victory in a Grand Prix that was filled with action. Marquez crashed out of the lead with 11 laps remaining, which would promote Valentino Rossi to P1.
Rins was closing in on Rossi and in the final laps, he would battle for the win, with the Suzuki rider coming out on top and ending Marquez’s reign at the track.
2022 – Enea Bastianini wins after late pass on Jack Miller
Enea Bastianini started from fifth place on the grid and worked his way through the riders in front, reaching P2 on Lap 10 before making a key overtake on leader Jack Miller.
From there, Bastianini would build up a gap on the leaders with Miller dropping behind Alex Rins. At the chequered flag, Bastianini would win by 2.0s to Rins in a display of dominance from the Ducati rider.
Marquez initially qualified in P9 but had trouble getting off the line and dropped to last place. Fans would be treated to a thrilling comeback drive from the Spaniard, who worked his way through the pack and finished P6 at the flag.
2024 – Marc Marquez comes close to eighth win after battle with Pedro Acosta
Pedro Acosta took the lead of the race on the opening lap after polesitter Maverick Vinales made a mistake heading into the first corner.
Marquez had been working his way through the field but made contact early on, which broke off one of his bike’s wings with Jack Miller.
Acosta would come under pressure from the maestro Marquez, with the pair duelling for the win on Lap 10 before the Ducati rider collided and went off. The crash would lead to him retiring from the race, enabling Acosta to win the race.
Vinales would end up recovering to the top three places, with him celebrating with a superhero mask on the podium.
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