Grand Prix of the Americas

The Grand Prix of the Americas has been MotoGP’s flagship race in the United States since the 2013 season and it is synonymous with Marc Marquez dominating at COTA.

MotoGP was already staging races in the US before it first visited the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. But COTA became the world championship’s exclusive home in the States in 2016 following the end of the Indianapolis Grand Prix and also the United States Grand Prix.

Since then, the world championship has only visited COTA when making a trip to the US. The Grand Prix of the Americas (or the Americas GP as it is often referred to as) has to date only failed to feature on the MotoGP calendar in the 2020 season owing to Covid-19 restrictions.

History of the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas

The 1964 US Grand Prix staged at Daytona represented the 500cc world championship’s breakthrough in America, with Mike Hailwood taking his MV Agusta to glory. But the Florida track held just two races before the championship moved the round to Laguna Seca in 1988.

Laguna Seca would host the US Grand Prix from 1988-94 and again from 2005-13 and even produce Valentino Rossi’s iconic overtake on Casey Stoner at the Corkscrew in 2008. But the cost of hosting MotoGP was too much and it forced the series to stop racing at Laguna Seca.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway also held MotoGP races from the 2008 to 2015 seasons and proved to be another venue that became synonymous with Marquez dominating in the premier class with Honda. The Spaniard won the final three editions of the Indianapolis GP.

Like for Laguna Seca and helped by the US Grand Prix’s demise, the cost of hosting MotoGP races started to be too much for the Indianapolis Grand Prix to afford beyond 2015. So, the Grand Prix of the Americas at COTA became MotoGP’s only round on US tarmac thereafter.

The USA became a second home for Marc Marquez amid his Americas GP dominance

Marquez would come to treat the USA like a second home over the Spaniard’s iconic time as a factory Honda rider from his rookie season in 2013 up to 2023. The Cervera native secured seven Americas GP wins for Honda, with Marquez even winning each of the first six editions.

No rider could lay a glove on Marquez at COTA from 2013-18, with the Spaniard also scoring pole position each year and the fastest lap each time except for in 2015. He also scored pole and had the fastest lap in 2019, but Marquez folded his front tyre under braking for Turn 12.

Marquez’s crash while leading the 2019 Americas GP also created a bit of MotoGP history as Alex Rins got his maiden premier class race win for Suzuki after fending off Rossi to the flag. The Spaniard passed the Italian with a surprise move into T7 with four of the 20 laps to run.

Covid-19 measures meaning MotoGP did not race at COTA in 2020 meant Marquez breaking an arm at Jerez in the 2020 Grand Prix of Spain did not spoil his record at the Americas GP. Marquez even returned to COTA and won the 2021 Americas GP, also posting the fastest lap.

The 2024 Americas GP also nearly led to Marquez’s first win on a Ducati after leaving Honda for Gresini that year. After qualifying in P3, Marquez passed Jorge Martin into T12 on L10/20 and then Pedro Acosta for the lead at T1 on L11, only to lose the front under braking for T12.

What is the Circuit of the Americas like?

The Circuit of the Americas which has staged every edition of the Grand Prix of the Americas to date is one of the most varied tracks on the MotoGP calendar. It offers a bit of everything, from its 133-foot elevation rise into Turn 1 to its 1.2km (0.7m) long straight from Turn 11-12.

The first and fourth sectors of COTA also test a rider’s bike control through the esses section and a banked, triple-apex right-hander at Turns 16-17-18. Also, the 1.2km (0.7m) straight is not a direct run from T11-12, with riders having to drift across the track and back over again.

Winners of the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas

Below, MotoGP News lists every premier class rider to win the Grand Prix of the Americas…