Álvaro Carpe claimed pole for the Moto3 U.S. Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas with a lap of 2:12.107, putting him at the head of the grid set for Saturday’s race. Casey O’Gorman qualified second (2:12.519) and Valentin Perrone third (2:12.526); Veda Pratama was fourth (2:12.813) and Guido Pini fifth (2:12.837). Joel Esteban (2:12.869), Adrian Fernandez (2:12.917), Max Quiles (2:12.996), Rico Salmela (2:13.005) and Scott Ogden (2:13.244) completed the top ten, with Joel Kelso and Zen Mitani 11th and 12th respectively. Hakim Danish did not set a time during qualifying.

The 14-lap Moto3 race was won by Guido Pini, who claimed his maiden grand prix victory aboard a Pirelli-shod Leopard Racing Honda. A late four-rider breakaway of Max Quiles, Guido Pini, Valentin Perrone and Álvaro Carpe shaped the finish; Quiles led for much of the race before Pini — fourth down the back straight on the final lap — made a decisive pass at Turn 13 to move into the lead. Pini finished 0.056 seconds ahead of Quiles, with Carpe third (0.254 seconds behind Pini).

Álvaro Carpe attempted a late overtake on Perrone at the final corner, ran wide, recovered to third and publicly apologized to Perrone. Adrian Fernandez, who led early, slipped back to fifth. The top ten finishers were: 1) Guido Pini, 2) Max Quiles, 3) Álvaro Carpe, 4) Valentin Perrone, 5) Adrian Fernandez, 6) Adrian Cruces, 7) Rico Salmela, 8) Brian Uriarte, 9) Matteo Bertelle, 10) Scott Ogden. The result preserved Quiles’ position as championship leader; Quiles left COTA with 65 points, Carpe had 42 and Perrone 38, Quiles sitting 23 points clear of Carpe.

Reports varied from one source that named David Alonso as the winner at COTA for the CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team, but the majority of race reports cited above record Guido Pini as the race winner and provide the finishing order and margins described here.

An eight-second sanction for exceeding Michelin’s specified tire-pressure window demoted Pedro Acosta from third to eighth in the MotoGP Tissot Sprint at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), promoting Enea Bastianini onto the Sprint podium. Bastianini had started 12th and crossed the line fourth on track before the penalty was applied, giving him his second Sprint podium with the Tech3 #23 KTM. He called the result “an unexpected podium,” said “finally, there weren’t 20 bikes in front of me,” praised the soft-tyre choice and the bike’s top speed, and blamed a qualifying mistake, straightline instability and the crosswind — “my worst enemy” — for his low grid slot and lingering acceleration issues out of Turn 11. Bastianini added that the result restored his confidence after difficult weekends in Thailand and Brazil and he hoped to carry that momentum into Sunday’s main race.

The on-track Sprint was won by Jorge Martin, who took the 10-lap victory by 0.755 seconds over Francesco Bagnaia after a decisive last-lap pass. Martin rode an Aprilia on Michelin control tyres and used a medium rear for the move. Several incidents reshuffled the final classification: on the opening lap pole-sitter Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marc Márquez made contact and both crashed (Márquez was later handed a long-lap penalty); Marco Bezzecchi crashed out after running near the front and failed to finish; and Joan Mir crashed out of fourth on the final lap.

Martin’s Sprint win moved him to the top of the world championship standings on 57 points, one ahead of Marco Bezzecchi on 56, with Acosta third on 49 after the penalty.

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s adaptation to the Yamaha M1 has been hampered by rear-tyre issues; he called the Michelin tyres the “real problem” slowing his switch from World Superbikes, highlighting rear grip and acceleration as his main challenges after Brazil. He said the M1’s greater power, aerodynamics and electronics make familiar tracks feel different. Razgatlioglu has improved since Thailand but is still searching for a narrow performance window on the rear tyre and warned that Michelin’s use of a stiffer carcass in Thailand and Brazil, and the planned reversion to the standard carcass for the US GP at COTA, will complicate his learning. Tyre management and suspension/setup choices will be central at Austin, where bumps and a physical first sector may require a softer setup to protect rear grip.

Results in the opening rounds underlined those difficulties: Razgatlioglu failed to score points in Thailand and Brazil, with best race finishes of 17th in both grands prix. He crashed in the Buriram sprint, finished 18th in the Goiânia sprint and was 17th in the Brazilian GP after reaching Q2 and qualifying 12th. He said the sequence of results left him “really down” after Saturday in Brazil. Razgatlioglu has prior experience at COTA — he first raced the circuit in the Red Bull Rookies Cup in 2013 and rode it last year on BMW’s M1000RR — but he said the M1 changes how the track feels.

Support staff and industry figures say the start is technically understandable and that he is improving. Coach Sylvain Guintoli said Razgatlioglu was “getting the hang of” the Yamaha M1 after pre-qualifying at COTA: Razgatlioglu posted a 2:02.373 lap to finish 18th overall and was the third-fastest Yamaha behind Fabio Quartararo and Jack Miller, while Ducati’s Marc Márquez topped the session with a 2:00.927. Guintoli pointed to Friday race simulations as evidence Razgatlioglu is learning to manage throttle inputs, “hook the bike up” and improve traction, while stressing that track temperature and overall tyre grip remain key variables. Ducati test rider Michele Pirro said Razgatlioglu’s difficult start “makes me smile,” noting the switch to the V4 YZR‑M1 requires learning ride‑height devices, increased aerodynamics and running Michelins instead of Pirellis. Pirro warned that being seven to eight tenths off the pace effectively places a rider at the back and that gains often come in small fractions — sometimes half a tenth per corner — but expressed confidence Razgatlioglu can improve as he gains experience with the bike, the Michelin tyres and MotoGP fine‑tuning.

Moto3 practice at the Circuit of the Americas produced a rapid succession of record laps, with Máximo Quiles opening the run on Friday by setting a new all-time Moto3 lap record of 2:13.757 on a Pirelli-shod CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team KTM, breaking Matteo Bertelle’s 2025 benchmark of 2:13.939. Álvaro Carpe then lowered that mark to 2:13.190 in Saturday morning practice aboard his Pirelli-shod Red Bull KTM Ajo machine; Quiles’s 2:13.757 session also featured Guido Pini second fastest on a Leopard Racing Honda with a 2:13.929.

Carpe had earlier topped Friday morning Free Practice One with a 2:14.209 for Red Bull KTM Ajo before finishing third in Friday’s faster session with a 2:14.202.

Friday’s timing sheets showed a cluster of leading Moto3 riders in the 2:14s — Matteo Bertelle (2:14.293), Valentín Perrone (2:14.309) and Joel Esteban among them — while Saturday morning produced a tight top three of Carpe (2:13.190), Perrone (2:13.280) and Esteban (2:13.349). The practice sessions ran around the 3.43-mile (5.51 km) Circuit of the Americas with a 25-rider field, Pirelli control tires prominent among the front-runners and KTM machinery occupying many of the top positions. Final grid places will be decided in subsequent practice and qualifying sessions.

David Alonso set the quickest time in Moto2 practice at the US Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), posting an all-time COTA lap record of 2:05.847 in Friday afternoon running. Alonso’s lap aboard his CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team Kalex on Pirelli control tires was the only time in the 2:05s and shaved roughly 1.508 seconds off the previous COTA benchmark of 2:07.355 set in 2025.

Manuel Gonzalez was second in that session with a 2:06.341 (he suffered a crash), Barry Baltus third with a 2:06.453, followed by Filip Salac (4th), Senna Agius (5th), Tony Arbolino (6th), Ivan Ortola (7th), Celestino Vietti (8th), Izan Guevara (9th) and Joe Roberts (10th, 2:06.853).

Earlier and later practice sessions showed similarly tight margins. Celestino Vietti topped FP1 with a 2:06.724 on an HDR SpeedRS Team Boscoscuro, with David Alonso second (2:06.779) and Tony Arbolino third (2:06.863); the gap between first and second in FP1 was just 0.055 seconds. Tony Arbolino then led FP2 with a 2:06.159 on his REDS Fantic Racing Kalex, Senna Agius was second in FP2 with a 2:06.369 on a Liqui Moly Dynavolt IntactGP Kalex and Alonso Lopez third with a 2:06.402 on an Italjet Gresini Moto2. Across sessions, multiple front-running teams ran Kalex chassis on Pirelli tires, and the practice times provided a snapshot of early pace for the weekend.

Maverick Viñales withdrew from the US MotoGP at COTA after Free Practice 1 when track medical checks found a surgical screw in his previously operated left shoulder had come loose. Tech3 said the displaced screw and ongoing pain forced his withdrawal; Viñales will return to Europe for a minor procedure, and AS reported the operation was scheduled for the week after the Austin round. He was 13th in FP1, nearly a second down on team‑mate Acosta, and had planned to use Friday practice to judge whether he could continue before deciding to withdraw.

The left‑shoulder problem dates to July 2025 and has been linked in reports to Sachsenring qualifying and to a crash at the Italian Grand Prix; Viñales underwent surgery in Italy after that summer injury. Since then he has reported loss of strength and difficulty changing direction, especially when turning left, and his performance has suffered — he completed only five of the final 13 grands prix in 2025, missed eight rounds between the summer incident and the Portuguese round, and has scored just three world championship points since the injury. He entered the season without points from the first two rounds amid reported KTM specification problems, and has been running a different KTM RC16 configuration while managing the shoulder. Over the winter he worked with coach Jorge Lorenzo and took part in a February Sepang test when he believed the shoulder had healed.

Tech3 says Viñales is targeting a return at Jerez (April 24–26). The postponement of the Qatar race gives him an additional recovery window before that weekend. Viñales said he is “worried about my future,” has not ruled out further surgery, and has previously avoided publicly detailing the injury for fear it could lead to being sidelined by KTM and affect his salary.

Marc Márquez’s slow start to the 2026 MotoGP season has put his title defense under early pressure. The eight‑time premier-class champion sits fifth on 34 points after two rounds, 22 points behind championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (56). Márquez’s only victory so far was the Brazil Sprint — his first win since September 2025 — but he finished fourth in the Goiânia main race and has now recorded two straight races outside the top three for the first time since late 2024.

Team and paddock assessments point to a mix of bike behavior, tire issues and cautious riding rather than a simple loss of ability. Ducati technical chief Luigi Dall’Igna said the GP26 felt “sketchy” under Márquez and forced him into a more defensive style. The team also cited a tire-related failure in Thailand — a broken rear rim that forced Márquez’s retirement — and suggested differences in tire casing may have helped rivals in Thailand and Brazil. Observers noted Márquez appeared uncomfortable over bumps and when pushing hard, while satellite teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio has outqualified and outraced him, reshaping intra-team dynamics and sitting fourth in the standings.

There are differing interpretations of the problem. Former teammate Dani Pedrosa warned Márquez is “not at his best” and stressed the danger of a slow start to a title defense. Others, including Danilo Petrucci, say Márquez’s more cautious approach is deliberate after shoulder surgery in October 2025 and a conscious decision to prioritize long-term title chances over early risks; Márquez has paused contract talks while he waits to feel “normal” again. Ducati added that they cannot rely on Márquez’s resilience to mask bike issues and expect a clearer pecking order to emerge as tire behavior and setups evolve. Upcoming rounds, including the Americas Grand Prix at COTA, will test whether Márquez can arrest the slow start.

Ducati has framed Aprilia’s early 2026 surge as a problem it must fix through technical upgrades rather than rider heroics, blaming tyre and chassis factors for the gap while privately questioning whether Aprilia’s bike has been overhyped. Ducati figures including Gigi Dall’Igna and Davide Tardozzi have privately suggested Aprilia’s RS‑GP26 may have been overplayed, while the factory has publicly conceded it started the season behind Aprilia. Ducati engineers said Michelin’s new, harder rear‑tyre casing used in the opening rounds “greatly benefited” Aprilia and that the stiffer rear casings introduced for the year, together with particular track and temperature conditions, amplified Aprilia’s advantage.

The competitive picture was underlined at Goiânia, where Marco Bezzecchi led an Aprilia one‑two with teammate Jorge Martin and extended a winning streak to four straight premier‑class victories, leaving Bezzecchi 11 points clear of Martin in the standings. The Brazilian weekend also exposed specific weaknesses in the Ducati Desmosedici GP26: the track surface began breaking up and caught Marc Márquez wide at Turn 12, repeatedly highlighting rear‑stability issues that Ducati spent the weekend working on, including tail and rear‑end changes. Ducati figures noted Márquez could not match the Aprilias’ race pace despite winning the Sprint, Francesco Bagnaia crashed from 11th and sits well down the standings, and Fabio Di Giannantonio — the day’s leading Ducati — and others pointed to Aprilia’s superior front‑end stability allowing higher corner speed and stronger exits when temperatures rise and grip falls.

Ducati has outlined a rapid response plan focused on technical development. Team managers signalled upgrades and tests at Jerez (April 24–26) and the in‑season test the following Monday to gather full‑day data, with an immediate priority on rear‑end stability fixes and aerodynamic steps reported during private testing. Davide Tardozzi said the squad cannot keep depending on Marc Márquez to cover the bike’s shortcomings and indicated Ducati aims to be more competitive from Austin onward, using the Jerez test and the subsequent development window to validate changes and close the gap to Aprilia.

Aprilia’s early-season surge has become the defining story heading into the Americas Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. Marco Bezzecchi leads the MotoGP championship after winning the Grands Prix in Thailand and Brazil, and Aprilia produced a 1-2 in Brazil with teammate Jorge Martín second; that Brazil 1-2 moved Martín into second overall and leaves Aprilia riders occupying four of the top seven championship positions. Reports from Brazil credited Aprilia’s setup, consistency and race management as decisive factors as the title fight unfolds.

That momentum makes COTA a key test for Marc Márquez and his Ducati team. The reigning world champion — a seven-time winner at the Circuit of the Americas — has shown strong sprint pace (he won the Brazil sprint and was second in the Thailand sprint) but has not reached a Sunday MotoGP podium so far this season and sits fifth in the standings. Márquez arrives in Austin after two recent Grand Prix crashes, and Ducati has struggled early in the year to place a Desmosedici on an overall podium; pundits see this weekend as a pivotal chance to judge whether Márquez can rebound and whether Aprilia’s early surge represents a lasting shift in the balance of power.