MotoGP Grand Prix of Americas 2016: Race Schedule, Live Stream and Top Riders
After a gripping race in Argentina last time out, the MotoGP circus rolls north to the United States next, where some of the finest riders in the world will battle it out for glory at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Any fears that Jorge Lorenzo was to dominate the early stages of the year were curtailed in the last outing, as the Yamaha man was forced to retire. It paved the way for a win for Marc Marquez, and the Honda rider leads the standings by eight points from Valentino Rossi heading into this Grand Prix.
This is a venue that always seems to facilitate drama, and with little separating the top riders early on this season, expect this weekend to be no different.
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Here are the key viewing details ahead of the race weekend and a closer examination of some of the riders set to be in the hunt on Sunday.
| Friday, April 8 | 3:55 p.m. - 4:40 p.m. | Free Practice 1 |
| Friday, April 8 | 8:05 p.m. - 8:50 p.m. | Free Practice 2 |
| Friday, April 8 | 3:55 p.m. - 4:40 p.m. | Free Practice 3 |
| Saturday, April 9 | 7:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. | Free Practice 4 |
| Saturday, April 9 | 8:10 p.m. - 8:25 p.m. | Qualifying 1 |
| Saturday, April 9 | 8:35 p.m. - 8:50 p.m. | Qualifying 2 |
| Sunday, April 10 | 8 p.m. | Race |
The action can be streamed via the BT Sport website (UK) and beIN Sports CONNECT (US)
Ominous Signs from Marquez
The performance from Marquez in Argentina was reminiscent of some of his showings in the 2014 MotoGP season, when he romped to the title with an unerring ease.
Having qualified in pole position, the Honda man executed a faultless race, getting away well off the start line and pulling away from his title rivals in the latter stages. It meant the Spaniard could savour victory in the final laps and take a crucial lead in the standings, much to the delight of his garage.
Here’s a reminder of how things panned out on the day in Argentina, per BT Sport MotoGP:
Now the challenge for the two-time champion will be to consolidate his lead at the top, with both Yamaha riders set to be smarting after losing ground in Argentina. But Marquez has proved to be the master of the United States Grand Prix during his previous three years in MotoGP, per the sport’s Twitter feed:
Indeed, victory here would be the fourth in a row for the Honda man, who seems to save his best for the assembled Texans.
The 20-turn circuit really seems to suit Marquez’s driving style, and even in a testing 2015, he was able to finish on top of the podium here.
Now, the Spaniard and Honda look to have rediscovered their best, and with confidence flowing after a wonderful display in Week 2, the 23-year-old will prove to be too strong for the chasing pack this weekend.
Yamaha Duo Looking to Respond
Making victory extra sweet for Marquez were the toils of title rival Lorenzo, who endured another torrid afternoon in Argentina after winning in Week 1 in Qatar.
The world champion failed to get off to a positive start and was even passed by Jack Miller during the race. Then, with 15 laps remaining, his outing ended after running off at the opening turn.
Here’s a look at the moment he dropped out, per BT Sport MotoGP:
Lorenzo was also passed in the overall standings by Rossi, who eventually finished in second after a close battle with Marquez early on in the race. Eventually, the Italian capitalised on a late tangle between Ducati duo Andrea Iannone and Andrea Dovizioso to move into second, giving him his first podium position of the season.
Both Yamaha riders have failed to come close to Marquez in recent seasons at this venue, though. They may have shown strong pace in qualifying last time out, with Rossi and Lorenzo second and third on the grid, but on race day they struggled to keep pace with the Honda man once the contest settled down. That certainly doesn't bode well for the coming weekend.
Indeed, in the aftermath of the race, Rossi admitted himself that had it not been for the Ducati’s unsuccessful duelling, he wouldn’t have finished in second spot, per Moto Race Feed:
Some significant improvements will be needed if the Yamaha M1 is to come close to Marquez at the Circuit of the Americas, while both Rossi and Lorenzo will need to up their standards when it comes to race craft and qualifying, too.
Even so, the Honda man has never lost here, meaning the Yamaha pair will most likely be battling it out for the minor podium places with Marquez’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa, who is third in the standings after a consistent start to the season.
Rossi, who has been more reliable so far in 2016, should have enough to edge past his team-mate.
Prediction: 1. Marquez, 2. Rossi, 3. Lorenzo
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