MotoGP, Austin
Dorna

Marc Márquez And Valentino Rossi Pledge To Focus On The Future

MotoGP riders call for peace in the paddock at Circuit of The Americas

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right sun, mild temperatures, and a light breeze welcomed MotoGP riders and teams to the Lone Star State ahead of this weekend’s sixth annual Grand Prix of The Americas, but the atmosphere in the paddock remains clouded in controversy.

The series is still reeling from a chaotic race two weeks ago at the Termas de Río Hondo circuit in Argentina. Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) was penalized three times for various infractions, including torpedoing Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha), who ran off the track and crashed.

“You adjust expectations corner by corner,” said Cal Crutchlow, the first British rider to lead GP racing’s premier class in nearly 39 years. “If I say I want to finish in the top five to be consistent for the points but I have four guys right in front of me with three laps to go, I don’t think I’m going to sit in fifth.”Dorna

Rossi later lashed out at Márquez, saying he had “destroyed our sport because he doesn’t have any respect for his rivals.” Neither Rossi nor Márquez participated in the pre-event press conference in Texas, meeting instead with media in their respective hospitality units.

Championship leader and Argentina race winner Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) headed a nevertheless impressive list of six premier-class riders who spoke to a packed room for what was one of the longest pre-event press conferences in recent memory.

“Last year we struggled a lot [at COTA]—it was very difficult,” Ducati factory rider Andrea Dovizioso said on Thursday at the Grand Prix of The Americas pre-event press conference. “Also the weather looks a little bit unstable, so everything can happen. But in the past I did two podiums, so why not?”Dorna

Asked if he had silenced critics with his victory in Termas, Crutchlow replied, "I don't know whether I've silenced any critics or not, but, yeah, it's true: Don't doubt me. We entered the season this year to do a good job, and we've done a very good job.

“Sure, on Sunday or the next race, I don’t know, maybe I’ll finish 10th. But at the moment we deserve to be leading the championship. To be leading the rider standings and the team standings is an honor to [team principal] Lucio [Cecchinello] and his team.”

“These two races have been good to understand many things, especially the electronics,” said Maverick Viñales, who blazed to victory in the first two races of 2017. “It was important to stay on the bike, get some points, and get a good feeling. I feel great here in Austin—it’s a track I really like—and last year I was quite fast.”Dorna

Crutchlow admitted he had not yet stepped foot on the 20-turn (11 lefts, nine rights), 3.43-mile track, portions of which were ground down in recent weeks to smooth out the wavy pavement of which riders have been critical in past visits.

“I haven’t had a chance to look at the circuit,” he said. “It’s strange because normally I cycle the circuit every Thursday, and I haven’t been out there. I’m sure they’ve done the best job they could with the bumps, but in the end, it’s the same for everyone.”

Sixth in Termas, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) is second overall. “To finish sixth if you want to fight for the championship is not so good, but at the end we have to take the positive things. We were very lucky in Argentina; we took a lot of points without good speed.”

Dovizioso won six races in 2017 and finished second to Márquez in the championship. “I think this season can be a little bit different than last year,” the Italian said. “There are a lot of really fast riders with very competitive bikes, so everything can happen race by race.”

Johann Zarco (Monster Energy Yamaha Tech 3) scored his first podium of the season at Termas. He was fifth last year at COTA. “In the last laps,” he said about the Argentine round, “I was really close to Cal and thinking what can I do to win the race.

“Third in the championship—it’s only the third race and so many things can happen—is a good position. Here in Austin, even knowing Marc is so strong, why not keep dreaming and be fast? I hope to fight at the front.”

Alex Rins (Team ECSTAR Suzuki), Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing), and Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha)—third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, in Argentina—also took part in the press conference. Miller had the most to say about the Márquez/Rossi clash.

“I think they need to control it—the fighting inside the paddock—a little bit better,” the 23-year-old Australian noted. “We’re here to race motorcycles and we are here to fight, but the fight should generally stay on track and not try to fight so much in the media.

“I think we have a very competitive bike,” said Alex Rins about the factory Suzuki. “We improved a lot from last year, and my experience is higher.” Rins has enjoyed success at COTA, with victories in both Moto2 and Moto3. “This is one of my favorite tracks.”Dorna

“I’m seeing this situation unfolding, people picking sides. We are all here racing, risking our lives, and I think for the fans and also for the riders to pick sides and fight against each other is quite silly and immature.”

Neither Márquez nor Rossi had much to say to the media. “The race weekend in Argentina, especially on Sunday, was really difficult,” Márquez said. “Everybody can learn many, many, many things. We will try to improve for the future.”

Added Rossi, “The only thing is to look at the future. I think it is very important to go back on the track and ride the motorcycle. Also, this track is very difficult; it is very long, a lot of corners. We have to think about that.”

Nuclear exchange averted? Maybe.

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