The return of the ‘sheriff’ Márquez adds more emotion in the COTA

MADRID, 7 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The Motorcycle World Championship lands this weekend in the United States, the last stop before starting its central section in Europe, with the celebration of the Grand Prix of the Americas, in which the Spaniards Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia) and Sergio García Dols (GasGas) They arrive as leaders of MotoGP and Moto3 respectively, and that means the return of Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) after missing the last two races.

After three tests, Lusail, Mandalika and Termas de Río Hondo, only one great leader can be outlined, the Italian Celestino Vietti (Kalex), the only one who has led his category, Moto2, since the premiere in Qatar, and the one who has advantage has, 21 points, over the second classified, the Spanish Arón Canet (Kalex). In the other two there is more equality, especially in MotoGP, where the theoretical favorites have not yet been able to dominate or even appear excessively.

And Aleix Espargaró has taken advantage of this to take the lead with the Aprilia, a motorcycle that is progressing each season and that premiered its record of victories in the ‘queen’ category last Sunday in an Argentine Grand Prix where it was shown that, At the moment, there is no clear candidate. Nobody has repeated victory and neither has any brand since the Italian Enea Bastianini won in Lusail for Ducati, and the Portuguese Miguel Oliveira, in Mandalika for KTM. Nor has any rider been able to get on the podium more than once.

Therefore, the best ‘regularity’ of Aleix Espargaró, fourth in Qatar and ninth in water in Indonesia, allows him to hold the lead with 45 points, seven points ahead of South African Brad Binder (KTM) and nine over Bastianini and Alex Rins (Suzuki).

The closest of the favorites is the current champion, the Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), who is still not feeling well with the ‘M1’, but is only ten points away, two less than the 2020 world champion, Joan Mir (Suzuki). The Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), current runner-up in the world, is 31st and fifth ‘Desmosedici’ in the general classification.

And further away is Marc Márquez, who has started the year prolonging his ordeal of misfortunes. After a positive fifth place in the debut, the crash in Indonesia prevented him from running on Sunday and caused another uncomfortable episode of diplopia that did not let him be in Argentina.

Two ‘0’s that the equality of the championship do not have Cervera very far from the head, especially considering that the World Championship reaches one of his favorite tracks, a COTA where he is the ‘sheriff’ since he has won in MotoGP in seven of his eight participations, including last year, when he was already close to his best level.

The Catalan has a special idyll, not only with Austin, but with the United States where he is practically unbeatable if you count his participation in the ‘queen’ category in Indianapolis, where he won on his three visits, and Laguna Seca, where he also imposed in the campaign of his debut. Only at the Sachsenring (Germany) does he have such impressive numbers (11 wins in total).

In any case, Márquez has already warned that this new break makes him face the weekend with different objectives and focused on finding the best set-up for his Honda, but knowing his character, he will not give up on maintaining his reign in the COTA. Next to him, a Pol Espargaró who has not been able to continue his good start in Lusail with his third place and who is coming off two bad races, with ‘0’ in Termas de Río Hondo.

Honda has dominated the Texas track thanks to Márquez, and only Suzuki has been able to interfere thanks to Rins’ triumph in 2019. The Hamamatsu factory bike has been one of the most consistent and hopes to be competitive again in a setting where last year Quartararo and Bagnaia escorted the eight-time world champion on the podium.

GARCÍA DOLS DEFENDS LEADERSHIP IN MOTO3, CANET WANTS TO REDUCE IN MOTO2

As for the other two categories, there are good options at this start for Spanish motorcycling thanks to Sergio García Dols (GasGas) and Arón Canet (Kalex), leader and second classified respectively in Moto3 and Moto2.

The rider from Castellón has started the season well and fighting for the podium in the first three Grand Prix, with victory last Sunday in Argentina to take first place with 58 points, four more than the Italian Dennis Foggia (Honda), who finished second.

Both already have a good income over the rest and could fight another duel in a COTA with bitter memories for the Spanish rider, since last year he suffered a fall during free practice on Friday that took him out of the fight for the title with Foggi and Pedro Acosta. In his favour, Izán Guevara, his teammate, won in what was the third consecutive Spanish victory in the category on the American track.

In Moto2, on the other hand, Arón Canet has become the main rival of an unstoppable Celestino Vietti (Kalex). The Italian is the only one in the entire World Championship who has not failed on the podium in the first three races and his triumphs in Qatar and Argentina, plus second place in Indonesia, place him as the firm leader with 70 points.

The Valencian rider does not want to let Vietti get away and will try to reduce the 21-point difference he has on a circuit with good memories because he won in 2019, then in Moto3. It will also be necessary to take into account the Thai Somkiat Chantra (Kalex), winner in Mandalika and second in Termas de Río Hondo.