Race Results From the 2017 Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas

Marc Marquez put in a flawless performance on Sunday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas. Starting from pole position, the Repsol Honda rider tailed teammate Dani Pedrosa for eight laps, swept past, and then checked out to win his fifth successive race at the Texas track. Margin of victory over new series points leader Valentino Rossi was 3.069 seconds.

“It is an important victory,” Marquez said. “Five minutes before the race, I said to my chief mechanic, ‘Okay, I want to go with the hard front. There was no need to stay with the medium because I know that I push the front tire a lot.” Marquez was one of five riders who opted for the hard Michelin; the rest of the field went with the medium.

“I was behind Dani, trying to manage the race,” Marquez said. “When I saw he was suffering a little bit and also Valentino was struggling, I said, ‘Okay, time to attack.’ Marquez reeled off four laps in the low-to-mid 2:05s before dipping into the high 2:04s and setting the fastest lap of the race with six to go. “It was the perfect race,” he said, “really consistent, under control.”

Pedrosa faded to third at the finish. "Finally, I got a clean start," he said. "Qualifying on the third row is difficult to find a line through all of the riders. I led the race for a few laps, which was amazing. I could go faster, but I knew I had to take care of my tires. All weekend, I had trouble with tire life, especially the rear. Today, I destroyed the front."

The much-anticipated on-track clash between defending series champ Marquez and Movistar Yamaha newcomer Maverick Vinales—winner of the first two races this season—never materialized. Vinales fell from fourth on the second lap, slipping off in the third of three right-handers near the end of the 3.426-mile circuit. Though unhurt, he wasn’t able to continue.

“It was a really strange crash,” Vinales said. “I did exactly the same as in Warm Up and all weekend, but I crashed. I think we had some issues with the front tire, but anyway, we know that we are strong and have the speed. We can be strong again, so I’m going to try to forget this crash and come to Jerez even faster, stronger, and more consistent than I was here.”

Vinales’ sudden disappearance didn’t change Marquez’s approach to the race. “The mistake in Argentina was big and I didn’t want to repeat it,” he said. “After Argentina, somebody commented that I was out of the championship, but now we are back again.” The 24-year-old Spaniard crashed while leading two weeks ago at Termas de Rio Hondo.

“After I chose the hard front tire,” he added, “I only had one strategy: Wait in the beginning, understand the front tire, and push in the middle of the race to the end. Maybe if Vinales was there, I would have pushed more in the last part. I was just trying to manage the tires. Sooner or later, the battle with Maverick will arrive.”

Third in Qatar and second in Argentina, Rossi earned his best finish at COTA and now leads the championship ahead of Vinales, Marquez, and Andrea Dovizioso. “It is a big surprise,” Rossi admitted. “After the preseason tests, we were quite desperate. I think the problem for me and the team was that we needed more time to understand the bike.

“The bike has something positive. At the end of the race, I was able to push—to be strong. Last year, I was always going very fast in the beginning, but after that, I suffered a lot. It is just three races and, for sure, we will be very happy to remain in this position.” Rossi has finished second in the championship the past three seasons.

Rossi attracted the attention of race officials when he ran off the track to avoid a collision with Johann Zarco, who dove under Rossi entering Turn 4. To avoid contact, Rossi picked up his Yamaha and straight-lined a portion of the esses, rejoining the race in front of Zarco in third place. Rossi was penalized 0.3 seconds for the advantage gained.

“For me, it is not right because I have two choices,” Rossi explained. “I could do like this or we touch and crash. For sure, I cut so I gained some advantage—0.3 is okay. But, for me, the problem is not the regulation. The problem is Zarco. He is always very fast, and he rides the bike very well. He has great potential, but this is not Moto2.”

Reflecting on his points lead, Rossi added, “To stay at the top with Vinales and Marquez will be very hard, but we have to enjoy the moment. Now, we go back to Europe and arrive at a very good part of the championship—Jerez, Le Mans, Mugello, Barcelona, Assen. For me, it is a great feeling to race there.”

Asked about the changing condition of the racetrack, Marquez was clear: “Of course, I hope to come back, but they must take care of the bumps. It’s only three places where the bumps are very big. From last year to this year, the bumps got much bigger. If next year they do the same step, it will be difficult to ride. The circuit in general is incredible.”

Rossi didn’t mince words, either. “I think we will for sure come back,” he said. “This is a difficult track but it is a great track. Like Marc said, there are two or three points that they have to improve. But if they do it, they have to do it the right way. Some years ago, they had some bumps. They did a job that was not good.”

Marquez said the pressure to keep his win streak at COTA intact was countered by the knowledge that comes with past successes. “Every year is difficult,” he said. “It’s true that this year was a little bit more tight, especially in the beginning of the race. We came from Argentina, where I made a little mistake. We did this in the best way. It was an important weekend for us.”