Sprint Race
Ducati’s reigning champion fended off a fierce early challenge from Alex Rins before managing his advantage for a second Sprint victory of the season.
Espargaro later fell victim to Jorge Martin but the Aprilia star, enjoying his best COTA race, wasn’t giving up and stuck with the sick Pramac Ducati rider before pouncing for the final podium place at the penultimate turn.
But Espargaro ran wide on the exit, allowing Martin to cut back under and claim a hard earned third. Fabio Quartararo held an early fourth but was pushed back to sixth by the halfway stage.
Alex Marquez also crashed out of the lead group, in the closing stages.
Feature Race
Spain’s Alex Rins won the Grand Prix of the Americas after defending MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia crashed while leading the race in Austin.
Italian Bagnaia, who started on pole, fell after losing the front end of his bike on turn two on lap eight of 20. Rins controlled the rest of the race to claim his first MotoGP win of the season and sixth of his career.
Italian Luca Marini finished second, 3.498 seconds down, with France’s 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo third.
Rins’ surprise win in Texas was LCR Honda’s first victory since Britain’s Cal Crutchlow triumphed in Argentina in 2018.
Marco Bezzecchi, who won in Argentina earlier this month, finished sixth to extend his championship lead to 11 points over Bagnaia, who won the season opener in Portugal, after three rounds.
