Enea Bastianini was the favourite for the win yesterday, despite a fifth place on the grid behind other four Ducati machines: in the race he showed he can excel under pressure in a race that in many ways remembered the triumphant ride in Qatar. After a good start, he managed his pace in the first part of the race behind Miller and Martin, before unleashing the ‘beast’: thanks to a frenetic pace, he crossed the finish line a lonely winner in Texas. The tally goes up to two wins (out of four races) with the rider #23 who returns to the top of the standings with a five-point advantage on Rins and 11 points on Espargaró.
Enea Bastianini
“We had exactly this time of plan for the race. In the beginning I struggled a little in the first sector, but I chose to not take too many risks and try to tail Martin. Then when Rins came from behind and we almost collided, I decided it was time to push harder. I passed Jorge and then Jack: I saw I had a little extra and I tried. I made a few mistakes during my first lap in the lead, but then I was able to put together a good pace. This is a fantastic win, which is the result of incredible teamwork. We can be quick on every track, even though I’m living this season like a rookie, as I see that we still have something to learn from the others on the track.”
Alex Rins
“I’m so happy! I didn’t actually expect to get the podium, because in the first few laps I was struggling a bit and in risk to lose ground. I had to try and push the tyres more, to brake later, to make good overtakes. When I got into third I had a couple of moments on the front, some mistakes, and I knew that finishing the race was the most important thing. Then, with just two laps to go, I felt better and my pace was good, it meant I was able to overtake Jack and get second. This result is great, and I want to dedicate this podium to Suzuki for their amazing achievements, but also to the people of Ukraine, and those around the world who are suffering.”
Jack Miller scored his first podium of the 2022 season at the Circuit of The Americas near Austin, Texas. The Australian rider, who started from second on the grid, did a fantastic race, which saw him in the lead for almost the entire duration.
As he got off well at the start, Jack immediately moved into first place, holding off the Ducati of Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing Team) and then Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing) for over half of the race. However, with five laps to go, Miller no longer had the pace to defend himself from his rivals and got overtaken first by fellow Ducati rider Bastianini -winner of today’s race – and then by Rins, finishing third. For the Ducati Lenovo Team rider, this is his second podium finish at the American track after his third-place here in 2019. Thanks to today’s result, Miller moves up to seventh place in the overall standings.
Jack Miller
“Honestly, I don’t know if I could have done any better today. I knew I didn’t have the pace to escape and leave the group behind me. When Enea passed me, I tried to follow him, but at a certain point, he went wide. I made the same mistake risking going off the track and getting overtaken. I knew that Rins was very close behind me. I tried to defend myself, but in the end, he overtook me. I’m really happy with this result, although I’m a bit disappointed having tasted victory for so long. The team and I needed this third place, so I’m happy.”
