Márquez Dazzles in Austin: A Resurgence at COTA

The Gresini rider sets the best time in Practice, demonstrating his strength on a talismanic circuit despite a spectacular fall.

The day at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin has been a whirlwind of emotions for Marc Márquez. The Spanish driver, seeking to reaffirm his status in the premier category, has had a memorable Practice session. Despite a start to the campaign marked by speed in the sprints and the absence of podiums in the main races, Márquez has found in Austin, one of his historical fiefdoms, the perfect setting to gauge his true potential.

The Texan afternoon, which dawned in Spain, witnessed a reborn Márquez. The man from Gresini has set the best time with an impressive 2'00″927surpassing by 53 thousandths to the amazing Ai Ogura. The latter, demonstrating the competitiveness of the Aprilia, has emerged as the main pursuer. However, the highlight of Márquez's performance has been his consistency and pace on medium tyres, an unmistakable sign of his good form.

The road to the top has not been without obstacles. The Austin sheriff, holder of seven wins and eight poles on this route, it has suffered its second fall of the season. The incident, which occurred at 191 km/h during Q2, resulted in erosions on his right arm and left hand. Fortunately, no fractures were confirmed. Márquez's reaction after the mishap was worthy of admiration. After a brief recovery period in the box, he returned to the track for the last nine minutes of the session. Despite taking only nine laps, in the penultimate lap he achieved the fourth best timeto 0″378 of the FP1 leader, Pedro Acosta.

Falls are not foreign to Márquez's history in Austin, even in his most glorious years. Today's drop adds to a history of eleven mishaps in this circuit. The most painful, on a mental level, were those suffered leading races in 2019, 2024 and 2025all of them at crucial moments. The curve 10where he had already had an incident in FP1, and the 11a recurring scene of his falls, have been key points in his career in Austin.

The Practice began with a falls festivaluntil six in just 12 minutes. The asphalt, 55ºCcaused losses of grip at full inclination, affecting riders of the stature of Pedro Acosta, leader of the 2026 World Championship and FP1, and Jorge Martín, second in MotoGP. After a longer stop to make adjustments to the rear suspension of his motorcycle, Marc Márquez returned to the track. With medium tires, rolling with 18 turns in the front and 13 in the backset a provisional time of 2'02″066 before finishing his second batch.

In the final two rounds, dedicated to the time attack, Márquez once again demonstrated his mastery. He was the only one, along with Ogura, to come down from the 2'01”. Maverick Viñales, with a time of 2'01″039retained the circuit record for 63 thousandths. The Aprilia rider, as expected, had to abandon the KTM after FP1 due to a bent screw from a previous intervention, returning to Europe for its extraction.

The session confirmed the presence of the main contenders in the top-10. The four Ducati GP26s of Márquez, Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio, three of the four Aprilias, Acosta's KTM and the surprise Bastianini, together with Marini, who set his time behind Bezzecchi, took the first positions. His teammate, Mir, stayed behind 32 thousandths from direct Q2. Aldeguer, Raúl Fernández and Zarco will have to find their way through the play-offs.