Fabio Di Giannantonio shined once again in qualifying, securing pole position for the Americas Grand Prix. At the Austin circuit, where conditions were cooler than the previous day, incidents between riders also marked this session, with several situations under investigation. This qualifying session promises an exciting race ahead!
Q1 – Aldeguer and Mir Secure Their Spots
In the heart of Q1, it was Joan Mir who initially took the lead over his rivals. With Maverick Viñales absent for the weekend, the Spaniard showed impressive determination. Aware that he had misjudged his settings the day before, he corrected his approach and set an impressive time at the front.
The Honda rider posted a time four-tenths faster after his first series of laps. Behind him, the battle for the second fastest time, which meant access to Q2, intensified among Raúl Fernández, Fermín Aldeguer, and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu. When the green light was given for the final time attack, Aldeguer surpassed Mir’s time with a lap under 2:01. Fernández also closed the gap but couldn’t displace Mir from qualifying.
For the French riders, the day was more challenging. Johann Zarco started from 15th place behind his rookie teammate, Diogo Moreira. As for Fabio Quartararo, after a minor crash during his first run, he managed to climb to sixth place despite struggling with a tricky M1. Meanwhile, his teammate Álex Rins, a two-time winner here in 2019 and 2023, will start from the back.
Q2 – Di Giannantonio Navigates Traffic
Pecco Bagnaia continued to showcase his potential throughout the weekend, and there was no slowing down in Q2. Right from the start of this final qualifying phase, he clocked a lap in 2:00.815, breaking the track record. Just behind him, Fabio Di Giannantonio was also under that record time.
The Austin circuit is known for its length, but traffic quickly complicated matters for some riders. Marc Márquez had to navigate off-track multiple times to find a clear path and improve his time. He narrowly avoided contact with Marco Bezzecchi, which is now under investigation by the officials.
Joan Mir continued to surprise: he set a new record at COTA and took provisional pole! After a pit stop to change tires, it was Bagnaia who faced traffic issues, hindered by Ai Ogura and forced to deal with images under investigation.
Ultimately, during the decisive qualifying laps, Di Giannantonio took the lead followed by Bezzecchi and Acosta. While Bagnaia struggled to gain positions, Di Giannantonio successfully validated his pole position.
Jorge Martín, the fastest in free practice just before qualifying, will start from the third row alongside Álex Márquez and Luca Marini. Enea Bastianini, finally making it to Q2 after some mishaps this weekend, finished 12th after a crash during the session.
The starting grid is now set and will be used tonight for the sprint at 21:00 French time. The main race of the Grand Prix will kick off on Sunday at 22:00, just after the switch to daylight saving time.
In Summary
- Di Giannantonio secures another pole position at the Americas GP.
- Joan Mir demonstrates a strong performance with a new circuit record.
- French riders face challenges: Zarco 15th and Quartararo 6th after a crash.
- Bagnaia shows ambition but faces traffic during qualifying.
- The race promises to be thrilling with riders ready to battle starting tonight.
