MotoGP hits Texas this weekend! MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 previews. TechTricks365

MotoGP 2025

Round Three – USA – Circuit Of The Americas

MotoGP

MotoGP is returning to Texas this weekend for the third round of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship, the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas.

The Circuit Of The Americas is the first purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the U.S. and is situated near Austin, Texas. The track is 5.513km long and has a capacity for 120,000 fans. Construction of the impressive 1000-acre facility was completed late in 2012, with MotoGP lining up at the track for the first time in 2013.

One of its more distinctive features is near 41m-elevation change with an impressive incline at the end of the home-straight followed by a sharp left. The circuit is one of the most varied of the calendar, with a mix of fast straights and tight hairpins. The circuit direction is counterclockwise and has a total of 20 corners with 9 right turns and 11 left turns, and its fast changes of direction make it one of the most physically demanding of the year.

Marc Marquez is the most successful rider in COTA, having won 7 of the 11 editions of the Grand Prix of the Americas. Alex Rins, Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales belong to the very close circle of MotoGP riders who have also managed to win the coveted trophy in Austin.

If one Marquez out front wasn’t enough for the opposition to handle, now there are two. With Marc leading the way in the standings after two Grands Prix and with masterclass after masterclass, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) enjoys his best start to a season too. Leading in Thailand and pushing Marc in Argentina, Alex has led more laps than Marc has on Sundays so far this season. Now though, we’re heading to a track where he’s historically had it a little tougher, so it’ll be an interesting watch.

As for Marc Marquez, his form at COTA and indeed the USA is relentless, winning every Grand Prix on American soil from 2013 to 2018 and also in 2021. Crashing out of the lead in 2024, redemption in red will be the aim for the Championship leader. There are few tougher challenges in MotoGP than beating Marc Marquez at COTA.

Whilst Marc may have made his mark at COTA, there’s plenty of reason for optimism for others too. Team-mate Francesco Bagnaia took pole and a Sprint win in 2023 and after four straight podiums to start 2025, he wants to notch up a first win on his teammate’s territory. It’s one of his best starts to a season ever, despite not yet having taken the winning spoils, and it was always going to be a tough ask to take down Marc at these venues. His time will come, but an upset to the apple cart would be pretty sweet for the two-time MotoGP Champion.

Maverick Viñales, now with Red Bull KTM Tech 3, won there last year with Aprilia, something that will encourage the Noale factory’s 2025 new recruit Marco Bezzecchi. It will be interesting to see that switch up, and the flip side of how Viñales does on the KTM.

Maverick Viñales

“I left Argentina with a good feeling after the race, I think that we finally found a good base which suited me a bit better, so I really look forward to exploring this direction more in Austin. It is a track that I enjoy a lot, very demanding physically, where I had great success last season, but we are realistic. We will arrive with a new bike for me, which I am still trying to figure out, so we won’t arrive with the same targets. On Friday, it will be important to find our base for the weekend, so we can improve from there in qualifying the next day, until Sunday’s race! I am super excited for this round, let’s go!”

His now-teammate, Enea Bastianini, is also a COTA winner from 2022.

Enea Bastianini

“Argentina was unlucky for us, which is a real shame because I had made a decent start and the end story could have been different. Anyway, we move on to go to Austin, one of my favorite tracks of the calendar. It will be interesting to see what will be my potential on the KTM in COTA. I have many good memories from Texas, and I love going to the USA. Austin is a great city, and there are always many fans and a good atmosphere, so I’m looking forward to it, and hopefully I can be competitive.”

Meanwhile, Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) took 2023 and 2019 honours at COTA and made a step in Argentina two weeks ago.

And then there’s Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who aims for a repeat showing after lighting up COTA in only his second MotoGP weekend in 2024.

Following an Argentina to remember, Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) is on fire and arrives to a track where the team were winners two years ago as well as the 34-year-old Frenchman harnessing solid results in the past.

Historically, the Circuit of the Americas has been a challenge for Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) but after a more positive Round 2, the #33 chases a return to the top six.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) enjoyed his best qualifying of the year in Termas but luck wasn’t to come on Sunday, whilst Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) endured a tougher weekend than expected but still bagged points. Will COTA help them into the top ten consistently? They’ll also have test rider Augusto Fernandez saddling up at Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP to replace the recovering Miguel Oliveira.

Meanwhile, Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team duo Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio have made sure the team enjoyed a top five result in each Sprint or GP so far. They go into the weekend as dark horses, especially Morbidelli after returning to the GP podium for the first time in nearly 1500 days. Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) is one to watch too – the 2020 World Champion got back into the top ten for the first time in a year last time out and Honda’s step forward has been clear; teammate Luca Marini will hope that the circuit where he took a maiden premier class podium at two years ago will help him match that step too.

A tougher Argentina after a giant-killing Thailand, Ai Ogura goes to COTA seeking a return to the top six whilst also continuing to learn and adapt to MotoGP. His DSQ from Argentina for running non homologated software at least doesn’t change the fact he physically brought the bike home in the top ten again – something he’ll likely hold on to – as he continues to impress. That Viñales masterclass last year is also relevant for the Japanese rookie on the RS-GP, and he’s in the home team as Trackhouse return to US soil. His teammate Raul Fernandez will want to turn the tables on a key stage.

Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) wasn’t able to notch a point up at Termas but will be more optimistic after a Moto2 podium in the USA last year, whereas fellow rookie Somkiat Chantra’s (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) continues his pursuit of first points in the premier class.

We also have the Parts Unlimited MotoAmerica Talent Cup by Motul alongside us this weekend too as the new path on the Road to MotoGP makes its debut. Both Talent Cup races are on Saturday, one after MotoGP qualifying and one after the Tissot Sprint.

Moto2

Following a dazzling display in Termas, Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) lands in the USA full to the brim on confidence as the Brit aims to back up his Argentina success at a circuit he’s tasted podium success at in the past – 2022 to be exact.

But the challenge, chiefly from World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), will be strong as the Spaniard hunts more healthy points to continue his fine start to 2025. Gonzalez only has one top 10 to his name at the Circuit of The Americas, but surely that changes this time around?

Celestino Vietti’s (Team HDR Heidrun) first podium on a Boscoscuro will give the Italian plenty of confidence that he can challenge at the front for the third race in a row, and it was a Boscoscuro that won at COTA in 2024 thanks to Sergio Garcia (QJMOTOR-FRINSA-MSi), although Garcia will remain sidelined this time round.

Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) will be fired up to repeat his 2019 COTA victory and climb back onto the podium, and then there’s a certain home hero that the COTA crowd will be backing all weekend: Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing). After claiming P2 on home turf last season, a repeat – or something close – would go down perfectly for the American who continues to recover from the wrist injury he sustained last season.

Senna Agius has had a great start to the season but is eager for more and COTA is a venue he has raced at before.

Moto2 Championship Standings

Moto3

The Grand Prix of Argentina provided a challenging weekend for the Moto3 riders. The small category race offered a thrilling fight for victory from start to finish, which ended with Ángel Piqueras winning in the final metres. He was joined on the podium by Adrián Fernández and José Antonio Rueda, who also remains the leader of the category. COTA was the venue Piqueras earned his debut Grand Prix podium at in 2024, so it’s going to be a tough job to beat the #36.

But there will be a cluster of riders up for the task. None more so than Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo). A victory in Thailand was backed up with a P3 in Argentina to see the #99 continue to act as the early title chase leader. Rueda missed last year’s race in Austin after being diagnosed with appendicitis during the Grand Prix, but experience from 2023 will stand the early Championship pacesetter in good stead.

Adrian Fernandez’s P2 last time out signalled he’s going to be a season-long threat in 2025, and it’s the Spaniard who sits as Rueda’s closest challenger. Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP MTA Team) will be seeking a third straight pole position, but more importantly, a podium after finishing P4 in Argentina.

Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) narrowly missed out on a podium last time out as well, so can the Japanese star get his podium tally up and running in Austin? And can two riders who just missed out on American silverware in 2024, Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSi) and David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), properly fire their campaigns into life this weekend?

Joel Kelso was certainly fired up in Argentina! The LevelUp-MTA rider bounced back from a double long lap penalty to close back in on the leading group and score good points but is eager for more in Texas.

Joel Kelso

“Looking forward to the weekend ahead in COTA.It was a great track for us last year. We enjoyed our time, and it was an eventful race for sure. It is always an interesting track, a rough and long track as well, so it is easy to make a mistake; I feel like that is why we excel here. Coming off a good weekend in Argentina, after a double long lap penalty, to be able to come back to the front group and be there at the end was a great result. I’m really looking forward to getting things underway and showing what we’ve got this weekend.”

Kiwi Cormac Buchanan is looking to add to his tally after bagging two points in Argentina.

Máximo Quiles, who is now of the minimum age to compete, now joins the competition after missing the first two rounds of the calendar.

Another rider to join the fray a bit late in proceedings is Jacob Roulstone. The Australian suffered some fairly serious injuries in pre-season training that has kept him on the sidelines and put him behind the eight-ball. It will be interesting to see how quickly the promising youngster can get back up to speed and work his way towards the front.

As is always the case with Moto3, the competition should be fierce once again at the Americas GP. A fantastic weekend of lightweight class action awaits.

Moto3 Championship Standings

2025 MotoGP Calendar