‘Loving all that razzamatazz’
What a race and what a good advert for MotoGP – especially in America. The whole meeting was true yank style, jets flying over and Hollywood razzamatazz. In some ways CoTA needs it because races there have been a bit processional, but not this year. Viñales came from 11th to win and there were bits of Marquez’s Ducati flying off everywhere.
I’m still a bit stunned by Viñales. He looked fantastic, but I thought his interviews were a bit weird. He’s obviously been in some dark places. At times he would have been sat there, not happy, knowing that everyone wants his ride, but now it seems that the planets have lined up and he’s showing everyone what he can do. He’s gone from it being a desperate situation where he thinks he’s losing his job and holding his breath to what you can only describe as a faultless exhibition race. The penny has dropped and he now knows that he’s a contender. It’s good for the sport.
I loved some of Acosta’s comments post race. He clearly loves rolling up his sleeves and getting stuck in. He said ‘you have no idea how much I’m enjoying this racing’. Other riders would have been crying about it… but not him.
It’s like he’s come in and found the limit of riding a 300bhp MotoGP bike straight away. He’s like a clean sheet of paper and the team have just said ‘right have a go on this’ and he’s just jumped on it and is now riding the wheels off it.
I think Bagnaia started to have a go, but quickly realised that it wasn’t his day, which is the champion thing to do – especially after seeing Marquez go out. And for whatever reason Martin just got a bit giddy and didn’t do what he was probably capable of.
Aside from the race, we got the news that Quartararo will be staying with Yamaha for another two years. It has to be the money… especially given there was talk about him going to Aprilia. Plus, have Yamaha got something up their sleeve? Have they got a V4? I don’t know but they must have promised something because he can’t be having much fun.
‘I’m still a bit stunned by Viñales’ return’