Round four of 2022 MotoGP™ dashed around the challenging curves of the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas as the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas served up more fascinating entertainment fare. Red Bull KTM Ajo had reason for cheer with Jaume Masia taking his first Moto3 victory of the season and his second for the team.
Moto3
In a departure from the norm, the 17-lap Moto3 race closed rather than opened the Grand Prix schedule. The riders had to deal with a warm but windy climate. The appealing 5.5km course was mercifully devoid of the large, sketchy bumps that made COTA so perilous in the previous edition of the race in October 2021. Five KTM RC4s filled the first eight positions on the start grid and once the red light disappeared to fire the contest into action then seven riders littered the front-running group going for podium trophies.
Masia was relentlessly chasing P1 and timed his push to perfection, seizing the position from Dennis Foggia on the final lap and winning by almost two tenths of a second. Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Deniz Öncü broke into the top-five. The Turk was only a second away from Masia and half a second from a first podium result of 2022. Adrian Fernandez took 14th and gathered two points while Daniel Holgado crashed twice; the second accident ruling him out of the reckoning.
Moto2
The intermediate class got the ninth Grand Prix event at COTA underway with Red Bull KTM Ajo riders Augusto Fernandez and Pedro Acosta hunting the maximum amount of world championship points. Acosta was a victim of a mistake through the tricky chicane section early on and crashed out while Fernandez battled hard from a lowly qualification placing of 18th to finish 9th.
MotoGP will veer to round five and another undulating and splendid layout for motorcycle racing with the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao on April 24th.
Results Moto3 Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas 2022
1. Jaume Masia (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo 38:58.286
2. Dennis Foggia, ITA, Honda +0.172
3. Andrea Migno, ITA, Honda +0.394
4. Ayumu Sasaki, JPN, Husqvarna +0.490
5. Deniz Öncü, (TUR), Red Bull KTM Tech3 +1.113
14. Adrian Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +17.967
DNF. Daniel Holgado (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo
Results Moto2 Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas 2022
1. Tony Arbolino (ITA) 39:06.552
2. Ai Ogura (JPN) +3.439
3. Jake Dixon (GBR) +4.787
9. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +24.595
DNF. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo