Alex Rins shows strong pace in Texas
The opening session of track action at the Circuit of the Americas was difficult in the MotoGP class as the asphalt was incredibly dusty and dirty. That, coupled with several bumps around the twisty track meant a period of adaptation was necessary in FP1, but both riders showed strong pace from the very beginning. In FP2 Iannone and Rins confirmed their provisional places in Q2, which may be crucial as rain is forecast for Saturday.
Alex Rins completed FP1 in 10th place (2:07.211) and looked comfortable and confident throughout the morning session. In FP2 he started the session well and was able to improve several times, keeping himself in Q2 contention. Just before the chequered flag came out, the Spaniard put in a 2:05.452 which elevated him to 6th place, +0.853 behind his teammate.
Alex Rins:
“I’m quite happy because we did a good job from FP1 onwards, and where we lacked a little bit we were able to adjust the bike well for FP2 and it was better. With the race tyre I feel strong and I have good pace, we still need to work a bit on setup but we’re going in a good direction. Usually our rhythm in wet conditions is good and I like it a lot, so we will see what happens tomorrow.”