Written by Andrew Lwanga, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
After a brief stop in Europe, MotoGP makes its way across the pond to the great state of Texas for the Grand Prix Of The Americas. Horses are traded for horsepower in this modern rendition of a rodeo, as many expect a wild and unpredictable weekend of racing.
Riders will become gunslingers as they expect to do battle at the modern-day classic of a circuit that is The Circuit Of The Americas. The circuit has been characterised as an amalgamation of other classic tracks.
The first corner is a daunting uphill trek for those who dare leave their braking as late as possible. A series of S-curves and medium to high speed corners shape the next section of racetrack. This juxtaposed to several long straights into hard braking zones make for an interesting battleground.
Heading into this weekend, Jorge Martin has the early championship lead. The Spaniard beat everyone to the chequered flag in Portimao, where defending champion Bagnaia unceremoniously crashed out. “The Martinator” will then look to extend his advantage against the rest of the field.
Martin's immediate challenger is the ever-present Brad Binder. It is no secret KTM are behind Ducati, however the Austrian outfit's progress is just as obvious making them worthy contenders against Bologna's bullets this coming weekend.
On the other end of the spectrum is Ducati frontman Bagnaia, who suffered a less than stellar fate in Portimao, crashing out of the Grand Prix; however, the double world champion is no stranger to comebacks, and will be looking to right the wrongs of Portugal in America.
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the magnitude of this weekend in the early championship picture cannot be overstated either.