Vinales tops opening practice from Martin, Acosta

MotoGP returns from a three-week break since the Portuguese GP at the end of March after the Argentina round was cancelled due to a lack of government funding.

Aptly, the Circuit of the Americas is also the first round to be staged since it was announced that US media giant Liberty had acquired Dorna Sports in a deal worth €4.2 billion.

COTA has been partially resurfaced since MotoGP’s last visit to Texas, though lap times were over two seconds off the all-time record of 2m01.892s set by Francesco Bagnaia in 20213.

Vinales set the initial pace in the session at a 2m07.601s, before working that down to a 2m03.294s by way of a final time attack in the closing stages on fresh medium Michelin rubber.

This would be enough to keep Vinales – who revealed the gearbox issue which ruled him out of the Portuguese GP was a human error – top of the order by 0.149 seconds when the chequered flag came out, with championship leader Martin trailing him on the Pramac Ducati.

Tech3 GasGas rookie sensation Pedro Acosta completed the top three having scored a maiden podium last time out in Portugal, while seven-time COTA winner Marc Marquez was eighth on the Gresini Ducati.

As the field felt their way around the partially resurfaced COTA in the opening moments of FP1, lap times were far from representative as the likes of Vinales, Acosta, Martin, Marco Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez took turns leading the times.

At the halfway mark, eight-time world champion Marquez sat atop the standings with a 2m04.499s, before Martin took over with a 2m04.297s with 17 minutes to go.

Five minutes later KTM’s Jack Miller guided his RC16 to a 2m04.210s, before KTM stablemate Acosta produced a 2m03.802s on a new medium rear tyre.

Acosta wouldn’t see out the session as the fastest rider, though, as Vinales – also on fresh rubber – found a 2m03.294s with a couple of minutes left on the clock to secure top spot.

Martin put a bit of pressure of Vinales’ time on his final flying lap, having also gone for fresh tyres, but came up 0.149s short as the Pramac rider slotted in between the factory Aprilia and Tech3’s Acosta.

Enea Bastianini, winner at COTA in 2022, was fourth on the factory team Ducati from VR46’s Bezzecchi and KTM’s Brad Binder.

Franco Morbidelli enjoyed a strong morning on the sister Pramac Ducati in seventh, with Marc Marquez eight having elected against…