Two down, 20 to go and we land in the United States for the Grand Prix of the Americas, touching down in Austin and the Circuit of the Americas. COTA welcomes its very own king on the top of the Championship standings after a flawless start to 2025, with Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) hitting the ground running and laying down the gauntlet for his rivals. Like before, he’s certainly ‘WANTED’ in the USA – can someone disrupt the #93's unbelievable run?

THE MARQUEZ CARNIVAL CONTINUES: Marc and Alex lead the charge
If one Marquez out front wasn’t enough for the opposition to handle, now there are two. With Marc leading the way in the standings after two Grands Prix and with masterclass after masterclass, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) enjoys his best start to a season too. Leading in Thailand and pushing the #93 in Argentina, he’s led more laps than Marc has on Sundays. Now though, we’re heading to a track where he’s historically had it a little tougher, so it’ll be an interesting watch.

As for Marc Marquez, his form at COTA and indeed the USA is relentless, winning every Grand Prix on American soil from 2013 to 2018 and also in 2021. Crashing out of the lead in 2024, redemption in red will be the aim for the Championship leader. There are few tougher challenges in MotoGP than beating Marc Marquez at COTA.

THE SPECIALISTS: winners from the past look to the future
Whilst Marc may have made his mark at COTA, there’s plenty of reason for optimism for others too. Teammate Francesco Bagnaia took pole and a Sprint win in 2023 and after four straight podiums to start 2025, he wants to notch up a first win on his teammate’s territory. It’s one of his best starts to a season ever, despite not yet having taken the winning spoils, and it was always going to be a tough ask to take down the #93 at these venues. His time will come, but an upset to the apple cart would be pretty sweet for the two-time MotoGP Champion.

Maverick Viñales, now with Red Bull KTM Tech 3, won there last year with Aprilia, something that will encourage the Noale factory’s 2025 new recruit Marco Bezzecchi. It will be interesting to see that switch up, and the flip side of how Viñales does on the KTM. His now-teammate, Enea Bastianini, is also a COTA winner from 2022. Meanwhile, Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) took 2023 and 2019 honours and made a step in Argentina two weeks ago. And then there’s Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who aims for a repeat showing after lighting up COTA in only his second MotoGP weekend in 2024.

BATTLES IN THE PACK: Zarco headlines the dark horses
Following an Argentina to remember, Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) is on fire and arrives to a track where the team were winners two years ago as well as the 34-year-old Frenchman harnessing solid results in the past. Historically, the Circuit of the Americas has been a challenge for Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) but after a more positive Round 2, the #33 chases a return to the top six. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) enjoyed his best qualifying of the year in Termas but luck wasn’t to come on Sunday, whilst Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) endured a tougher weekend than expected but still bagged points. Will COTA help them into the top ten consistently? They'll also have test rider Augusto Fernandez saddling up at Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP to replace the recovering Miguel Oliveira.

Meanwhile, Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team duo Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio have made sure the team enjoyed a top five result in each Sprint or GP so far. They go into the weekend as dark horses, especially Morbidelli after returning to the GP podium for the first time in nearly 1500 days. Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) is one to watch too – the 2020 World Champion got back into the top ten for the first time in a year last time out and Honda’s step forward has been clear; teammate Luca Marini will hope that the circuit where he took a maiden premier class podium at two years ago will help him match that step too.

ROOKIE WATCH: a new challenge in Austin
A tougher Argentina after a giant-killing Thailand, Ai Ogura goes to COTA seeking a return to the top six whilst also continuing to learn and adapt to MotoGP. His DSQ from Argentina for running non homologated software at least doesn’t change the fact he physically brought the bike home in the top ten again – something he'll likely hold on to – as he continues to impress. That Viñales masterclass last year is also relevant for the Japanese rookie on the RS-GP, and he's in the home team as Trackhouse return to US soil. His teammate Raul Fernandez will want to turn the tables on a key stage.

Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) wasn’t able to notch a point up at Termas but will be more optimistic after a Moto2™ podium in the USA last year, whereas fellow rookie Somkiat Chantra’s (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) continues his pursuit of first points in the premier class.

Austin may well be the Live Music Capital of the World – their words, although we’re a partisan crowd when we arrive in town – but horsepower takes over once MotoGP touches down. Will the Marquez brothers force the rest to dance to their own tune or will a new headline act take over the centre stage on Sunday? It’s set to be a belter whatever happens so don’t miss a lap of the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, with the Sprint at 15:00 and the GP at 14:00 (UTC-5)!

What's happening at COTA?

Plenty. The press conference will take place at 12:00 on Thursday, with points leader Marc Marquez joined by Alex Marquez, Franco Morbidelli fresh from the podium, and Ai Ogura from home team Trackhouse.

We have the Parts Unlimited MotoAmerica Talent Cup by Motul alongside us this weekend too as the new path on the Road to MotoGP makes its debut. Both races are on Saturday, one after MotoGP qualifying and one after the Tissot Sprint.

The Sprint podium, like last year, will take place in the amphitheatre for the fans to enjoy the show to the max.

Moto2™ ready to take on Texas

Following a dazzling display in Termas, Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) lands in the USA full to the brim on confidence as the #96 aims to back up his Argentina success at a circuit he’s tasted podium success at in the past – 2022 to be exact.

But the challenge, chiefly from World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), will be strong as the Spaniard hunts more healthy points to continue his fine start to 2025. Gonzalez only has one top 10 to his name at the Circuit of The Americas, but surely that changes this time around?

Celestino Vietti’s (Team HDR Heidrun) first podium on a Boscoscuro will give the Italian plenty of confidence that he can challenge at the front for the third race in a row, and it was a Boscoscuro that won at COTA in 2024 thanks to Sergio Garcia (QJMOTOR-FRINSA-MSi), although Garcia will remain sidelined this time round.

Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) will be fired up to repeat his 2019 COTA victory and climb back onto the podium, and then there’s a certain home hero that the COTA crowd will be backing all weekend: Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing). After claiming P2 on home turf last season, a repeat – or something close – would go down perfectly for the American who continues to recover from the wrist injury he sustained last season.

Moto3™ saddle up for a showdown in Austin

Unlike the Thai GP, Moto3’s victory battle went down to the wire as a bullish Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSi) made sure he touches down in Austin as a 2025 race winner. COTA was the venue Piqueras earned his debut Grand Prix podium at in 2024, so it’s going to be a tough job to beat the #36.

But there will be a cluster of riders up for the task. None more so than Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo). A victory in Thailand was backed up with a P3 in Argentina to see the #99 continue to act as the early title chase leader. Rueda missed last year’s race in Austin after being diagnosed with appendicitis during the Grand Prix, but experience from 2023 will stand the early Championship pacesetter in good stead.

Adrian Fernandez’s P2 last time out signalled he’s going to be a season-long threat in 2025, and it’s the Spaniard who sits as Rueda’s closest challenger. Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP MTA Team) will be seeking a third straight pole position, but more importantly, a podium after finishing P4 in Argentina. Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) narrowly missed out on a podium last time out as well, so can the Japanese star get his podium tally up and running in Austin? And can two riders who just missed out on American silverware in 2024, Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSi) and David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), properly fire their campaigns into life this weekend?

As is always the case with Moto3, the competition should be fierce once again at the Americas GP. A fantastic weekend of lightweight class action awaits.