By clothing-bag, 13/04/2022

MotoGP riders threaten a boycott if the potholes in Austin are not fixed: "The minutes of silence will come later"

It has been the star theme of the Grand Prix of the Americas. The potholes on the Austin circuit have put the MotoGP riders on a war footing after some very complicated and dangerous free practice. It has reached the point where the possibility of boycotting the race was considered, but the blood has not reached the river... yet.

Although finally there has been a race in 2021, the drivers have left a clear threat: there will be a boycott if the track is not paved again by 2022. In fact, they have made a promise from Dorna that they will not include the Grand Prix in the calendar if you continue to have the same pothole problems.

Austin has promised MotoGP to fix potholes by 2022

The meetings during the days of Friday and Saturday were constant to avoid rebellious pilots already in 2021. Dorna has managed to get from the organizers the promise that the potholes will be fixed by 2022, and in turn the pilots have managed to Dorna promises them that if they don't, there will be no race.

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The problem was between turns 2 and 11, a very wide area of ​​Austin that is completely potholed, causing the bikes to lift off the ground even at very high speed points. An obvious danger that the promoters of the Grand Prix have promised to solve for next year.

But they don't have much time left. Under no circumstances can the resurfacing be done before the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, which will take place on October 24, and it must be remembered that the motorcycles return to Austin in April, since it is one of the first races in the season. They will be fair to respect all times.

The pilots did not hesitate to make public their complaints about the asphalt. "It's one of the most dangerous tracks I've ever raced," said Pecco Bagnaia, who was even willing to sacrifice his few title chances if he decided to boycott the race. An opinion to which Iker Lecuona joined: "it is the worst circuit in which he has driven".

The most belligerent was Aleix Espargaró, who, in addition to not mincing words, has more than paid for the potholes in Austin. He has crashed five times throughout the Grand Prix, completing his worst weekend, and by far, of the entire season. "Then the tears and the minutes of silence will come. It's a joke to be here," he sentenced.

And it is that eliminating the potholes in Austin is a classic demand of the MotoGP riders. "Every year here it gets worse and worse. Things are very close to the limit. It's not easy or pleasant," said Marc Márquez who, even so, later played down the issue. It's normal, not racing in Austin for him means losing 25 safe points.

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