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MOTOGP FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 3 / APRIL 12-14, 2019 CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS / AUSTIN, TEXAS P76 Marquez's failure was astonish- ing, but a clear illustration of the perils of the long and complex 3.4-mile lap of the Texas track, where the combination of very high speed and nasty bumps puts even the best of riders on a knife edge. Marquez had qualified on pole and made a perfect start, pulling steadily clear until, after seven laps, he was better than three seconds ahead. He always looks ragged. That is his style. Given that, there was nothing unusual about the way he wheeled into the slow corner at the end of the long straight—the hardest braking point encountered all year. Nobody could have been more surprised than he was when the front folded, the back came round, and he slid to rest. "It is a very long brake point, but I didn't do anything stupid. I "The only way to have a clear rule is that you don't move, but I think we speak tomorrow about the penalty." Dovizioso had a similar view. "It will be important. It was clear that Cal didn't gain anything and didn't do it on purpose. I think it is very hard to accept that for Cal. It's bad to lose a race like this, very bad." Marquez said: "I agree, but it is the best way—to have a solid rule." MORE POWER Straight-talking Australian Jack Miller raised a laugh at the pre-race press conference when asked what had made the difference, after his solid start to the year. "It's the big thing between my legs," he said. He quickly elucidated—"the engine." It made all the straights a huge pleasure, "particularly when there's a Suzuki in front of you," he laughed. Having switched from a year-old Ducati GP17 in his first year on the Italian bike last year to a factory-spec GP19 this year, he said the difference was significant in all areas, but particularly in terms of horsepower. The extra power allowed a valuable change in riding style. "I don't have to brake like an idiot and cook the front tire." BUMPS AND MORE Bumps, bumps and more bumps— interspersed with low grip—was the talk of the track at COTA, with riders universally bemoaning that the fantastic layout was spoiled by a sub-standard surface. Fresh efforts to improve the situation did win some positive remarks, but the general feeling was in line with Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci's com- ments at his press briefing after the first free practice. "It's unbelievable why we are riding here." The layout was "unbelievable in a positive sense, but the asphalt unbelievable in a negative sense." The blame falls less on sharing the circuit Briefly... It was an awful race for Maverick Vinales (12) who had a ride-through penalty for jumping the start and had to fight back through the field.