Three-time and defending MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez has never been beaten in Grand Prix racing's top class in America. On Sunday at Circuit of The Americas, round three of the championship, the Spaniard could win his 11th race on US soil.
After Thursday’s pre-event press conference, I asked the 24-year-old Repsol Honda rider to rank the three American tracks—COTA, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway—where he has raced beginning in 2008 in order of personal preference. Just one, COTA, remains on the schedule.
"Austin is the one that is more like a real MotoGP track," Marquez began. "Then, the second one is Laguna. It's a really nice place. It was incredible to race there—only one year, in 2013, but it was incredible."
Marquez earned three premier-class victories in consecutive years—2013, 2014, and 2015—at IMS. “Indy was maybe the most strange track,” he said. “Everything is flat. Of course, the flagman, Kevin Clark, always was there.”
Saving the best for last, Marquez concluded, “Between these three tracks, this one—COTA—is the one I enjoy most. It’s really long, has many different types of corners, and the first part of the circuit is really difficult. I enjoy it a lot.”