Valentino Rossi leads furious MotoGP riders' Austin track criticism
Valentino Rossi has branded the situation at Austin a "disaster" as MotoGP riders slammed the increasingly bumpy and dirty track surface following Friday practice

Following riders' complaints about severe bumps last year, the track used diamond-grinder trucks to try to smooth out the surface.
But riders declared these efforts a failure, with the surface still riddled with bumps and also covered in a fine layer of cement dust that has affected visibility.
Yamaha rider Rossi, who was fourth-fastest on Friday, said the situation at Austin had become "critical".
"It's a disaster," he said. "For me it's the worst situation during all the season. You have three or four bumps that are very big.
"You have a lot of bumps on the straight, so the bike moves very much at more than 300km/h and it's a critical situation.
"Last year we asked to do some improvements, they did something but unfortunately it didn't work."
Asked where the bumps were worst, Rossi replied: "Turn 2, very bad, and Turn 10, big bumps.
"Back straight, after the hole, you go up, you go over the crest, [in] fifth and sixth [gears] the bike moves a lot because of big bumps. There are a lot of bumps in the braking [zone] also.
"Maybe the biggest one is Turn 18, before the last two lefts, the bodywork touches the ground, so it's like motocross. Personally I like very much this track, but the bumps start to be a problem."

Rossi's sentiments were echoed by LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow, who said organisers had done a "terrible job" in their bid to fix the bumps and had only made things worse.
"I don't understand how we can come to a GP and it's worse than last year, when they've tried to shave the bumps," said the championship leader. "They haven't really done anything.
"It's so dirty, and so bumpy you can't imagine. I love this circuit, but it's bad. It's honestly bad that we now come to GPs and the circuit be in this shape.
"You can't see down the back straight if you're behind someone."
Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro described the situation as "unacceptable", urging organisers to resurface the track, while Pramac's Danilo Petrucci was similarly scathing in his assessment.
"I think it's not safe to race in a track like this," said Petrucci. "We are in the world championship and a track like this I never found even in a national championship."
Petrucci's team-mate Jack Miller said his Ducati's windscreen was broken by rocks and dust flying up from the track surface, and he is concerned forecast rain on Saturday will make things worse still.
"It'll be almost like riding on mud when it mixes with water," he said.
"From my past experience, and my theory, dirt and water on top of a normal track normally don't combine too well."

Previous article
Dani Pedrosa: Points would make Austin MotoGP injury pain worth it
Next article
MotoGP plans harsher penalties after clashes such as Marquez/Rossi

About this article
Series | MotoGP |
Drivers | Valentino Rossi |
Teams | AB Motoracing |
Author | Oriol Puigdemont |
Valentino Rossi leads furious MotoGP riders' Austin track criticism
Trending
Marc Marquez is back
MotoGP Starting Grid: Portugal Grand Prix
MotoGP Starting Grid: Doha Grand Prix
Marc Márquez's first ride after his injury
Marc Marquez continues his recovery
How Yamaha’s rookie-spec MotoGP star is taking charge
Fabio Quartararo is on a roll in 2021, having stormed to victory at a venue where he last year served up one of his worst races. Contrasting Portuguese GPs for Yamaha’s factory duo make it hard to understand just how good its 2021 MotoGP bike is, but the Portimao weekend has revealed one key improvement compared to 2020
The hurdles Marquez faces next in his Portugal MotoGP return
Even by Marc Marquez’s own high standards, his MotoGP comeback on Friday at the Portuguese Grand Prix will be considered a success even if he didn’t top the times. But having shown competitive pace on his first day back, both Marquez and his rivals know plenty more challenges are to come
Where does Honda's new MotoGP signing sit ahead of its king's return?
Pol Espargaro’s first results as a Honda MotoGP rider may not appear special. But dig a little deeper and a clearer picture of his performance emerges. And, as Lewis Duncan writes, it’s cause for celebration at Honda with the return of Marc Marquez set to provide Espargaro with the reference he has been missing so far this year
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
Has Yamaha banished its demons with its 2021 MotoGP bike?
Against the expected run of play at Qatar's Losail circuit, both Yamaha riders Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo carved through a resolute Ducati defence to secure back-to-back MotoGP wins for the Japanese marque. After a difficult 2020, it appears that Yamaha has swaggered back into championship contention
Why MotoGP’s top gun looks more dangerous at the Doha GP
Lightning hasn't struck twice for Maverick Vinales since 2017 and his wayward form of recent years makes predicting how he'll fare each MotoGP race weekend tricky. But fresh from his Qatar GP win, Vinales looks like an even more dangerous prospect for the Doha GP following an intriguing Friday practice
Why MotoGP’s new Amazon series is long overdue
OPINION: MotoGP is getting its own version of Drive to Survive on Amazon Prime at some point in the near future. It was news welcomed by the grid’s leading riders. And following the impact DTS has had on Formula 1, MotoGP desperately needs the same boost.