Under the hot Texan conditions, Enea Bastianini lined up 12th on the grid, determined to build on the positives from Saturday’s Sprint, where he claimed P3, and convert them into a strong Sunday result.

A solid launch allowed ‘La Bestia’ to gain positions in the opening laps, and the Italian soon found his way into 10th. Showing patience and control, Bastianini kept the riders ahead close while managing his tyres around the demanding COTA layout.

The race continued to unfold in Bastianini’s favour as a crash for Joan Mir promoted him to P8. Maintaining his strong pace, the Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider continued his attack and soon advanced into 7th after passing Álex Márquez.

In the closing stages, the #23 rider entered a nail-biting three-way battle for P5. Continuing to push until the chequered flag, Bastianini ultimately crossed the line in 6th, just behind Marc Márquez after a determined late-race charge.

The result marks a significant step forward for Bastianini and his second best weekend with the Tech3 team to date, highlighting improved race pace and growing confidence with the KTM RC16.

Enea Bastianini: “I am very happy with this result because it was not an easy race. At the start, I lost the rear in Turn 3 and then, after some contact, the airbag deployed, which made things difficult for a while. After that, I tried to find my pace lap by lap and close the gap to the riders in front.

“At the end, I caught Marc, and it was a hard fight because he was pushing a lot in the final laps. I tried to get closer out of Turn 11 to have a chance into Turn 12, but we were missing a bit of acceleration. Still, we were competitive under braking and that is a positive.

“We can be satisfied with this weekend. I made a mistake in Qualifying, which made the race more difficult, but it is good to be back fighting close to the front again. Now we must keep working and continue like this in Europe.”

Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: “We are very happy with our weekend in Austin. The team leaves with smiles on our faces, which is a real relief after two complicated races.

“I would like to congratulate Enea on the job he has done all weekend. It was great to see him enjoying the bike, building confidence, and delivering a strong race. He improved his pace and worked his way into the fight with Pecco [Bagnaia] and Marc Márquez, which was great to watch.

“P3 in the Sprint and P6 in the main race are positive results for us as we leave Austin. We now have a break, which will give Maverick time to recover from his shoulder surgery, and we hope to be back in great shape in Jerez.”