Following the event in South America, MotoGP is moving onto North America for the 3rd race of the 2019 World Championship scheduled for April 12 to 14 at the Circuit of the Americas (Austin, Texas). The track was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke and is one of the few circuits in the world to host both the MotoGP World Championship and Formula 1: the single-seaters register a lap time half a minute lower than that of the motorcycles.
Some stretches on the track were inspired by famous corners on historic circuits. The Texan circuit stands out for the intimidating incline on the straightaway leading to the first left-hand turn. In all, there is a difference of 41 meters (135 feet) between the lowest and highest points on the track, which makes it easy to imagine what might happen if the riders make a mistake in braking on the downhill stretch.
The Austin track poses a mid-level challenge on the braking systems. According to Brembo technicians, who assist all of the MotoGP riders, the Circuit of the Americas earned 3 points on a scale of 1 to 5. This is exactly what the tracks at Losail and Termas de Rio Hondo registered, but at Jerez, where the race will be held in three weeks, the score goes up to 4.
