10 things you need to know before the AmericasGP

You really have to tune in on Sunday. Here's a few things to know...

It was a dramatic Saturday, and it's set us up for a stunner of a Sunday. Here are 10 reasons to watch the #AmericasGP:

1-  Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) starts from pole position for the sixth time in the premier class, becoming the first non-Honda rider to start from pole in the USA since Jorge Lorenzo in Laguna Seca back in 2012. He crashed out of the race on the second lap last year at Austin.

2 - Team Suzuki Ecstar's Andrea Iannone starts from the front row for the first time since he was third on the grid at Valencia in 2017. This is also the best qualifying result for Suzuki in the USA since Chris Vermeulen was on pole in Laguna Seca back in 2007.

3 - It's the seventh successive time on the front row for Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) since Japan last year. He is the highest-placed Independent Team rider on the grid.

4 - After being given a penalty of three grid positions, Repsol Honda Team's Marc Márquez won’t start from pole position for the sixth successive year at the Grand Prix of the Americas. He is still aiming to take his sixth successive win at this track, however, which would be his 10th successive win in the MotoGP™ class in the USA. Marquez has not stood on the top step of the podium since Australia last year.

5 - Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) starts from the middle of the second row, his best qualifying result since he was fourth in Sepang last year, which was also the last time there were three Yamahas within the top five. He will be aiming to take his first win in the USA since Indianapolis in 2008.

6 - As it was last year, the top Ducati rider on the grid at Austin is Jorge Lorenzo in sixth place.

7 - Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) will be aiming to become the first British rider to win back-to-back races in the premier class since Barry Sheene back in 1977 (Belgium/Sweden) and the first Independent Team rider to do so since Marco Melandri in 2005.

8 - Ducati Team's Andrea Dovizioso, who has been the first Ducati rider across the line four times since the Circuit of the Americas joined the calendar five years ago, including two podium finishes in 2014 and 2015.

9 - Injured Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), who has been on the podium on three of his four visits in Austin, starts from an awe-inspiring ninth on the grid.

10 - LCR Honda Idemitsu's Takaaki Nakagami will complete the fourth row as the top rookie on the grid, which is his best qualifying result in the MotoGP™ class.

Don't miss the Americas GP, with lights out at 14:00 local time (GMT -5) on Sunday!

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