Tony Arbolino and Sam Lowes arrive at the jaw-dropping Circuit of the Americas in Texas in confident mood and ready to continue a sensational start to the 2023 Moto2 World Championship.

• A third place in Portimao and stunning win in Termas de Rio Hondo means Tony Arbolino goes into round three this weekend at COTA leading the Moto2 rankings for the first time, while Sam Lowes is looking to build on his strong start to 2023.
• Practice action at the long and challenging 5.5km track gets underway at 950am local time on Friday morning, with lights out for the 16-lap race due at 1215pm on Sunday afternoon.

/// SAM LOWES

• Lowes used all his experience and race craft in Portugal and Argentina to mount stunning charges through the pack to finish inside the top 10 in both.
• Having showed podium pace in the opening two races, Lowes is targeting a big improvement in qualifying this weekend to bolster his hopes of more glory at COTA.
• The Briton celebrated his first Moto2 victory at COTA in 2015 and he finished second in 2016.

“I’m sure we can take a step and fight for the podium”

“I always really look forward to going to Austin because it is a track that has great memories for me. My first Grand Prix win was there and that will always be a special memory. I enjoy riding the track, but it is certainly a tough challenge. It is very long and technical, but I always enjoy the task of trying to be fast there. We’ve had a very solid start to the season and managed to collect some important points for the World Championship. But you always want more and I’m sure if we can take a step forward where we need to, I can be fighting again for the podium.”

/// TONY ARBOLINO

• A faultless ride to victory in tricky conditions in Argentina last time out moved in-form Arbolino into an early eight-point lead at the top of the World Championship standings.
• The Italian is currently enjoying an incredible run in Moto2 having won three of the last six races and he’s now eyeing more success in Austin to maintain his fantastic start to 2023.
• Arbolino experienced an unforgettable moment in his career last year when he won for the first time in Moto2 at COTA, and he is now fully focused on repeating that breakthrough success this weekend.

“My motivation is to continue showing this high level”

“We go back to Austin full of confidence and motivation after a great start to the season. I love this fantastic track and I can’t wait to be riding there again. It is one of my favourite tracks and it will always be a special place for me after winning my first Moto2 race there one year ago. And this year we return leading the World Championship after performing so strongly in the first two races. My motivation is to continue showing this very high level we have demonstrated so far. I am sure we can do that, but the important thing is to keep our feet on the ground and concentrate to the maximum to keep the momentum going.”