MotoGP COTA weekend weather report predicts thunderstorms and high humidity

MotoGP is back this weekend and headed to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas for the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas.

The third round of the 2025 MotoGP season is predicted to have the additional challenge of a wet race with a high chance of rain and thunderstorms on Friday. Here is the full weather forecast for the race weekend, as per Weather.com.

Friday, 28 March - Practice

Friday is set to reach a high of 25°C with a staggering 83% humidity. Adding to the difficulties that come with the high humidity are potential thunderstorms and a 71% chance of rain.

Saturday, 29 March - Practice and qualifying

Saturday sees the threat of thunderstorms lift and the chance of rain drop to 18%. However, the humidity remains high at 75% with a high temperature of  29°C.

Sunday, 30 March - MotoGP race day

Race day is set to reach a scorching 30°C with humidity at 72%. It looks as though the threat of thunderstorms remains low on Sunday with a 23% chance of rain.

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

COTA changes

New asphalt has been laid to correct some of the bumps on the Circuit of the Americas at turns 1-2, 19-20, 11, and 12.

Piero Taramasso, Manager of Michelin’s Two-Wheel Motorsport division,  commented on the track changes and how this could impact the tyre degradation:

“We have solid experience at COTA, but this year’s partial resurfacing and the varying grip levels across different sections of the circuit introduce new parameters to consider,” said Piero Taramasso, Manager of Michelin’s Two-Wheel Motorsport division.

“We know the asphalt offers a medium level of aggressiveness, and despite the recent work, the track still presents some irregularities. That’s why we’ve adapted our tyre allocation accordingly, while maintaining the same overall balance in terms of stiffness."

Taramasso added:

“We’ve opted to keep a symmetrical [compound] front tyre, as the circuit places significant demands on the front without causing excessive wear on one particular side.

“In contrast, the rear tyre features a reinforced right side to better withstand the specific stresses imposed by COTA.

“Last year, our partners set multiple records on this track, and we’re confident that this year’s allocation will once again provide them with optimal conditions to perform at the highest level.”