MotoGP 2021 – Round 11 – Red Bull Ring
Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich Spielberg

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Brad Binder – P1

“That was really scary! When I saw the rain coming I was trying to work out how many seconds I could lose per lap and when the others went in I decided to take the gamble. I could push hard on the first lap but then the rear tire started to slide as the temperature cooled. Then I lost the carbon brakes! Wow, I think there was someone up there holding me up today because there were a couple of moments when I thought it was over. Here in front of the fans and the home race for KTM and Red Bull I felt like I had to take the gamble. To win today is insane.”

Francesco Bagnaia – P2

“Again, today we went close to winning, but I’m still happy! We did our best and worked really well. Both when I was leading in the dry and the wet, we managed the situation well. I let Márquez through when I saw the first drops of rain, to see what he would do because I didn’t know if I should go back and change the bike. I saw that many riders didn’t stop, and I thought I had made a mistake by doing the flag-to-flag. After the first lap on the rain tyres, I found my rhythm and was able to pass a lot of riders to take second place. We will try again! The next race is at Silverstone, and I’m sure we can fight for a good result there too!”

Jorge Martín – P3

“I am in seventh heaven. After having swapped bikes, I didn’t think to be able to reach the podium, then I began making great overtakes therefore by the time I had reached the finish line, I was third. I am very proud of what we are achieving.”

Joan Mir – P4

“Today I completed my first ever bike swap in a race, and it was a really intense and crazy experience! I was trying to decide the best time to head into the pits, I was weighing up the risk versus reward of slicks or wets, and then all my closest rivals decided to go in so I went with them. It turned out to be a good choice, because the track became very wet and slippery. The last part of the race was quite funny and strange because I don’t think anyone knew the real results until after the flag. It was also a little scary because there were riders everywhere, all on different tyres, it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. My feeling in the dry was OK, but I didn’t have as much traction as usual and we’ll need to analyse why. At first I thought I could win if I stayed out on the dry set-up, but that wouldn’t have been a sensible decision and I’m glad to bring home decent points and an important fourth place.”

Luca Marini – P5

“I would say we were close of making history. It was a shame at the end, but I’m happy. It was a weekend where we worked well from the first free practice, the first half of the race in the dry I was fast, I felt good. It was difficult to get away from my rivals because I was losing a bit of distance on the straights. Then, in the rain, I kept my eyes open and started to calculate how much I was going to lose with the bike change and in the end the decision to stay out was the right one. On the last lap it was raining a lot, so I tried to defend myself from the guys on rain tyres and I was close to the podium. I’m a bit disappointed, but satisfied because I was able to keep my nerve and make the right decision at a key moment.”

Iker Lecuona – P6

“Obviously, I’m really happy as this was my best MotoGP result so far. It was a crazy race. I felt the grip was dropping a lot, which helped me to decide that I stay on the track when it started to rain. I thought ‘I have nothing to lose’. I stayed on the track and had a good fight with some riders. I lost the podium in the last sector, but it wasn’t possible with the slicks. I’m very happy and want to thank my team, that always worked well again during this weekend. Also a huge thank you to all the people, who believe in me, especially to my family.”

Fabio Quartararo – P7

“Let‘s say that I‘m happy about my dry race. I‘m happy because I stayed with Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez at the front. At this track that‘s a good step forward. I wasn‘t thinking about the championship until it was raining a lot. The overtaking was scary. I had Jorge Martin on the left, Marc Marquez on the right, I had no place to go. I said, ’Let‘s do as usual and brake hard‘. I felt that I was on the limit, but I think it was one of the best overtakes of my career. We know that Marquez and Martin are ’strong brakers‘, so I impressed even myself. When it was raining a lot, I had a few moments. I saw Marquez go into pit lane and said, ’It‘s time to go in‘. Most others followed and I said, ’Now is the time to think about the championship and let‘s see the results‘. That was, for me, the right decision. Unfortunately, I missed out on fifth position because of a mistake. But in the end, it‘s quite a nice feeling to leave Austria with a 47-point lead. This is a track where we thought we might lose points. As for Silverstone, in good conditions, we will be there fighting for the victory, that’s my goal. I‘m looking forward to it because it‘s one of my favourite tracks.”

Valentino Rossi – P8

“It was incredible that the changing point between slick and wet tyres was in the final laps of the race, it made it very exciting. I didn’t want to change bikes because there were only four laps to go and it was the right choice. However, if the rain had arrived two minutes later we could have been on the podium. I was P3 at one point and I was so shocked to see that on my board. Overall it’s a positive day because it was a good result, for both the team and me, and we have taken some points. The atmosphere today was great, because it’s the first time that we have had a full circuit of fans. I had incredible support and there were so many people in yellow, so it was exciting to do the final lap back to the pits. I’m feeling better on the bike and I’m looking forward to the race in Silverstone.”

Álex Márquez – P9

“Well, it was a such a difficult race, I made a mistake with the front medium tyre, in the dry it was a disaster, we cooked the tyre too much, it was hot and just impossible to ride. But I knew there was always half a chance of rain and, while I was trying to give 100 percent, I was just waiting for some rain and, in the end, it came and we finished P9. We cannot be happy because in the race I made that mistake and I want to say sorry to my team because it was my choice, but we go to Silverstone in a good mood as it’s another solid weekend and that’s the most important thing.”

Aleix Espargaro – P10

“I had a good start, but not perfect, and in the early laps I lost a few positions. Lap after lap, I began to feel increasingly better. I was losing a bit in acceleration, but on the rest of the track, I was very competitive. When it began to rain, I decided to make the riskier choice. To be honest, of all the riders on the grid, I think I’m probably the one who most hates riding in the wet on slicks. At a certain point, it was truly difficult. I came into a turn with both wheels locked up and unable to slow down. It’s a pity, because not many riders were faster than me in the dry. I would have preferred a dry race, but that’s all part of the game. In any case, demonstrating this pace on this track gives me good reason to be proud.”

Jack Miller – P11

“Sometimes you have to take a chance, and sometimes it goes your way – and the margins are pretty small between looking like a hero or not. Didn’t manage it today here in Austria, but it was a risk worth taking because the reward for it coming off would have been pretty big. I had the right idea, just not the right timing. 

“It looked like it was going to rain all race, and when it finally came down with about five laps left I was eighth and had fallen off the back of the guys in front of me, so I came in to switch bikes for wets. Me and Alex Rins were in a lap before the guys up front, but it just didn’t quite rain enough for us straight away to make the most of the rain tyres. Once we were all back out there on wets, they had the advantage, so I turned eighth into 11th. Fabio (Quartararo) ran wide and Marc (Marquez) crashed from the first group, but the others all finished either on the podium or just off it. And Brad (Binder) didn’t pit and he managed to win it on slicks! A ballsy call by him to stay out there and one that came off, for sure. 

“Sure, I lost three points at the end there if I’d stayed where I was but it was worth a shot. I’d gone backwards in the dry from sixth on the start and it wasn’t really coming my way, so I didn’t have a lot to lose. I had to throw a joker at it, and I saw the rain at the top of the hill at Turn 3 and figured I had to try something just to see what happened, and then hope it would bucket down while everyone else was out there wobbling around on slicks. I was getting passed left, right and centre by that stage of the race so it was a bit of a Hail Mary to try to put matters back into my own hands. 

“I was 14th at the start of the last lap so at least I was able to pick off a few who’d stayed out on slicks, they were like 15 seconds slower a lap by that stage. There was a bit going on around that final lap, that’s for sure. I could have done with another lap to pick a few more off pretty easily but we ran out of time. I expected more yellow flags with the guys who did stay out, they all did pretty well really to even stay on the bike. 

“I wasn’t unhappy with how I rode at all today, I actually felt I rode really well to the performance my bike was capable of. I fought all the way but I just didn’t have the grip to stay with those guys up front at first. My pace was on the limit of my bike, but I could see they were keeping some margin, so I wasn’t unhappy with how I rode, not at all. But I was just lacking grip all in all, it was one of those weekends. It’s not what I wanted or needed or what the team wanted or needed, but we won’t give up and we’ll keep working.

“There was definitely a bit going on this weekend with a crazy race at the end of it, and the big talking point before was Maverick (Vinales) getting suspended by Yamaha and not racing here after what happened in last week’s race. A few of us had some thoughts, I got asked how I saw it, and I reckon it’s pretty simple. You get paid to ride a motorcycle, we get paid to race them to the best of your ability, no matter your temper or whatever. You’re a racer, that’s what you get paid for, to go racing. I’m not saying either the rider or the team is right or wrong with what they did, suspensions and everything – that’s between them, and none of the rest of us know all the facts, only they know. But on a simple level, that’s how I feel about it. You don’t like to see it so we’ll see what the outcome is with Maverick for the next race. 

“It’s not been a great couple of weeks in Austria – besides last year with the two podiums this place has been hard for me, so five points from two Sundays … I’m happy there’s not a third race here, let’s say. It’s a Ducati track usually but it’s never quite worked for me. The only good thing was that I didn’t drop a position in the championship, I’m still fifth, and we get to race again in a couple of weeks at Silverstone. We’ve not been there since 2019 so we’ll keep our heads down and keep working.”

Danilo Petrucci – P12

“It was avery difficult race. Especially at the beginning. I had no chance to stop the bike, I was really slow and didn’t have this pace all the weekend. It was very tough for me. I’m not sure what the reason for this has been, but it was very tricky for me to be fast. Then the rain came and I just wanted to stay on the bike and try to see the flag. At least, we scored some points.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P13

“It was a really difficult race; it was dry conditions but then with five laps to go it started raining. I think I was P11 and then it was a difficult decision to either stay on the track or change the bike to wet. I decided to stay on track and the last three laps were really difficult in full wet conditions with slick tyres. I did my best, P13 is not what we expected, but now I’m looking forward to the next race at Silverstone.”

Alex Rins – P14

“It was a very crazy race, at the beginning I wasn’t feeling very good and I was running around P12. Then when the rain came I anticipated the bike swap when following Miller, it was a shame because after that the rain stopped a bit, but it was impossible to know that. Turn 3 was bad but most of the track was OK at that point in the race. So in the end maybe I could’ve stayed with the slicks for longer. It seems that in the end it was a mistake to change early, but we were in a difficult situation. The main thing is that we got through these two races, got some points, and next we’ll move on to Silverstone – a track I love, and I hope to get a really nice result there.”

Marc Marquez – P15

“In the situation we are in this year, I prefer to fight for victory or with the top riders in the dry than to even win a wet race or a flag-to-flag. So today I enjoyed the race a lot, I really felt competitive, and we were right there and able to fight. Pecco was riding really well, but I was with him and at the end I felt something special. Before the race it looked like the rain could help me, but finally it was the opposite! We made a big step this weekend but there’s still more we need to find. We struggled here last weekend, we understood why and we improved. I am happy about today’s race, it’s only one point but I really enjoyed getting it. This is my best Sunday of the year.”

Pol Espargaro – P16

“It was a disastrous race. I had nothing with the bike, no grip and I was just spinning the whole race. Different race, different day but the same result. My riding style isn’t suiting the current situation and for sure I’m working to improve it. In practice our pace isn’t bad, in the top ten, but then when we go to the race with different rubber on track – I lose the grip and the pace I had after five or six laps. It’s not enough and I’m not satisfied, but now we move to Silverstone and see what happens.”

Cal Crutchlow – P17

“I felt like I got a good start and was with a small group for a while, although I wasn’t able to stay completely in contact with them. My pace was not too bad at that point and I felt comfortable. I had a small problem with the electronics though and I had to spend time trying to figure it out. After this my pace was not too bad but I was the last rider to come to the water, so I didn’t know how fast to go and I didn’t know if everyone had gone in the pits or carried on. Once I saw on the big screen at the last corner that everyone had pulled in, I quickly dived in to change the bike as well. Unfortunately the track was like ice, even with the wet tyres, because the ground was still so hot. It was a strange last couple of laps! Overall I’m happy with these two weekends especially as I only qualified half a tenth slower than I did last year.”

Johann Zarco – DNF

“I am sad and slightly disappointed; I repeated the same mistake I made this morning during the warm-up session. I tried to push myself to the limit to stay with the group and slipped. I am sorry because we had worked well all weekend.”

Miguel Oliveira – DNF

“Disappointed with the outcome, for sure, but physically I’m OK. It hasn’t been an easy two weeks here or my most comfortable time on the bike. It was a tough day for me but at the same time a super one for the team and with Brad’s win so congrats to him for his second MotoGP victory.”

Enea Bastianini – DNF

“Unfortunately the bike fairing broke and I don’t know why. It’s frustrating because we were competitive and I think we could have had a good result, because yesterday in FP4 I had a very consistent pace. I hope that in the next races we will have more luck. I’m sure that sooner or later, luck will be on our side and we can get the results we deserve.”

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Team Managers

Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Race Manager

“There is a lot to say but at the same time not too much! To take this victory at home is quite amazing. Brad was in the top six when the conditions changed the race very fast. Miguel was a victim of the rain and we were pretty disappointed about that but Brad pushed on. In one way it was a gamble and in another it was a strong calculation by him. We didn’t send any message on the dash that he should come in; we let him decide as he was the only one who knew the conditions. He did great. To ride the last two laps with slick tires was fantastic. He almost crashed on every corner but managed to bring it home. Iker also performed very well. I want to thank all the KTM people here and at the factory. I always say it; but we all work for results like these and it was great to see so many fans here at Spielberg. The results across the categories shows how high the determination of this company actually is.”

Shinichi Sahara – Suzuki Project Leader and Team Director

“Finally, after this hard race, we made it through! I thought it would be a tough race for us because all our rivals had become more competitive following last weekend, they made a step in terms of bike set-up. We knew we could be competitive if our riders made good starts, but the grid positions didn’t help that and it was harder for Joan and Alex to get into the front group. However, both of them put in steady laps and improved their positions as the race went on. In the last part of the race the rain came down hard and it became a bit of a gamble, Joan timed his bike swap really well, Alex was perhaps a little early. But this situation is very difficult for everybody and it’s always impossible to know how much rain will arrive. Anyway, we feel good and we’re ready to move on to Silverstone.”

Ken Kawauchi – Suzuki Technical Manager

“It’s been a strange race due to the weather conditions, but the end result could have been worse. Joan achieved fourth place, which is pretty good and it gives him useful points for the championship. Alex struggled a bit today, and we found that our bikes weren’t as competitive as last week. We’ll investigate everything, collect all the data, and prepare ourselves for the coming races.”

Razlan Razali – Petronas SRT Team Principal

“It was a very tricky final few laps in the MotoGP race. We were hoping for a miracle in the extremely difficult track conditions from Valentino, who was third at one point, but the heavy rain with two laps to go prevented this. He finished eighth with Cal 17th, but the fans were able to enjoy some excitement and it was a fantastic show for them. We are happy with the result today.”

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Yamaha Team Director

“The Spielberg Circuit has a way of producing spectacular races, and today it again didn‘t disappoint. The fans must have been on the edge of their seats, but for us it was really a shame that it rained towards the end of the MotoGP race. Fabio had great pace today, and he also showed great confidence in the front of his Yamaha to out-brake his rivals the way he did. Some of his overtakes were breathtaking. It‘s a pity his and the team‘s hard work wasn‘t rewarded with another podium here in Austria. He came so close, but the rain in the final laps made it too dangerous for him to continue on slicks. Fabio is leading the championship, and he had to take that into consideration. He avoided unnecessary risks and by really going for it on the wets in those last three laps he still finished seventh and extended his championship lead by seven points. Of course, we have thoughts about what could have been, but these are still positive results, especially at a track that isn‘t our best. Next up is the British GP, which shares our title sponsor, Monster Energy. We can‘t wait to give it our all there in two weeks‘ time, because today‘s pace was very encouraging.”

Hervé Poncharal – Tech3 KTM Team Manager

 “What a race! We knew on the starting grid, that a shower might come, but although there were a few drops on the grid, we couldn’t see the rain coming and with 10 laps to go, I thought, ok it’s going to be a dry race. Then a few drops and more and more and it changed the course of the race completely. The top guys pit in for changing to wet tyres and a few guys, including race winner Brad Binder and our both riders, Iker and Danilo stayed on track with slicks, which was a brave move as we were on the hard front compound. But nevertheless, they kept their heads down.”

“I want to say huge congratulations to Brad Binder and KTM to have won here one more time. But just before the last partial of the last lap, there would have been two KTMs on the podium and the second one would have been Iker. Unfortunately, the guys on wet tyres managed up to catch him and we ended up sixth, which is a great position, a great result, but for sure when you see the scenario of that race you feel a bit frustrated.”

“But let’s take the positives; KTM got a good result, Iker got sixth, Danilo managed to score a few points by finishing 12th, so altogether that was a great weekend for KTM and Tech3 KTM Factory Racing. We definitely feel good and love racing in Spielberg, Austria!”

2021 Red Bull Ring II MotoGP Race Results

2021 MotoGP Standings

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2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar

(Subject to change)

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Source: MCNews.com.au