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

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.”

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

2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar

(Subject to change)

Source: MCNews.com.au

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

Fortune favours the brave! That certainly rings true this Sunday but it takes more than bravery to wrestle a MotoGP bike around a wet track on slicks, with a race win on the line, in your factory’s home race. It also takes some serious skill and talent. But Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had the perfect mixture of each to take victory in the Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, the South African disappearing down the start finish straight alone to hold his nerve as those around him peeled into pitlane in an all-time classic flag-to-flag. He somehow pulled it off for a second premier class win and the first for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team on home turf: Sunday rider, on many occasions, is the highest of compliments.

Behind the sheer daring of the man in the lead, the fight for second was instead an electrifying charge from those who made the opposite gamble. In the end, it was won by Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the Italian put on a show that, on nearly any other Sunday, would have likely delivered him a maiden MotoGP win. And behind him, Styrian GP winner and rookie Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) found some more magic, another who switched to wets and charged through to make it work.

MotoGP returns in two weeks for round 12 at Silverstone.

MotoGP Race Report

Jorge Martin had taken the holeshot and the rookie was once again solid under the added pressure of pole, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) getting a little too close for comfort and heading wide – allowing Bagnaia through into second. And as the White Flag came out to show some spots of rain, meaning riders were allowed to change bikes, Bagnaia took over at the front and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) found himself the sole Honda in a Ducati armada at the front. Quartararo dropped down to sixth behind Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), although he did hit back as Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) watched on behind that duel.

Bagnaia pounded on at the front, with Martin trying to attack but losing out from the move. So Bagnaia it remained, with Quartararo charging back through into second and even taking the lead as the rain flags came out… again. But Bagnaia muscled back through at Turn 1, and Marc Marquez homed in on El Diablo to boot.

Bagnaia, Quartararo, Marquez, Martin and Zarco marched on, with Mir then battling past Miller to become the man on the chase. And soon enough the top three started to pull away, Mir reeled in the Pramac riders, and the Brad Binder Sunday charge was well underway as the South African homed in on Miller. From tenth on the grid, the number 33 was on the way.

Suddenly, drama then hit for a frontrunner as Zarco crashed out. Sliding off at Turn 9, the Frenchman’s Championship charge took a dent as he couldn’t get back on either.

And not long after, Quartararo headed a little wide… allowing Marquez to get back on the chase after Bagnaia. And with 7 to go, the eight-time World Champion struck for the first time. Bagnaia hit back, but a few cards were on the table.

With five to go, and the rain flags still out, the first gamble: Miller and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) pitted, rolling their dice earlier than the rest as Bagnaia continued on at the front. But what had started to seem a clear trio was fast becoming a six-man freight train as Martin and Mir homed in, and the Jaws music could start to fade in: Binder was coming. The South African didn’t win on on one gamble.

With 4 to go, Binder was on the scene, Martin was already past Quartararo for third, and Bagnaia headed wide at Turn 1, giving Marc Marquez the lead. In the braking zone for Turn 3, Martin screeched up the inside of Bagnaia, and then Quartararo pulled off the perfect dance between madness and excellence to shoot past both, back into second. The shuffle continued, and the rain got heavier and heavier. By the time the six-rider train reached the pit entry, there was a clear decision for five of them: it was time to change. So Marquez, Bagnaia, Martin, Quartararo and Mir headed in to swap… and a lone KTM swept round the final corner and tucked in down the main straight. Binder was going all in.

Out of pitlane, the five were Marc Marquez leading Bagnaia – and both immediately hammering it – with Martin next up, Mir in fourth of the group and Quartararo losing out slightly at the rear of the train. But Bagnaia headed in hot at Turn 3 and lost out to Martin… and then Marc Marquez slid out. A lowside at Turn 1 saw the number 93 lose a shot at the podium, with Bagnaia leading Martin and both taking over in the fight back through. Mir and Quartararo also headed well wide, with the clock ticking and just under 2 laps to go.

When he made the decision to stay out, Binder had been a few of seconds ahead of Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), who also gambled on slicks and was in second. By the time the number 33 crossed the line to start the penultimate lap, the South African was 7 clear. Starting the final lap, the gap was over 11.

Bagnaia and Martin, meanwhile, started that final lap in eighth and ninth. And by halfway round, the two were cutting through Binder’s fellow gamblers like there were two categories on track. Second and third were locked down well before the final corner, with the two pushing to perfection to cut the gap.

Ahead of them, though, arguably the wrong decision was turned into the perfect hand in the right hands. Binder’s final lap saw him suffer a couple of moments, but he had somehow pulled it off. In the rain, in KTM’s backyard, with the brakes suffering in the conditions and the tyres the opposite of the weather, the South African made a little more history. And this time around, it wasn’t a statistical milestone, it was pure, instant legend: add bravery and stir.

Behind Binder’s miracle ballet and Bagnaia and Martin’s charge to the podium, there was plenty to sort out. Mir made it home in a solid fourth place to make some good gains in the standings, with Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) making some magic for fifth place on slicks. Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) had been ahead of both and in podium contention but dropped to sixth, the Spaniard getting a little less reward for his earlier bravery than he likely hoped for, but he did hold off Quartararo as the Championship leader came home seventh.

Nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was in podium contention too before the final lap and he finished eighth, but some good points for the Doctor, who was also highly entertained by the shuffle and the challenge. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) took ninth, with Aleix Espargaro ultimately completing the top ten.

Miller’s early gamble didn’t pay off and he finished in P11, ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) by almost nothing. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was next up, with Rins a little further out of touch behind.

The final point went to Marc Marquez, who may have gambled and lost, but still very much didn’t give up.

Fabio Quartararo remains the points leader, Bagnaia gains ground and Zarco loses some… as Mir moves onto equal points with Pecco in second. What will Silverstone bring? We’ll find out in two weeks….

2021 Red Bull Ring II MotoGP Race Results

2021 MotoGP Standings

Moto2

Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) hit back in style in the Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, the Spaniard hitting the front early and just about able to hold off fellow fast rookie Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) to the flag. Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) completed the podium, as he did in Styria, with Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) down in seventh and last week’s winner Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) in tenth.

Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) took the holeshot from pole, just about able to fight off Raul Fernandez as the rookie looked for a way through. Ogura slotted into third from the front row, with Augusto Fernandez for close company… so an as-you-were for the top four on the grid.

One rider who didn’t get the best start was Championship leader Gardner, getting shuffled out at Turn 1, whereas Styrian GP winner Bezzecchi did the opposite. Despite starting 11 places apart, two of the big players in the title fight were close together on track after a handful of laps, fighting over ninth.

Raul Fernandez, meanwhile, had hit the front, and not long after that Ogura struck to take second from Lowes at Turn 3. Augusto Fernandez was the next to attack the Brit at the same place, moving through on his teammate into third

As the laps ticked on, Raul Fernandez, Ogura and Augusto Fernandez were able to start making a gap back to Lowes, Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) crashed out of the top five and Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) were holding off Styrian GP podium finisher Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2)… with quite a gap back to Gardner.

The Australian, in turn, had made his escape from Bezzecchi, pulling away from his key rival and then homing in on Canet. The two went toe to toe but Gardner was able to make it stick. So Fernandez 25 led Ogura led Fernandez 37 at the front, Lowes was just about hanging on in fourth and Chantra vs Vietti raged on for fifth, with the gap back to Gardner likely too much by that point for the points leader to really dent.

As the laps couple of laps started, Ogura was really homing in. The Japanese rider got to within a couple of tenths of the Red Bull KTM Ajo in the lead, and seemed to be readying a move. But Raul Fernandez responded, just finding enough to stay ahead, crossing the line eight tenths clear to make some big gains in the standings. Ogura didn’t quite manage the win, but he did get his first Moto2™ podium a week on from being so close, the top two in Austria two rookies to boot.

Augusto Fernandez was able to pull out some space for a comfortable third, but teammate Sam Lowes took P4 and a good haul of points after disappointment last week with a run off. And then came the duel of the day…

It was a classic final corner move that decided it, with Vietti screeching through on Chantra and the two almost neck and neck over the line. But Vietti took it by 0.068… or did he? The Italian had actually exceeded track limits on the final lap, and was demoted a position. So Chantra takes fifth, his best Grand Prix finish to date, denying Vietti his standalone best Moto2 finish to date. But the Italian does still equal that, with two sixths his best in the intermediate category so far.

Gardner took a lonely seventh, with Canet in some space in P8 too. Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) had a solid day’s work on close-to home turf, the Swiss veteran passing Bezzecchi and not far behind Canet by the flag. The aforementioned Bezzecchi ended his tough day in Austria in 10th.

Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) took 11th and some good points as he rebuilds some momentum, the Brit holding off Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) to the end. Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) was 13th and close behind, with Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP 40) completing the points.

2021 Red Bull Ring II Moto2 Race Results

Moto2 Championship Points Standings

Moto3

Sergio Garcia (Santander Consumer Bank GASGAS Aspar Team) is back on top! A week on from the stunning duel for victory in the Styrian GP, the Spaniard came out swinging to fight his way to a third win of the year, just holding off Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) as the Turk got back in the front fight. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) completed the podium in more good news for Garcia, as the Italian pipped Styria winner and Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) on the final lap.

Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Racing Team) took the holeshot from pole, the Italian absolutely nailing it to escape with a little breathing space. But Öncü was soon on the chase to cut the gap, and initially the two were joined by Acosta in a breakaway at the front. Little by little the chasing group, led by Garcia, hunted them down, however… and by third race distance a lead group of six had formed: Fenati, Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), his teammate and points leader Acosta, Öncü, Garcia and Foggia, with Petronas Sprinta Racing’s Darryn Binder and John McPhee in a chasing duo. Binder also had an incident with Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3), with no action taken but the Japanese rider going down as some bad luck bit again.

By 12 to go, the Petronas Sprinta racing riders were on the scene, and the freight train was eight. Acosta also got a track limits warning with plenty of laps remaining to add a few more nerves, but Öncü, Masia, Acosta, and Fenati remained the key front four as the laps ticked down. And as the laps ticked down further, Binder and McPhee started to fade slightly too, with a gap reopening in front of the two Petronas bikes.

Izan Guevara (Santander Consumer Bank GASGAS Aspar), meanwhile, was going the opposite way: forwards. The rookie was the fastest man on track with 4 to go, and had homed in on Binder and McPhee. And he then pulled the two back towards the front group again as well, re-forming a freight train.

With 3 to go though, Garcia suddenly made a bigger move. The number 11 went from calmly sitting just behind the front few to striking for the lead, and Acosta reacted. He hit back, and then the pin was pulled. Öncü also felt the hurry up and got his elbows out, and the Turk was able to take the lead back from both, not content to watch the duel from afar one week on.

Heading onto the last lap, Öncü led Acosta with Garcia third, and the number 37 attacked for the lead at Turn 3. But Öncü held firm and the Championship leader had a foot off the peg, the move also dropping him into the clutches of Garcia. The Aspar rider didn’t need more of an invite to the elbows-out party, pushing through into second not long after as Acosta had another moment, a little off line, leaving him on the defensive.

With the corners running out, Garcia was homing in on Öncü. And at Turn 9 the number 11 struck, muscling his way through, cleanly, to leave only Turn 10 and the drag to the line. And Öncü tucked in to try and take him back, but it wasn’t to be as Garcia’s stunning ride up from P13 on the grid was completed with a win and an important one in the standings, as well as his third of the year. Öncü was just 0.027 off over the line, the Turk defeated for victory but taking his second Grand Prix podium.

Foggia attacked Acosta in unison with Garcia’s move on Öncü on the final lap, and the Leopard Racing rider kept that to the line too, defeating the Championship leader by 0.048. Fenati took fifth, with Masia the last of the first front group over the line in P6.

McPhee got past Guevara for seventh, but the rookie nevertheless impressed with his eighth place, holding off Darryn Binder.

Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) and Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) duelled for tenth, with the former just coming out on top. Filip Salač (CarXpert PrüstelGP) and Stefano Nepa (BOE Owlride) had their own fight just behind for 12th, finishing in that order.

Front row starter Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) won the fight for 14th, ahead of Andi Izdihar (Honda Team Asia), Carlos Tatay (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3), Lorenzo Fellon (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Yuki Kunii (Honda Team Asia), and Riccardo Rossi (BOE Owlride) in a close group.

2021 Red Bull Ring II Moto3 Race Results

Moto3 Championship Points Standings

MotoE

Lukas Tulovic (Tech 3 E-Racing) put in a stunner in Austria to take his maiden win in the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, the German blasting away from the front row, taking the holeshot and proving uncatchable thereafter. Behind him a group fight for the podium went down to the last lap, with Eric Granado (ONE Energy Racing) completing an impressive comeback from 13th in second place and Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) just holding off Fermin Aldeguer (Openbank Aspar Team) for third.

Tulovic shot away from second on the grid and held his ground for the holeshot, the German then instantly putting the pedal to the metal in the lead. Behind him, Aldeguer was forced to settle into second as Granado made big gains and the pack shuffled.

Not long after that, Tulovic was already whopping 1.8 seconds clear as some key contenders fought it out in his wake. Aegerter was one, soon in the thick of the action and managing to climb up to P2 by Lap 3 before an Aegerter, Aldeguer, Granado battle royale was about to go off.

The final lap saw Tulovic keeping just under a second in hand, the German out of reach but the fight behind still gaining ground despite the scrap. Turn 3 saw Granado initially get the better of both Aegerter and Aldeguer as the trio went into Turn 4 locked together, but the Brazilian was able to hit back and floor it to just stay clear of the fight in the final sector.

Aegerter then sliced through for P3 at Turn 9, muscling past Aldeguer, and the Spanish rookie swept round Turn 10 to give himself the best run to the line, hoping to just pip the Swiss rider to the flag. But it wasn’t to be.

Tulovic, meanwhile, started his victory lap and treated the fans to a burnout, with Granado taking second and Aegerter just, just holding on. The gap between the Swiss rider and Aldeguer was less than two hundredths and the Spaniard’s wait for a first MotoE podium rolls on, although a maiden E-Pole is ticked off.

Rookie Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) claimed P5 to celebrate his best result, the Japanese rider beating points leader Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE) by just under half a second. Zaccone’s lead is still seven points ahead of the final round of the season at Misano though, with reigning World Cup winner Jordi Torres (HP Pons 40) 0.053s off the Italian in Austria, taking P7.

Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE) slipped to P8 from the front row, the maiden World Cup winner crossing the line less than a second ahead of Kevin Zannoni (LCR E-Team) and Yonny Hernandez (Octo Pramac MotoE).

That’s a wrap on Austria, and MotoE’s return to the Red Bull Ring tightens up the standings even more: 11 points, four riders and two races remain in the 2021 MotoE title race, and next we’re off to Misano… home turf for Zaccone, but known turf for Granado, Aegerter, Torres and very much so for Ferrari. Tune in for more when MotoE™ returns on the Riviera di Rimini!

2021 Red Bull Ring II MotoE Race Results

MotoE Championship Points Standings

2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar

(Subject to change)

Source: MCNews.com.au