MotoGP 2021 – Round Ten
Styria Red Bull Ring – Spielberg

---

Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) may be a MotoGP rookie, but the Spaniard now already has two premier class pole positions to his name. The first was in only his second MotoGP appearance, in Doha, and led to his first podium. After some serious injury struggles since then, the Spaniard said he’s reset, reloaded and ready to fight it out again at the Red Bull Ring… and beating Marc Marquez’ (Repsol Honda Team) previous lap record on Saturday is certainly quite a statement.

Martin’s 1m22.994 makes him the first rider below the 1m23 barrier at the Styrian venue, and it was enough to deny Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) by 0.044 and championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) by just 0.081 as less than a tenth covers the top three for the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria.

---

Riders Reflect on Qualifying

Jorge Martin – P1

“It wasn’t a perfect lap, I started well in the first sector then in the second corner I blocked the front going uphill, but then I thought the first sector was good so tried to stop the best I could. I kept pushing and saw I was coming in hot, then I made a mistake with the gear at Turns 4 and 5… but anyway, in T3 I was improving and in the last two corners I tried to not go in the green because today with the wind that was difficult… and when I finished I saw 22.9 and I thought ‘woah that’s a good time’… but on the TV I saw maybe Quartararo improved, I don’t know, but maybe touched the green? When I saw I was on pole I was amazed. I want to dedicate it to my grandfather who is in hospital battling a lot, but… yeah I’m really happy, the points are tomorrow but I’ll try and battle for the podium.”

Francesco Bagnaia – P2

“I’m thrilled with this front row. It wasn’t easy to find an ideal setup for our bike at this track: I couldn’t race here last year, so I had to start from scratch. But today, we were able to take a big step forward, which allowed me to be fast both this morning in free practice and qualifying. Tomorrow’s race could be wet but, after yesterday afternoon’s wet FP2, I think I can be competitive even in those conditions. Obviously, I hope the weather stays dry. I’m expecting a very close race, but I’m ready for it”. 

Fabio Quartararo – P3

“This is still an important front row, but it‘s such a shame that my best lap got cancelled. On that lap I saw that Bagnaia was first, and I pushed myself to the limit. I said, ’Ok, I already have a lap time that is good‘ and I pushed so much in Turn 4 that I lost the front. It was quite heavy, but I said, ’I‘m going to push until the end‘. Then I went over the track limits. I was actually expecting to be 0.3s or 0.4s slower than that 1‘22.9s. When I saw the 1‘22.9s lap I said ’No way!‘. Unfortunately, that lap was then cancelled, but I lost more time going onto the green than I would have done had I stayed on the curbs. It‘s a shame, but it was already good to see the 1‘22.9s on the dashboard screen of my Yamaha. I have no idea what to expect for tomorrow. If it’s dry of course I feel strong to fight for the podium, and if it’s wet we will have a new adventure on the Sunday. I’m feeling good on the bike. We will find something tomorrow and I’m praying for the sun to come out for the race.”

Jack Miller – P4

“Overall. I’m satisfied with the fourth place in qualifying, even though it wasn’t exactly what I expected today. The feeling with the bike was great, and after the first lap on the soft tyre, I felt I could easily do another one. Unfortunately, I made some small mistakes that compromised both of my two time attacks. In any case, we’ll start from the second row, and I know I can have a good race both in the dry and in the wet, but also mixed asphalt conditions”. 

Joan Mir – P5

“Overall we’re having a great weekend, I started out strong yesterday and today I felt good too. I had a crash, quite a fast one, in FP4 while I was testing the limits. Luckily I’m OK, and the bike wasn’t too damaged either. I feel that there’s still margin to improve but this starting position is good and I’m happy about it. The team are working really hard and this fifth is a nice reward. Tomorrow will be quite a big fight I think, I am hoping to be there in the front group. It was really interesting to try the rear device for the first time today, it’s not easy at first and you need to get used to it, but for a first prototype I’m impressed and pleased with it.”

Johann Zarco – P6

“I am happy but not completely satisfied. To be on the second row is most definitely a good result but I was hoping for something more. Since yesterday we have already taken a step forwards but something is still missing. Tomorrow we will give it our all as usual.”

Aleix Espargaro – P7

“I am extremely satisfied with our result, considering the characteristics of the track and the gap. Of course, I cannot be entirely happy with a seventh-place time, but if I look back at a year ago, I started fourteenth here and with a time that was seven tenths slower, whereas today I was faster than the 2020 pole position. This confirms the huge step forward we’ve made. I complimented all the engineers in the technical briefing because they did an extraordinary job. We accumulate almost all of the disadvantage in the first sector, which is made up of two straights that are undoubtedly not our strong point, whereas the RS-GP does very well on the rest of the track. We’ll see what happens tomorrow because it looks like it is going to rain and that raises some doubts as to the safety of the track. Personally, I hope we’ll be able to race in the dry.”

Marc Marquez – P8

“Today I am happy about the day overall because we made a step or two and our rhythm is looking good. I am also feeling better on the bike, which is a positive. We were more realistic with our expectations for today. In Q2 itself, the performance of the bike could have achieved more. Not pole position, even with a fast first sector, but we could have been higher. Fortunately it was just a very small fall and I am all OK. I feel better with the used tyres than I do on the new tyres. Starting in eighth will be tricky, especially passing the Ducati’s here but it will be a long race and also the weather could play a part.”

Maverick Vinales – P9

“I was expecting much more from today’s qualifying session because the feeling this morning was really good. I could make 1’23.7s on race rhythm, which is fast. I was very happy in that moment. For sure, I’m a bit frustrated because, if not pole, I thought I would be on the front row. I think this was a realistic possibility. But it didn’t turn out that way. We need to accept it, and tomorrow we need to make a good start and push. But even more than the first lap, having the chance to overtake is crucial. If I can do that, I think we are going to go forward, because the bike is on a good level.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P10

“Qualifying in P10 was not what I was expecting but it was good to test the soft compound in FP4 for the race, because last year we raced on the soft compound and this year it looked like we would have to change to the medium. Tomorrow looks like there is a strong possibility of rain, so we have to prepare the bike for any conditions and be ready for the race, but I feel confident.”

Álex Márquez – P11

“The second day here in Austria was really good, I’m really happy with the step we have made after the summer break, my feeling with the bike is still good. Every time we’re on the track we’re improving and that’s the most important thing. Unfortunately, this morning in FP3 I was just five hundreths from passing to Q2, but I never gave up and I tried to make a good lap in Q1. I was able to get P1 in Q1, it was a good thing and a good lap as normally I struggle to make a one-lap attack. Then in Q2 I gave it my best effort, coming from Q1 I wasn’t able to improve the lap time, but anyway I think we’re in a good place and a good position for tomorrow. Tomorrow the weather will be important, but I’m looking forward to it and motivated to do a good job.”

Miguel Oliveira – P12

“It was really tough today. I have a lot of pain but with all the activity and once you warm-up it was more manageable. We are doing everything we can to recover in time between sessions and to do the best possible to try and be competitive this weekend. To do the qualifying was hard because the amount of energy you need to put into one lap is a lot. I’m happy that I could ride and to make a ‘first’ day here because I couldn’t take anything out of the first sessions yesterday. The most important thing after this injury is to score points and make a good effort tomorrow.”

Alex Rins – P13

“We struggled today. We focused on FP4 a lot, trying to find the best set-up and also learning how to best use the new ride height device – I did some comparisons between the two bikes, one with the device and one without. I feel that the bike works better with it, it wheelies less and it feels good. In Q1 it was a real shame because I was very close to getting through to Q2, and it’s hard when you miss it by a small amount. Let’s see how the weather conditions will be tomorrow, it’s possible we will have a lot of rain, so it could be a challenging race. At the moment it’s hard to really gauge our race pace, but I will give my best to gain places from my grid spot and bring a good finish to the team.”

Dani Pedrosa – P14

“Today was like a big, long qualifying! I had only that mentality from the morning to the afternoon. It was all good and I had quite a good feeling. Unfortunately, I missed Q2 directly by just a little bit. We focussed on FP4 and we did a little race situation-training. It’s good to be matching my pace with the others and being somewhere in the middle. It is also quite tight and one mistake in one corner you are ‘off’, so it is not simple to make a perfect lap. I still have the race to go but I already felt and saw what I wanted to see. I already get more or less the big picture of what I was missing when I was not racing. It is already clear for me what the next step is to do.”

Pol Espargaro – P15

“It was not the day that we had planned or hoped for today as we were struggling a lot. Our overall pace is not too bad, but we still can’t drop our lap times as much as the other riders with the new tyres. I hope it rains tomorrow because then we can show what we can do, no matter what I will give my everything tomorrow for the race. Our struggles are the same as before, we are lacking traction and it’s hard after the summer break. But we put our heads down and keep working, this is all we can do.”

Brad Binder – P16

“A difficult Q1 I felt I had quite good speed but had lost a bit of feeling in FP4. I felt I was pushing too much in the wrong places and going too deep on the brakes and didn’t get a clean lap. It will be difficult to start in 16th tomorrow but I’ve started back there before and have always been able to make my way forward.”

Valentino Rossi – P17

“This morning was difficult because I didn’t have a good feeling with the balance of the bike, but the afternoon was better as we were able to improve both the setting and our pace. I will start the race from 17th but there is a group of riders that have a very similar pace to us, so my target will be to stay with them and try to secure some points – but this is if we have dry conditions. The forecast for tomorrow is bad and it looks like we will have a wet race. If that happens we hope it will be a normal wet race, because I don’t think our pace in those conditions is too bad. At the moment a top-ten finish would be difficult, but we will see what happens tomorrow.”

Luca Marini – P18

“It’s been a normal qualifying for our current potential. We are working well with Ducati and the team. We still lack something, but the most important thing is to always be able to get the most out of what we can. Tomorrow everything can change, the weather is very uncertain. For sure it will be a fun race, on this track you can do many overtakes.”

Iker Lecuona – P19

“It was a difficult day. We struggled a lot in the morning and tried different bases on the bike. I finally feel better and I managed to improve a lot in the final minutes of FP3 but in the warmer conditions in the afternoon I was struggling again and I don’t really understand why. The race is tomorrow. We will check the weather and see what happens. I know if the bike is working well and the team is pushing like usual, we have a chance for a good result.”

Enea Bastianini – P20

“I’m upset because I’m sure I haven’t exceeded the track limits, so I haven’t understood the cancellation of the lap and I haven’t been shown the pictures either. In FP4 we managed to take a step forward and tried to understand what was causing me to lose time. We are ready for tomorrow’s race, although I think we could have started in a better position, but there is no turning back.”’

Lorenzo Savadori – P21

“Unfortunately, I was unable to finish my flying lap, which would have let me start somewhere around fifteenth or sixteenth place. I crashed on turn 8 and in a rather strange way, but without any physical consequences. In any case, we are getting closer and closer to the best and that is positive. Overtaking here will be no simple task, so staying with the group in the early laps will be fundamental for me.”

Danilo Petrucci – P22

“I was quite happy about the feeling I had in FP4 with the race setup. Then I didn’t find the perfect lap for Qualifying. I always made some small mistakes, so finally our starting position is not good at all. We will need to do a good start and try to do some overtaking. We will have to see about the weather tomorrow anyway.”

Cal Crutchlow – P23

“We knew it was going to be difficult and I did have a little bit of arm pump, but that’s normal for me. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised with today and I’m feeling okay. I did have some difficulties in qualifying where I was ruining the corners with my riding style, but I was good in FP4. It just shows that with time on the bike I can improve. We’re going to have a look at some things tonight and see what we can do. The whole team have been doing a good job and it’s nice to work with some familiar faces: Wilco [Zeelenberg], Johan [Stigefelt] and three of the mechanics. I think tomorrow will be difficult with the weather but I’ll just aim to get into a good rhythm and enjoy the race.”

---

Q1 Notes

Q1 saw the home heroes – this weekend comprising five KTMs – looking for a way through after a more difficult start to their Styrian GP, as well as the likes of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar).

Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), despite his Friday highside that’s left him riding through the pain barrier, got the job done under pressure. He spent much of the session leading the way before getting pipped to P1 by Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), but the two moved through as Rins was left in P13 on the grid.

Wildcard and MotoGP Legend Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) continued to impress on Saturday. He didn’t make it through but will line up 14th as the second Austrian machine, despite not having raced since 2018.

Q2 Notes

Once Q2 was underway, Quartararo was looking like the man to beat as the Frenchman led the way after the first runs with a 1:23.075. Could Yamaha take a pole position at the Red Bull Ring once again? El Diablo looked strong, but as the final push began, Bagnaia came out the blocks stronger as most remained in pitlane.

The Italian took over on top with a 1:23.038, incredibly close to Marc Marquez’ fastest ever lap of the venue, but the showstopper came not from the factory man but from Martin. The Spaniard stunned to put in the first sub 1:23 lap of the Red Bull Ring, but Quartararo was on a fast one…

Unfortunately for the Frenchman, Turn 9 was more bucking bronco than bull by the horns, and the Championship leader touched the green on the outside of track limits – cancelling his lap and leaving him a best of third on the grid. Bagnaia then also had some red sectors, but he couldn’t topple Martin either… and then drama for Marc Marquez muted the end of the session. A lowside at Turn 3 was no harm done for the eight-time World Champion, but it did put paid to any improvement after he’d been up too.

The Grid

The incredibly close top three sees Martin, Bagnaia and Quartararo on the front row split by less than a tenth. The rider on pole is a rookie, but Bagnaia’s performance also steals the headlines as it’s his first MotoGP weekend at the Red Bull Ring after missing last year with injury.

Behind Quartararo, there’s a more comfortable 0.225 back to Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) in fourth, although the Australian took two podiums at the venue last year and will likely be an immediate threat. Likewise reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) as he had a great qualifying at a track that’s seen him enjoy considerable success, taking P5 this time. It’s his best position of the season and his best since the 2020 Europe GP… which he went on to win. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), second in the standings, completes the second row and will be looking to slice forward early.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) heads up Row 3, with Marc Marquez forced to settle for eighth and his first time off the front two rows at the Red Bull Ring. Also off-form was Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who took a pole last year in Austria but completes Row 3 for the 2021 Styrian GP after finding a few engine gremlins in Q2.

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) completes the top ten, meaning the two Q1-graduates didn’t make big inroads in the second qualifying session. Alex Marquez will start 11th, his best since the Teruel GP last year, with Oliveira looking to move forward from 12th as he rides through the pain barrier.

---

MotoGP Assen Combined Qualifying

2021 MotoGP Standings

---

Moto2

Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) continued his march of impressive form in 2021 on Saturday, the Australian taking pole position for the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria by just over a tenth from rookie Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) as the two duelled for the honour.

Pole goes to the veteran but the rookie made it his best Saturday yet in the intermediate class, with Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) completing the front row at the venue that saw him take his first Moto2 win.

Moto2 Assen Combined Qualifying Times

Moto2 Championship Points Standing

---

Moto3

Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) has taken his maiden pole position at the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria, the Turkish rider pipping Sergio Garcia (Santander Consumer Bank GASGAS Aspar Team) by just 0.024 to head the Moto3 grid for the first time on both Red Bull and KTM home turf. Completing the front row is veteran Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), despite the former Austria winner having taken a trip through Q1.

Deniz Öncü

“This is very special for me because it’s the first Turkish pole. Honestly this weekend we were not expecting pole position because yesterday we came back from summer break and I was struggling in the morning to get back the feeling on my Moto3 bike, but the team did a great job and amazing setup, especially in FP3, and I’m on pole position… and at the same time I won my first watch haha. But I’m so happy and ready for tomorrow’s race!”

Moto3 Assen Combined Qualifying Times

Moto3 Championship Points Standings

---

2021 Styria Red Bull Ring – Spielberg Schedule (AEST)

 

2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar

(Subject to change)

Source: MCNews.com.au