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

---

Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) has done it again! The rookie sensation has taken his third pole of the season and second in two Sundays as he heads the grid for the Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, setting another new all-time lap record around the Red Bull Ring to do it. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) misses out by just 0.034 and held said record for about a minute before getting pipped to the post, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) completing the front row.

With his third pole position in MotoGP, Martin became the first rookie to take three pole positions over his first seven MotoGP races since Jorge Lorenzo, who did it over his first three races in the class in 2008.

This is Ducati’s third pole position in MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring along with Andrea Iannone in 2016 and Jorge Martin last weekend, who both went on to win the race.

In addition, Martin became the first Ducati rider to take two successive pole positions since Jorge Lorenzo in 2018, who did it three times in a row from Silverstone (although the race was cancelled) to Aragon.

Ducati riders have won six of the seven MotoGP races at the Red Bull Ring since the Austrian track was introduced to the calendar in 2016, with four riders: Andrea Dovizioso (3 wins), Andrea Iannone (1), Jorge Lorenzo (1) and Jorge Martin (1)

---

MotoGP Rider Quotes

Jorge Martín – P1

“I am ecstatic. The morning did not start in the best possible manner, but in the end, together with the team, we were able to work very well, and the results came through. To start in front tomorrow will be fundamental. Johann helped me; I would like to thank him.”

Fabio Quartararo – P2

“It’s a bit of a shame that I’m second on the grid. To take pole position at this track would have been even better. But there were riders behind me waiting to get a tow at the end. At this track, that’s not the best. I already struggle on acceleration. I did the best I could do on my first stint, and on the second one I couldn’t do a lap. Let’s say I’m happy to be on the front row. Jorge Martin is super fast, and I’m happy for him, but it’s still a shame to miss out on pole. I’m a little bit disappointed, but second is a good place to start the race from tomorrow.”

Francesco Bagnaia – P3

“I’m pretty happy with the result in qualifying: our objective was to get on the front row, and we did it. Unfortunately, this afternoon I wasn’t able to improve on my best lap time from FP3. Compared to this morning’s session, I didn’t have a great grip today, and I struggled a lot. In FP4, we were quite fast with used tyres, and my pace was good. Tomorrow we’ll try to improve again, but in general, we did a good job”.

Johann Zarco – P4

“Congratulations to Jorge, he is a great talent. I am happy because we keep improving. I have an improved feeling with the bike compared to last week; we have progressed a lot. I feel I can fight for a great position tomorrow.”

Marc Marquez – P5

“In Free Practice 3 we kept trying things, sometimes when you try big things they help a lot and this is what happened. The target today was to be on the second row, I knew a front row was a little too far and we will start fifth finally. It’s a good position to try and avoid problems in the first corner and lose as little time as possible in the first laps. The feeling was a bit better than last weekend but I don’t think we quite have the pace to battle for victory. Tomorrow will be different, today was very warm and I think this helps us. I asked for more from HRC and they have had a good reaction, they’ve brought many new things and we need to try them.”

Jack Miller – P6

“I expected to be able to do more today in qualifying, but this afternoon I didn’t feel completely comfortable on the bike: it was sliding a lot, and that didn’t allow me to improve. Starting from the second row, from the sixth position, isn’t bad, so I’m optimistic and confident for tomorrow’s race”.

Joan Mir – P7

“It was a difficult qualifying, I struggled a bit more than normal, and more than I expected. I think the high temperatures on track made everything more difficult, and I struggled with stopping the bike. But racing is like this, it changes every day, and I generally feel happy with my pace. It’s not a big drama, but for sure I would’ve liked more for tomorrow, second row was more my aim. We’ll continue working, and I’ll give my best, so let’s hope we can achieve a good result tomorrow.”

Aleix Espargaro – P8

“I am truly very happy with the way we worked this weekend. Based on the data collected yesterday, the guys at Aprilia made some more changes to the RS-GP’s setup and I must admit that today I had a bike that was practically perfect. The second row was possible, but on my good lap, I unfortunately made some mistakes and that will complicate our race a bit. We know that we have some difficulties overtaking – that’s our Achilles’ heel – but I’m confident that after the mid-race point when grip drops, we’ll be able to play our hand.”

Miguel Oliveira – P9

“At the end of the day, we made a good improvement from the morning to the afternoon. I felt faster but we are struggling a little bit. I felt I could not get the maximum out of the tire in Q2 but still to secure the third row is better than last weekend. My hand is not yet 100%, and we still need to improve how we use the ride-height device and reduce our braking time and accelerating as fast as possible. So, I’m looking forward to analyzing more things with the team later and then tomorrow’s race.”

Brad Binder – P10

“I’d like to say I had a second in the pocket but the reality is that I could have done two-three tenths better but more than that would have been really tough. I think we need to look at where we were last week; we are much stronger [now] over one lap and also our pace in general is faster too. So to make it through to Q2 was a great start for sure. In Q2 I didn’t feel like I put the perfect lap together but at the end of the day I’m quite happy starting in 10th place. It is two rows better than last week. Six people that I don’t need to try and pass. Hopefully tomorrow I can get a good start and just try to push on and see how we get on in the race. I feel much more ready than I was last week and ready to go out and have a really strong race.”

Pol Espargaro – P11

“I made a mistake in Qualifying to use the hard front, this was not the right choice and I think we could have had a better position. For the race, it’s another story and I think we need to consider this tyre for the race. Overall our race pace in FP4 was good, it was not amazing but I think we can have an enjoyable race. It’s much different to last weekend, this weekend I don’t think we’re too bad and we can have an interesting day tomorrow. I’m enjoying riding the bike more.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P12

“This afternoon’s qualifying session was not our best performance and I had a few mistakes. P12 is not a good result for us, but we have good pace for tomorrow. Our race pace in FP4 was quite interesting, but we still need to improve a few areas for race distance. I’ll try my best and try to make a good start, be consistent and get a great result.”

Alex Rins – P13

“My qualifying day wasn’t so good, today started off well and I was fast but then when we got to Q1 it went badly. The strange thing is that my lap time in Q1 wasn’t enough to get through to Q2, but when you look at those final Q2 times I would’ve actually placed ninth. Anyway, it’s a shame to miss out, but I feel OK with the bike and I have potential to do a good race. We managed to fix some of the issues I had last weekend and that has helped me, and I hope that will also help me in the race tomorrow. My main goal is to get a good start and obviously I’ll give my all to get the highest place possible.”

Álex Márquez – P14

“Unfortunately, in the morning during the time attack (in FP3), I made some mistakes so we didn’t go directly into Q2 which was a shame because we had good pace and good performance overall this weekend. Anyway, in the afternoon we did a good job in FP4 and in Q1 I gave 100 % and the lap time was coming despite the hot conditions which was important, so I’m happy about that. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and we’ll be ready if it’s dry or wet. We need to make a really good start and be aggressive right from the beginning, try to overtake and be there in the top 10 as that’s a result I think we can achieve. So, we’ll try to find the feeling quickly and then push without making any mistakes.”

Enea Bastianini – P15

“It was a bad day and I think we could have had a better result. In FP4 we were very fast and unfortunately this morning I couldn’t set a good lap because I crashed. Then we had some tyre problems which didn’t allow me to set a good lap either. I’m sure we had the speed to be much higher and to be in Q2. Tomorrow we will start 15th, which is better than last week, although it’s not the result we deserve”.

Iker Lecuona – P16

“I’m happy about today because we improved the race pace a lot compared to last week. In my time attack I managed to improve also. In FP3 the gap was also very small, I didn’t miss out on the top 10 by much. In Qualifying we had a technical issue on my number one bike, so I had to change. Then I made some small mistakes because I was a bit nervous, so I couldn’t ride as good as I know I can. But we are there, and just wait how the weather will be tomorrow. In any case, I’m ready.”

Luca Marini – P17

“I’m a bit angry about the grid position, we could have done better and got into Q2. We knew it was going to be difficult, I was going very fast on my last attempt, but other riders disturbed me. I had to stop accelerating and abort the lap. It’s a pity, because now MotoGP qualifying is also decided in fights like Moto3.”

Valentino Rossi – P18

“I’m not happy with the position today because I think I can do better, especially as the pace in FP4 was not too bad. I was able to do this pace with all of the different tyres, which is good for tomorrow. We will need to make the right decision for the race depending on the weather and the temperature. In Qualifying the first run was not too bad, but I didn’t feel like I had the same rear grip in the second one. I was not able to improve my time and it meant that I lost some positions. I will start 18th, but I think that my potential is a bit better. I’m hoping for a dry race, as our pace is good on the used tyre, plus I’m hoping that I can fight in a group and try to get some points.”

Danilo Petrucci – P19

“When I always try to improve in braking, I make some mistakes and this is exactly what happened today. I was happy about my feeling in FP4, the pace was pretty good, but when I try to make up some time with the new tires, we lose on the straight and I can’t stop the bike properly. I’m definitely not happy with my lap time in Qualifying. Regarding our race pace, I still think we can stick with our target to bring home some points tomorrow.”

Cal Crutchlow – P20

“We’ve definitely made some improvements with the bike and I understand more about the package now, especially with the electronics. I’m feeling positive this weekend and more comfortable. We are struggling with engine braking at the moment, which is why I didn’t have the best Qualifying session and I know I could have been faster. We need to look at this ahead of the race but FP4 was quite good, I’m feeling more confident and I’m faster than last week. The thing is everyone is so strong and they’re all getting faster and faster. I’m looking forward to tomorrow though and let’s see how the race pans out.”

---

Q1 Notes

Q1 saw plenty of fast faces looking for a way through, including Martin, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Miguel Oliveira and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Martin was fastest from the off in the session, with a few tenths in hand after the first runs and Rins in P2.

The final push for a place in the top 12 and the chance to fight further up saw everyone come out swinging, but Martin moved the benchmark by another few hundredths first. Then red sectors started to appear across the board, but no one could keep it going throughout the lap except the rookie number 89. He improved his laptime to move through on top, joined by Oliveira as the Portuguese rider just pipped Rins to P2.

Q2 Notes

Martin got down to a 1:23.037 as the first real benchmark, but not long after that there was a new lap record. Quartararo was four tenths up and heading round the final corner, the Frenchman kept it nice and tidy to set a scorching 1:22.677 – the new fastest lap ever of the Red Bull Ring, knocking a couple of tenths off Zarco’s Friday fastest.

Bagnaia then started lighting up the timing screens, the Italian not yet having registered a valid lap either, but losing out in the final sectors saw him slot into third, just behind Martin. But the Italian wasn’t done and went for another shot at it, again up in the early stages but then losing out. He improved, but stayed third.

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was up early and then lost over a second, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) set a red first sector, and Bagnaia was on a roll too. But it came down to two…

Together on track, Zarco was ahead of Martin and the duo was pushing. But the Frenchman was losing bit by bit as Martin’s timing showed he was a tenth and a half up on the new lap record from Quartararo. Could be keep it going?

Zarco crossed the line with another good lap, enough for fourth, but behind him his teammate smashed it on Saturday once again. Another new lap record, and just 0.034 up on Quartararo’s, sees Martin regain his crown as fastest ever MotoGP rider around the Red Bull Ring with a 1:22.643. With that, the Spaniard takes his third pole of his rookie season.

Quartararo is forced to settle for second, although that’s one better than last weekend as he pips Bagnaia this time around. The number 63 completes the front row, however, and only missed out on a 1:22 by an apt 0.063.

The Grid

The same front row in a slightly different order heads the grid. Martin remains the poleman, with Quartararo second and Bagnaia third. Zarco heads up Row 2, with Marc Marquez putting in a solid Q2 to take fifth. Jack Miller completes the second row as he looks for some redemption after a crash last weekend.

Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) is a little further back than the Styrian GP but takes a solid P7, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Miguel Oliveira alongside on the third row.

Brad Binder completes the top ten after the South African had a run off on his final attempt, but that is six places further forward than where he started in Styria… and then, he charged up to fourth place. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) had a muted qualifying and lines up 11th, similarly Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) in 12th.

---

MotoGP Assen Combined Qualifying

MotoGP Championship Standings

---

Moto2

Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) reigned the Red Bull Ring on Saturday, the Brit taking pole for the Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich by just 0.068 from Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo). On the front row last weekend and setting the fastest lap in the race, Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) takes third to start from the front once again.

Moto2 Combined Times

Moto2 Championship Points

---

Moto3

Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) backed up his podium in the Styrian GP with pole position for the Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, the Italian fastest in qualifying for the first time since Silverstone 2017 and setting his lap alone, too. He just beat Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) to it by 0.071, with Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) completing the front row after a late lunge up the order.

Moto3 Combined Times

Moto3 Championship Points

---

MotoE

AFermin Aldeguer (OpenBank Aspar Team) is the rider to beat in MotoE after the rookie Spaniard took a maiden E-Pole at the Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix of Austria, putting in a a 1:35.306 to beat Lukas Tulovic (Tech3 E-Racing) by just 0.047. Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian Gresini E-Racing MotoE) continued his step forward in speed to get back on the front row in third… and as some other key players in the standings faltered on a Saturday with some surprises.

Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) was the first rider to break the 1:36 barrier in E-Pole, taking over on top and managing to hold off a number of challengers, including current Cup leader Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE) by just 0.005. And try as they might, it took until Ferrari, Tulovic and Aldeguer to leapfrog the Japanese rider, so he starts fourth.

Zaccone lines up fifth, and the furthest forward of the top four in the points. Xavi Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama) completes that second row alongside the points leader, with Zaccone’s closest challenger in the standings heading Row 3 in seventh: Jordi Torres (HP Pons 40). He’s just ahead of Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP), with both struggling to make their mark on Saturday. Yonny Hernandez (Octo Pramac MotoE) completes that third row, and Barcelona winner Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) the top ten.

So where is the man on E-Pole until now in 2021? Eric Granado (ONE Energy Racing) was chasing five in a row, but his hopes of extending that streak were over early as the Brazilian had a huge moment early in his lap. He was able to salvage something, but he’ll start from the fifth row in P13 and be looking to make some very quick progress through the field… which he has done before.

MotoE EPole

MotoE Championship Points

---

Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich Schedule (AEST)

2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar

(Subject to change)

Source: MCNews.com.au