Tag Archives: MotoGP 2021

Riders reflect on tense first day of practice at Aragon

2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship
Round 13 – Aragon


Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) topped Day 1 at the Gran Premio TISSOT de Aragon, the Ducati rider putting in a late lunge as the final few minutes decided the combined timesheets. He enjoys nearly three tenths of breathing space at the top by the end of play, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) next up at a venue he and his machine have enjoyed some good success at – carrying that momentum from Silverstone. Third went the way of Cal Crutchlow (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as the Brit pulled a seriously fast one to complete the top three on Day 1, and the number 35 was top Yamaha to boot. The top 17 were covered by nine tenths on Friday, and from second to 21st it’s just a single second.


FP1 Report

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) started the day with a statement. The eight-time World Champion laid down a 1:48.048, putting him a whopping 0.971 clear of reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). However, Mir did get within almost half a second on his final flying lap before that was cancelled, so the Suzuki rider seemed to have a little more in the locker initially…

Over a second off the number 93, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was a consistent presence near the top as he ended the session in third, with Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) taking fourth with a late move up the timesheets to within 0.013 of the Italian. Thick and fast thereafter came Miller, Aleix Espargaro, Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), with gaps ranging from 0.008 between the latter two and up to a maximum of 0.079 between Zarco and Quartararo. Close? Very. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) completed the top ten, 0.130 off Nakagami.

Maverick Vinales

On Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) watch, the Spaniard did 21 laps and got down to a 1:50.187 in his first official session with the Noale factory – about a second off Bagnaia in third.

Iker Lecuona (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing) crashed early in the session, rider ok, before Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) took a tumble in the latter stages at Turn 5, rider also ok.


FP2 Report

Fortunes changed as Marc Marquez grabbed more headlines but this time for a crash, with number 93 sliding out from behind Alex Marquez. Rider ok but clearly demonstrated his frustration, and he didn’t improve so ended up in P20 on the FP2 timesheets… just ahead of Joan Mir in a real reversal of FP1 for the two.

That was despite the number 93 still leading the combined times with five minutes to go too, but a final flurry of activity in the afternoon saw everything change. Aleix Espargaro and Lecuona charged, then Miller set down his serious marker to beat Marc Marquez’ FP1 best by a margin. Aleix Espargaro did that next, before Crutchlow put in a stunner to slot into second.

Quartararo pipped the FP1 marker next, with Bagnaia – who also crashed earlier in the session – then pipping the Frenchman too and slotting into fourth. Next came Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), before his team-mate Johann Zarco was the final mover and shaker. Almost literally, as the Frenchman leapt up more than ten places despite a serious front end moment on his final lap.


Combined Times

After the mad dash to the top, the combined timesheets saw everyone improve in the afternoon minus Marc Marquez. So Miller reigns with 0.273 in hand over Aleix Espargaro, with Crutchlow ending the day just 0.011 further back as top Yamaha, seriously impressing as his stand-in duty continues.

Zarco takes fourth ahead of Martin and Bagnaia – that’s four Ducatis in the top six as they show early promise of having moved forward a lot since our last visit to Aragon – and the margins remain tiny. Quartararo is P7, 0.002 off Bagnaia.

Eighth is where Marc Marquez’ FP1 chart-toppper fits in, 0.014 slower than El Diablo’s best from the afternoon, with Nakagami in ninth and Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) completing an impressive day in tenth overall – and therefore the last rider currently on to take a place in Q2.

That leaves Pol Espargaro out as it stands, down in P11, with last year’s Aragon winner Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in P12. The comes Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), with a new chassis for the Austrian factory to explore too.

Mir ends the day in P21, Rossi in P19 and Viñales splits the two, although on a slightly different mission to those around him. The number 12 ended the day 1.142 off Miller after his first two official sessions with Aprilia.


Rider Quotes

Jack Miller – P1

“This is definitely the best way to start the weekend, and it’s a result that instils confidence. We found the track in good conditions right from the start. To be honest, I was surprised; given the rain that fell last night and the dust on the track, I expected a much more slippery asphalt, but the track was fast, and the grip allowed us to push immediately. This morning, I was able to have a good pace with used tyres, but I was not satisfied with it this afternoon. In FP2, we tried a couple of things that maybe took us in the wrong direction, but once we got back to the morning setup, I found my pace again. There are still some areas we can work on, but overall we are doing well. Now the goal is to continue to be fast. There are many competitive riders here at Aragón, so it will be important to improve consistently, to be among the protagonists in Sunday’s race”.

Jack Miller
Aleix Espargaro – P2

“I am extremely satisfied with today’s results, both on the time attack front and in terms of our work with used tyres in view of the race. If I’m honest, I still don’t have that perfect feeling. I’m able to be fast, but in terms of feeling, I think there is still room for improvement. This morning, the grip on the asphalt was very poor and then it gradually got better, but thinking ahead to Sunday, when rather high temperatures are expected, we will clearly need to work well on tyre choice and setup.”

Aleix Espargaro
Cal Crutchlow – P3

“I wasn‘t surprised by the lap I did after that first sector. I knew that first sector was already a good one for me, so I knew while I was going on with the rest of the lap that I would be okay. The first sector isn‘t always my best sector, and I took it easy because I was a bit scared of Turn 2 with the cold front tyre. But after that I was okay. It was nice to do that lap. I haven‘t pushed and done a lap like that all year, so it was about time to try and do one – and I did. We had a good day today. It was nice to be able to get up there on the timesheets, but I don‘t care about the position. Of course, we want to go fast, but it‘s more about giving information about how I feel with the bike. I tried a few new things today. As a test rider, that‘s my job. It was good to go fast and push the bike to my limit.”

Cal Crutchlow
Johann Zarco – P4

“I am happy with today and I have found the right feeling.  In FP2, I was able to put out a fast lap and I hope to continue on this path tomorrow.”

Jorge Martín – P5

“I didn’t hope to be competitive today, This is not one of the easiest tracks for the Ducati bike and it require a lot of physical effort. My goal is to be in the top ten tomorrow after FP3 and have a good qualifying session.”

Jorge Martín
Francesco Bagnaia – P6

“I’m pleased with the result obtained on this first day at the MotorLand Aragón. Last year, we Ducati riders struggled a lot on this track, but today we were able to be fast right from the start, which shows that we did a great job on our Desmosedici GP. We already have a good base setup, and in the two sessions today, we tried different tyres, except the hard front, and we were able to be competitive with all of them. I’m satisfied with the work done on this first day, and I’m confident that we can do well also in qualifying tomorrow”.

Fabio Quartararo – P7

“I feel great. FP1 was tough because I was trying some tyres and didn‘t really feel great on the bike. This afternoon with the hard-hard tyre combination was much better. I tried something on the second run that I didn‘t like, and then during the time attack I ran into some traffic. But I‘m happy because I know I could achieve a time that‘s close to today‘s top time. I‘m quite satisfied and I didn‘t expect to make those fast laps in the first run, so I‘m pretty confident.”

Fabio Quartararo
Marc Marquez – P8

“We had a perfect plan; a new tyre in FP1 and then work on the race in FP2 but with the crash we changed our plan a bit. It did give us a chance to test the hard rear so it hasn’t impacted our race weekend a lot. For sure when I fell I was frustrated because I was feeling under control. Yes, I was behind Alex with the slip stream and braking slightly later but I knew I was too fast and I tried to go wide, but then I hit the dirty part of the track and fell. That’s why I was frustrated with the fall. I only pushed for a couple of laps today to save some energy, but so far when I push for race pace the lap time has been coming.”

Marc Marquez got caught out while following his brother
Takaaki Nakagami – P9

“It was a good start for us today and we had a good feeling on the bike so far. The track condition this morning wasn’t great, but it improved in FP2 as there was more rubber on the track so everyone was able to improve their lap time. So I’m really looking forward to tomorrow in FP3 and the qualifying sessions, we need to stay in the top 10 in FP3 and be ready for Q2.”

Enea Bastianini – P10

“It was a positive day, where I started off on the right foot. I was able to enjoy FP1, but in FP2 I didn’t feel quite comfortable, because I didn’t feel a good grip with the front tyre. Fortunately, the time attack was good and I managed to set a good time that allowed me to save the day. I had a good pace, but as I said, in the afternoon the feeling wasn’t the same as in the morning.”

Pol Espargaro – P11

“Everyone is very close here today, from the top five down to me in 11th is only 0.1s so there’s nothing between us. One small mistake and you go from P4 to P11 which makes our laps in FP3 really important. We need to get a lap with no mistakes because spending just a tiny amount of time off throttle compared to another rider can see you in Q1 instead of Q2. But it’s been a good day, we were focusing on the race today and preparing for Qualifying so there’s speed to come. I’m happy with how it has gone so far and we’ve had a productive day working for the future.”

Alex Rins – P12

“In FP2 I focused on race set-up, I tried hard and medium tyres and I was checking everything ahead of race day. I didn’t do a proper time attack, even if I had some good laps. I feel comfortable so far and my main target now is to get into Q2 tomorrow. I will push in FP3 and see where I can end up. The team and I will analyse which will be the best tyre choice for the race, because at the moment they feel quite similar. But in the end it’s only Friday and we have time to get prepared for Sunday.”

Alex Rins
Álex Márquez – P14

“In the morning it was great and I was feeling quite good on the bike, and also in the afternoon. Today the most important thing for us was to try all the tyre options and also to see which set-up we should try to keep working with. So, we are quite clear on all those things and did a good job, just with the soft tyre at the end of FP2 I wasn’t able to push as I wanted, but despite that I’m happy and it’s a positive day. I feel great on the track, tomorrow I need to polish a lot of things and improve, but I’m feeling great on the bike, enjoying it and the most important thing is we keep working like this.”

Danilo Petrucci – P15

“Since this morning I got a very good feeling with the front and could brake a lot later. The weakest points for us are always the long straights, but there are plenty of nice corners here, so I really enjoyed riding my bike today. In FP2 I just couldn’t put everything together, but I think if I can manage this tomorrow morning, I might make the jump to Q2. I’m really happy about this, because we are working a lot on the bike and we are gaining a good feeling. We still miss a bit of maximum speed to be really on top, but I’m still satisfied.”

Luca Marini – P16

“I’m happy with today. We worked well with the team, but it’s a pity I made too many mistakes on my time attack with the new tyre. Aragon is not an easy track and, compared to last year, it was a surprise to see a Ducati so competitive on this track. For tomorrow we will focus on the details, the electronics, the suspension, and then we will try to do a good FP4 to know which tyre to use for the race. For the moment, all three compounds seem to work well.”

Iker Lecuona – P17

“It was definitely not an easy day. I had a huge crash in the third lap of FP1. I felt really good and confident with the bike, but the tyre was too cold, I pushed too much and went down. Then I restarted to work in order to gain my confidence again. I have to say a huge thanks to my guys because they repaired the bike pretty quick to be ready for FP2. We worked hard, I felt good in the second session and I’m not far off the top. We still need to improve for tomorrow’s Qualifying, as I think we can fight for the Q2.”

Iker Lecuona
Valentino Rossi – P19

“Today was difficult, which we expected a little bit because this track isn’t the best for the bike, nor for me. For some reason, I have always struggled here at Aragon. We will still give our maximum here and we will try our best to work better with the rear tyre. We will try to modify the settings a little bit to try to be gentler with it. In the end it wasn’t too bad though and we were better in the afternoon. I’m not the fastest but I’m only one second from pole position and that put me 19th. Normally here the grip improves each day and we will also try to be competitive tomorrow.”

Maverick Vinales – P20

“On this first day, we did what we had set out to do, which was to turn as many laps as possible. Although the sensations were good in any case, there is still the fact that I don’t have that much experience on the RS-GP yet and I need to increase my confidence. We were able to improve consistently, shaving off more than a second between the two sessions, so that is positive. We need to keep working this way. Considering the high level here in MotoGP, it’s the details and especially the rider’s confidence that make all the difference.”

Maverick Vinales
Joan Mir – P21

“Here there’s a huge difference between putting on a new tyre or a used one. I decided to do FP2 with the race tyre and not the soft one, because I wanted to understand the true feeling with the bike and to get prepared for the race. This afternoon it looks like I’m really far from the top, but in reality I’m not worried because I wasn’t pushing for a fast lap. Tomorrow the times will come down further and everything will get faster, so it will be interesting to see what we can do. I will be trying the soft tyres for sure, but of course you can’t just put that tyre on and go fast, it’s more important to work on the overall set-up.”

Joan Mir
Jake Dixon – P22

“It’s really good to experience being in MotoGP for a second time. The speed of the bike wasn’t such a shock this time and it was really enjoyable. I struggled a bit in FP1 just to find my reference points, as it’s obviously different to when I rode here in Moto2. In FP2 we found a good direction with both the bike and me, plus the team are all working great. We stayed with the same medium hard tyres throughout the whole day and I felt really good. When everyone else was on the same tyre as us, we weren’t too far off. Tomorrow we’ll put the soft on to try a time attack and I think we could be quite close to the guys at the front. I really enjoy this track and when you have a good feeling somewhere, you tend to do alright. The overall result doesn’t reflect on what we’ve done today, as we didn’t use a new tyre, and I feel like we can do a really good job tomorrow.”


MotoGP Combined Friday Practice Times

Pos Rider Bike Time/Gap
1 J.Miller DUCATI 1m47.613
2 A.Espargaro APRILIA +0.273
3 C.Crutchlow YAMAHA +0.284
4 J.Zarco DUCATI +0.375
5 J.Martin DUCATI +0.410
6 F.Bagnaia DUCATI +0.419
7 F.Quartararo YAMAHA +0.421
8 M.Marquez HONDA +0.435
9 T.Nakagami HONDA +0.444
10 E.Bastianini DUCATI +0.473
11 P.Espargaro HONDA +0.553
12 A.Rins SUZUKI +0.654
13 B.Binder KTM +0.665
14 A.Marquez HONDA +0.701
15 D.Petrucci KTM +0.738
16 L.Marini DUCATI +0.843
17 I.Lecuona KTM +0.913
18 M.Oliveira KTM +1.010
19 V.Rossi YAMAHA +1.036
20 M.Viñales APRILIA +1.142
21 J.Mir SUZUKI +1.273
22 J.Dixon YAMAHA +2.374

2021 MotoGP Standings

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Fabio QUARTARARO Yamaha FRA 206
2 Joan MIR Suzuki SPA 141
3 Johann ZARCO Ducati FRA 137
4 Francesco BAGNAIA Ducati ITA 136
5 Jack MILLER Ducati AUS 118
6 Brad BINDER KTM RSA 108
7 Maverick VIÑALES Yamaha SPA 95
8 Miguel OLIVEIRA KTM POR 85
9 Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia SPA 83
10 Jorge MARTIN Ducati SPA 64
11 Alex RINS Suzuki SPA 64
12 Marc MARQUEZ Honda SPA 59
13 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Honda JPN 58
14 Pol ESPARGARO Honda SPA 52
15 Alex MARQUEZ Honda SPA 49
16 Franco MORBIDELLI Yamaha ITA 40
17 Danilo PETRUCCI KTM ITA 36
18 Enea BASTIANINI Ducati ITA 35
19 Iker LECUONA KTM SPA 33
20 Luca MARINI Ducati ITA 28
21 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha ITA 28
22 Stefan BRADL Honda GER 11
23 Dani PEDROSA KTM SPA 6
24 Lorenzo SAVADORI Aprilia ITA 4
25 Michele PIRRO Ducati ITA 3
26 Tito RABAT Ducati SPA 1
27 Cal CRUTCHLOW Yamaha GBR 0
28 Garrett GERLOFF Yamaha USA 0
29 Jake DIXON Yamaha GBR 0

Moto2

Moto2 Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) ends Day 1 at the Gran Premio TISSOT de Aragon as the fastest man in the intermediate class, but the Spaniard had some seriously close company as Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) got within just 0.007. Completing the top three it was rookie sensation Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) despite recent surgery for a small metacarpal fracture, but he had even closer company as Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) was just 0.003 in further arrears in fourth.

Moto2 Combined Friday Practice

Pos Rider Bike Time/Gap
1 R.Gardner KALEX 1m52.743
2 A.Fernandez KALEX +0.007
3 R.Fernandez KALEX +0.102
4 F.Di Giannanto KALEX +0.105
5 S.Lowes KALEX +0.228
6 A.Arenas BOSCOSCURO +0.280
7 M.Bezzecchi KALEX +0.283
8 N.Bulega KALEX +0.300
9 J.Navarro BOSCOSCURO +0.357
10 F.Aldeguer BOSCOSCURO +0.458
11 M.Ramirez KALEX +0.604
12 A.Canet BOSCOSCURO +0.618
13 H.Garzo KALEX +0.640
14 M.Schrotter KALEX +0.709
15 B.Bendsneyde KALEX +0.830
16 S.Corsi MV AGUSTA +0.927
17 A.Ogura KALEX +0.944
18 X.Vierge KALEX +1.090
19 J.Roberts KALEX +1.135
20 M.Gonzalez MV AGUSTA +1.217
21 S.Manzi KALEX +1.252
22 L.Dalla Porta  KALEX +1.316
23 S.Chantra KALEX +1.483
24 T.Luthi KALEX +1.498
25 C.Vietti KALEX +1.502
26 C.Beaubier KALEX +1.508
27 T.Arbolino KALEX +1.521
28 H.Syahrin NTS 1.657
29 B.Baltus NTS +1.950
30 X.Cardelus KALEX +2.186
31 J.Mcphee KALEX +2.531
32 P.Biesiekirski KALEX +2.619

Moto2 Championship Points Standings

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Remy GARDNER Kalex AUS 231
2 Raul FERNANDEZ Kalex SPA 187
3 Marco BEZZECCHI Kalex ITA 179
4 Sam LOWES Kalex GBR 127
5 Aron CANET Boscoscuro SPA 92
6 Augusto FERNANDEZ Kalex SPA 92
7 Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO Kalex ITA 91
8 Ai OGURA Kalex JPN 87
9 Marcel SCHROTTER Kalex GER 75
10 Xavi VIERGE Kalex SPA 67
11 Jorge NAVARRO Boscoscuro SPA 58
12 Joe ROBERTS Kalex USA 56
13 Celestino VIETTI Kalex ITA 46
14 Bo BENDSNEYDER Kalex NED 40
15 Somkiat CHANTRA Kalex THA 35
16 Tony ARBOLINO Kalex ITA 33
17 Cameron BEAUBIER Kalex USA 26
18 Albert ARENAS Boscoscuro SPA 23
19 Jake DIXON Kalex GBR 21
20 Stefano MANZI Kalex ITA 20
21 Marcos RAMIREZ Kalex SPA 16
22 Thomas LUTHI Kalex SWI 16
23 Hector GARZO Kalex SPA 12
24 Nicolò BULEGA Kalex ITA 12
25 Lorenzo DALLA PORTA Kalex ITA 10
26 Hafizh SYAHRIN NTS MAL 8
27 Simone CORSI MV Agusta ITA 7
28 Fermín ALDEGUER Boscoscuro SPA 4
29 Alonso LOPEZ Boscoscuro SPA 4
30 Lorenzo BALDASSARRI MV Agusta ITA 3
31 Barry BALTUS NTS BEL 2
32 Yari MONTELLA Boscoscuro ITA 0
33 Tommaso MARCON MV Agusta ITA 0
34 Miquel PONS MV Agusta SPA 0
35 Fraser ROGERS NTS GBR 0
36 Taiga HADA / JPN 0
36 Taiga HADA Kalex JPN 0
37 Manuel GONZALEZ MV Agusta SPA 0
38 Piotr BIESIEKIRSKI Kalex POL 0
40 Keminth KUBO Kalex THA 0
40 Keminth KUBO Kalex THA 0

Moto3

Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) struck late on Day 1 at the Gran Premio TISSOT de Aragon to take over on top, the Turk’s advantage just half a tenth after a close first day on the Moto3 time-sheets. Rookie Izan Guevara’s (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) incredible form at MotorLand continued in second, this time in the Grand Prix paddock, with Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) completing a top three split by just 0.076. Even more incredibly, the top 21 are all covered by just 0.999 after Day 1 at MotorLand.

Moto3 Combined Friday Practice

Pos Rider Bike Time/Gap
1 D.Öncü KTM 1m58.929
2 I.Guevara GASGAS +0.045
3 D.Binder HONDA +0.076
4 S.Garcia GASGAS +0.081
5 J.Masia KTM +0.104
6 G.Rodrigo HONDA +0.202
7 F.Salac KTM +0.227
8 N.Antonelli KTM +0.289
9 R.Fenati HUSQVARNA +0.306
10 L.Fellon HONDA +0.343
11 A.Fernandez HUSQVARNA +0.388
12 D.Foggia HONDA +0.395
13 A.Sasaki KTM +0.435
14 P.Acosta KTM +0.439
15 T.Suzuki HONDA +0.466
16 A.Migno HONDA +0.552
17 Y.Kunii HONDA +0.604
18 X.Artigas HONDA +0.704
19 R.Yamanaka KTM +0.859
20 C.Tatay KTM +0.896
21 J.Alcoba HONDA +0.999
22 S.Nepa KTM +1.065
23 K.Toba KTM +1.178
24 S.Azman HONDA +1.556
25 M.Kofler KTM +1.586
26 R.Rossi KTM +1.716
27 A.Izdihar HONDA +1.749
28 A.Surra HONDA +1.907

Moto3 Championship Points Standings

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Pedro ACOSTA KTM SPA 201
2 Sergio GARCIA GASGAS SPA 155
3 Romano FENATI Husqvarna ITA 132
4 Dennis FOGGIA Honda ITA 118
5 Jaume MASIA KTM SPA 105
6 Darryn BINDER Honda RSA 95
7 Niccolò ANTONELLI KTM ITA 87
8 Ayumu SASAKI KTM JPN 71
9 Kaito TOBA KTM JPN 62
10 Jeremy ALCOBA Honda SPA 60
11 Gabriel RODRIGO Honda ARG 60
12 Izan GUEVARA GASGAS SPA 59
13 Andrea MIGNO Honda ITA 58
14 Tatsuki SUZUKI Honda JPN 54
15 Deniz ÖNCÜ KTM TUR 53
16 John MCPHEE Honda GBR 53
17 Filip SALAC KTM CZE 46
18 Ryusei YAMANAKA KTM JPN 37
19 Xavier ARTIGAS Honda SPA 30
20 Jason DUPASQUIER KTM SWI 27
21 Riccardo ROSSI KTM ITA 23
22 Stefano NEPA KTM ITA 22
23 Carlos TATAY KTM SPA 20
24 Adrian FERNANDEZ Husqvarna SPA 16
25 Yuki KUNII Honda JPN 15
26 Maximilian KOFLER KTM AUT 10
27 Elia BARTOLINI KTM ITA 7
28 Andi Farid IZDIHAR Honda INA 3
29 Daniel HOLGADO KTM SPA 1
30 Lorenzo FELLON Honda FRA 0
31 Joel KELSO KTM AUS 0
32 Takuma MATSUYAMA Honda JPN 0
33 Alberto SURRA Honda ITA 0
34 David SALVADOR Honda SPA 0

2021  – Aragon Schedule  (AEDT)

Source: MCNews.com.au

Johann Zarco tops Friday practice in Austria

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


Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) is the new fastest ever MotoGP rider at the Red Bull Ring. The Frenchman’s 1:22.827 set in FP1 is a new all-time lap record and one serious benchmark after a tougher Styrian GP, leaving him eight tenths clear after Day 1 of the Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich. Reigning Champion and Styrian GP podium finisher Joan Mir was second, just ahead of his Team Suzuki Ecstar teammate Alex Rins.


MotoGP Rider Quotes

Johann Zarco – P1

“I am satisfied with today’s work. Being on this track often has helped me understand many things; we have taken a giant step forward.”

Johann Zarco
Joan Mir – P2

“We had a few problems with braking in both sessions, in the morning I couldn’t get a very good lap time, especially on time attack, but I got up there after using the soft tyres. So I actually still have a lot of margin to improve, we need to make a few adjustments to make everything more comfortable. This weekend every rider will be faster, so it will be more of a challenge on Sunday, but we’ll try to give our all and if we can fix the little things I feel pretty confident.”

Joan Mir
Alex Rins – P3

“Today was good for us, we ‘risked’ putting soft tyres on the bike in the last moments of FP1 because my crew saw the rain on radar images and we thought it was better to get a time in early. I’ve been riding well today, both in the dry and the wet, and I have a good feeling. We’ve managed to work on the brake problem that I had last weekend and it seems better. It’s nice to continue using the ride height device because I’m getting more used to it every time I use it. I’m aiming for a good FP3 tomorrow morning and we’ll take it from there.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P4

“P4 is a good result and we had a good feeling on the bike which is the most important thing. In FP2, same as last weekend, we had rainy conditions, but we had a much better feeling than last weekend. We need to improve some areas in wet conditions, but in the dry conditions we are going well and are really looking forward to qualifying. The most important session will be FP3, we need to stay in the top 10 and be ready for the qualifying session.”

Takaaki Nakagami
Aleix Espargaro – P5

“I’m satisfied with the way we began this weekend. This morning, despite having lost a few minutes, I was still able to find a good pace. I’m particularly pleased with the level we demonstrated in the wet, which is a situation where I wasn’t so incisive last week. We also made some changes to the balance of the RS-GP and I must say that the feeling is very good on damp asphalt too. Tomorrow it will be essential to work well on qualifying; overtaking is no simple thing for us here, so a spot on the front two rows would be ideal to aim for an important race result.”

Fabio Quartararo – P6

“This morning was great! My pace was good, and the front tyre wasn’t even the one that I like. So, I’m curious to see tomorrow what that will be like. I think that we need to make a bigger step in the wet, because I have no feeling and this is something we need to improve. In FP1 I missed a gear and it felt like the engine was going down. I decided to stop to look at the dashboard, but everything was okay. It was just a mistake of mine. Some of our main rivals are fast, but I know I’m also super fast in qualifying, so I will go for it. I think we need to try!”

Fabio Quartararo
Álex Márquez – P7

“First day of the second GP here in Austria and I felt great from the beginning. In the morning, in the dry we started with a good shape, were feeling great and so took the chance to put on a new medium tyre as we saw on the forecast that there was a chance of rain in the afternoon. It was a perfect plan from the team and for the tyre choice. In the afternoon, we had the chance to test the hard front tyre, but also some different set-ups we had in the plan. We still have tomorrow and we need to be fast again from the beginning. I’m happy with the day and motivated for tomorrow. FP3 will be important to be directly in Q2 as qualifying is always tough here. So we’ll try our best from the morning.”

Francesco Bagnaia – P8

“Despite the position, these were two really positive sessions. This morning, we were fast, finishing in the top ten without a time attack and on very used tyres, which bodes well for the race. In FP2 this afternoon, I only lapped when the track was completely wet, and even then, my pace was good. When the asphalt started to dry, I preferred to stop and not use more wet tyres. I’m satisfied and optimistic about tomorrow’s qualifying session”.

Francesco Bagnaia
Marc Marquez – P9

“Today’s plan was to work through some things for HRC before tomorrow when we focus on being faster. I am still struggling a little in the hard braking, but there are many riders struggling a bit with it here. The wet practice helped us a lot, both with my physical condition and showing my speed. It has been a decent first day but we will have to see what happens tomorrow.”

Jorge Martín – P10

“I am very confident. My race pace is good, and we continue improving. I have reached a good level of confidence with the bike; tomorrow hope to replicate last week’s qualifier.”

Jorge Martín
Pol Espargaro – P11

“Overall I think it was a good day. In the dry we were able to improve a little and we made progress with the used tyres because we didn’t change it in the morning. In the afternoon we did our best lap in the wet and we were fast, in second. We dropped down when people did some final laps on a drier track but I was fast in the wet. In the wet we are fast and in the dry we are looking better, I’m satisfied.”

Enea Bastianini – P12

“It was a bit of a strange day as we didn’t expect rain today. This morning we started with the right foot and immediately set a good time. I made some changes to the front of the bike, but the problems didn’t go away, so we’ll keep working on it tomorrow. With the wet track the lap times weren’t quite good and we’re limited on medium wet tyres. Anyway, I did some laps to see how the bike was behaving and to understand what the potential is. We are ready for tomorrow.”

Enea Bastianini
Luca Marini – P13

“We have been working on the bike during FP1 and we found some improvements that will help us for tomorrow. It was a pity that it rained in FP2, because we are a bit limited on the medium wet tyres. We’ll see how FP3 goes, it will be a key session, we have three softs to use and then three time attacks to get a competitive time.”

Valentino Rossi – P14

“This morning, in FP1, it wasn’t too bad because I was able to greatly improve the performance and lap time from the first weekend here. Also the position was okay too but, as always with a second GP at the same circuit, everyone is very strong. The track was fast this morning and we were able to work on our race pace. This afternoon the conditions in FP2 were very specific, as it rained a lot but it stayed very hot and the dry line appeared after only 20 minutes. We are not so bad on the full wet, but we suffer a lot with the feeling in mixed conditions and we don’t have enough traction. We hope that Sunday will be completely dry or wet, not a mix.”

Jack Miller – P17

“Looking at the timesheet, it doesn’t seem to have been a positive day; actually, I’m pretty satisfied. This morning we had some small issues, and I’ve been working on the idea that I could set my best time during the afternoon session. Unfortunately, the track conditions didn’t allow me that, so I will try to improve tomorrow morning in FP3. I’m confident because I know what we need to do to be fast, and in the wet this afternoon, we showed a good pace, so all in all, it was a good day”.

Jack Miller
Danilo Petrucci – P18

“This morning we tried something that was working good in terms of setup. We obviously still have to reduce the wheelie out of the corners in order to try to be as fast as possible on the straight. For sure, the first four corners are the trickiest for us, but I felt quite ok. Hopefully, we can improve our lap time tomorrow, especially compared to last week and try to be as close as possible to the front.”

 Iker Lecuona – P19

“In the morning, I was struggling a bit with the grip. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t improve my lap time, so we need to work on this. But when the thunderstorm arrived this afternoon, I spoke with my team and we decided to do a race simulation as the race on Sunday could happen in these conditions. So, I went out with the wet tyres, I felt very good like always and was very fast. Then I did a flag to flag to start to feel the track with the slicks and maybe work out a limit for Sunday. I felt good and managed to improve. Thank you to my guys for their great work! Tomorrow we’ll keep that way.”

Cal Crutchlow – P20

“Last week we had an issue with rear grip in the race and we think we might have found the reason why, but it became our main focus today. It’s good that we understand it a bit more and it means we can continue our programme now, to hopefully find more speed in both wet and dry conditions. I feel confident that I can though. Obviously going from testing where you have all day to two 45-minute sessions is difficult, especially with this afternoon being wet. I’m looking forward to the rest of the weekend and let’s see what we can achieve.”


MotoGP FP1 Report

Zarco absolutely blasted out the blocks in FP1, the Frenchman already fastest before slamming in that new lap record to go eight tenths clear of the field in the final couple of minutes, over three tenths quicker than his previous best as he pushed early for a fast lap. The field in this case meant Mir, the number 36 adding that the position is good but they nevertheless need to work on braking, with Rins finding some better form to end the session just a tenth off his teammate.

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was fourth in FP1, leading the mid-part of the session for some time and maintaining his status as top Honda in Austria, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) enjoying a solid start in fifth.

The only drama was a technical problem for Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) at Turn 9 at the end of the session, the Frenchman putting his hand up and pulling off.

MotoGP FP2 Report

The rain came down in a big way just before the end of Moto3 FP2, and that left the premier class with a very wet Red Bull Ring for their FP2 too. Consequently, no one improved but one person did set an incredible benchmark: Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing). The Spaniard ended the session a whopping 3.397 seconds clear after putting slicks in for a final charge, the only rider to push near the end of the session as the track dried.

Iker Lecuona

Lecuona reigned in the rain early on too, before Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) took over on top mid-session for some time. But the number 27 KTM hit back with his run on slicks, only competing with himself for P1.

Zarco was second in the session behind Lecuona, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) a few tenths further back in third. Marc Marquez ended up fourth after leading part way through, with Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) completing the top five.

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) suffered a run off at Turn 4, and Joan Mir headed wide at Turn 10… as Marc Marquez got a little close for comfort up the inside.

MotoGP Friday Combined

FP1 is the same as the combined times given change in the weather, with Zarco retaining his eight tenths of advantage into Saturday. Mir is second ahead of Rins, with Nakagami the last man within a second. Aleix Espargaro completes the top five.

Quartararo was sixth, ahead of more good Spielberg speed from Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) in seventh. Bagnaia was the second Borgo Panigale machine in P8, with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Styrian GP winner Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) round out a top ten split by 1.217. Which would sound a lot, except Zarco’s laptime is such that Mir in second to Martin in tenth is covered by only 0.419, and Zarco has the rest of that gap to himself.

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team)

With the weather forecast for Saturday making for interesting reading, that top ten could leave a few usual suspects looking for a way into Q2. They include both Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder, who ended the day in P15 and P16, respectively, as well as Jack Miller just behind them in 17th.

MotoGP Combined Times

Pos Rider Bike Time/Gap
1 J.Zarco DUCATI 1m22.827
2 J.Mir SUZUKI +0.798
3 A.Rins SUZUKI +0.903
4 T.Nakagami HONDA +0.963
5 A.Espargaro APRILIA +1.014
6 F.Quartararo YAMAHA +1.038
7 A.Marquez HONDA +1.054
8 F.Bagnaia DUCATI +1.076
9 M.Marquez HONDA +1.140
10 J.Martin DUCATI +1.217
11 P.Espargaro HONDA +1.270
12 E.Bastianini DUCATI +1.410
13 L.Marini DUCATI +1.503
14 V.Rossi YAMAHA +1.508
15 M.Oliveira KTM +1.520
16 B.Binder KTM +1.665
17 J.Miller DUCATI +1.701
18 D.Petrucci KTM +1.928
19 I.Lecuona KTM +1.965
20 C.Crutchlow YAMAHA +2.468

2021 MotoGP Championsip Points

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Fabio QUARTARARO Yamaha FRA 172
2 Johann ZARCO Ducati FRA 132
3 Joan MIR Suzuki SPA 121
4 Francesco BAGNAIA Ducati ITA 114
5 Jack MILLER Ducati AUS 100
6 Maverick VIÑALES Yamaha SPA 95
7 Miguel OLIVEIRA KTM POR 85
8 Brad BINDER KTM RSA 73
9 Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia SPA 61
10 Marc MARQUEZ Honda SPA 58
11 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Honda JPN 52
12 Jorge MARTIN Ducati SPA 48
13 Alex RINS Suzuki SPA 42
14 Pol ESPARGARO Honda SPA 41
15 Franco MORBIDELLI Yamaha ITA 40
16 Alex MARQUEZ Honda SPA 34
17 Enea BASTIANINI Ducati ITA 31
18 Danilo PETRUCCI KTM ITA 26
19 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha ITA 20
20 Luca MARINI Ducati ITA 16
21 Iker LECUONA KTM SPA 14
22 Stefan BRADL Honda GER 11
23 Dani PEDROSA KTM SPA 6
24 Lorenzo SAVADORI Aprilia ITA 4
25 Michele PIRRO Ducati ITA 3
26 Tito RABAT Ducati SPA 1

Moto2

Remember who set the fastest lap in Moto2 last weekend? It was Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and the Japanese rider’s speed had gone nowhere as we got back in business at the Red Bull Ring. He tops Friday by mere thousandths though, with Styrian GP podium finisher within 0.007 on Day 1 of the Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich. After an FP1 somewhat down the order, Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the top three with an afternoon improvement.

Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia)

Moto2 Combined Times

Pos Rider Bike Time/Cap
1 A.Ogura KALEX 1m28.887
2 A.Fernandez KALEX +0.007
3 R.Gardner KALEX +0.080
4 M.Schrotter KALEX +0.101
5 M.Bezzecchi KALEX +0.128
6 L.Dalla Porta KALEX +0.153
7 S.Lowes KALEX +0.220
8 R.Fernandez KALEX +0.267
9 A.Canet BOSCOSCURO +0.305
10 S.Chantra KALEX +0.330
11 A.Arenas BOSCOSCURO +0.355
12 S.Manzi KALEX +0.459
13 T.Luthi KALEX +0.483
14 F.Di Giannanto KALEX +0.487
15 X.Vierge KALEX +0.570
16 J.Roberts KALEX +0.584
17 T.Arbolino KALEX +0.614
18 J.Dixon KALEX +0.635
19 H.Garzo KALEX +0.664
20 N.Bulega KALEX +0.714
21 M.Ramirez KALEX +0.722
22 C.Vietti KALEX +0.737
23 J.Navarro BOSCOSCURO +0.746
24 B.Bendsneyde  KALEX +0.854
25 H.Syahrin NTS +0.972
26 L.Baldassarri MV AGUSTA +1.072
27 B.Baltus NTS +1.139
28 S.Corsi MV AGUSTA +1.209
29 C.Beaubier KALEX +1.414
30 Y.Montella BOSCOSCURO +1.512
31 T.Hada KALEX +2.811

Moto2 Championship Points

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Remy GARDNER Kalex AUS 197
2 Raul FERNANDEZ Kalex SPA 162
3 Marco BEZZECCHI Kalex ITA 153
4 Sam LOWES Kalex GBR 101
5 Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO Kalex ITA 76
6 Aron CANET Boscoscuro SPA 75
7 Marcel SCHROTTER Kalex GER 72
8 Augusto FERNANDEZ Kalex SPA 66
9 Ai OGURA Kalex JPN 60
10 Xavi VIERGE Kalex SPA 57
11 Joe ROBERTS Kalex USA 50
12 Jorge NAVARRO Boscoscuro SPA 42
13 Bo BENDSNEYDER Kalex NED 39
14 Celestino VIETTI Kalex ITA 32
15 Tony ARBOLINO Kalex ITA 30
16 Cameron BEAUBIER Kalex USA 26
17 Somkiat CHANTRA Kalex THA 24
18 Albert ARENAS Boscoscuro SPA 23
19 Stefano MANZI Kalex ITA 20
20 Jake DIXON Kalex GBR 16
21 Marcos RAMIREZ Kalex SPA 16
22 Hector GARZO Kalex SPA 11
23 Nicolò BULEGA Kalex ITA 10
24 Lorenzo DALLA PORTA Kalex ITA 10
25 Hafizh SYAHRIN NTS MAL 8
26 Simone CORSI MV Agusta ITA 7
27 Alonso LOPEZ Boscoscuro SPA 4
28 Fermín ALDEGUER Boscoscuro SPA 4
29 Thomas LUTHI Kalex SWI 4
30 Lorenzo BALDASSARRI MV Agusta ITA 3
31 Barry BALTUS NTS BEL 2

Moto3

Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) is the man to beat after Day 1 of the Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, ending both sessions fastest and with a tenth in hand over Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) by the end of play. Championship leader and Styrian GP winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) locked out the top three, just 0.013 in further arrears.

Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing)

Moto3 Combined Times

Pos Rider Bike Time/Gap
1 D.Binder HONDA 1m36.215
2 R.Fenati HUSQVARNA +0.105
3 P.Acosta KTM +0.118
4 D.Öncü KTM +0.184
5 I.Guevara GASGAS +0.198
6 S.Nepa KTM +0.201
7 D.Foggia HONDA +0.214
8 S.Garcia GASGAS +0.320
9 J.Mcphee HONDA +0.391
10 A.Sasaki KTM +0.405
11 Y.Kunii HONDA +0.444
12 G.Rodrigo HONDA +0.464
13 J.Masia KTM +0.494
14 J.Alcoba HONDA +0.682
15 T.Suzuki HONDA +0.710
16 K.Toba KTM +0.746
17 A.Migno HONDA +0.890
18 R.Yamanaka KTM +0.980
19 F.Salac KTM +0.989
20 A.Fernandez HUSQVARNA +1.014
21 A.Izdihar HONDA +1.102
22 L.Fellon HONDA +1.112
23 D.Salvador HONDA +1.142
24 R.Rossi KTM +1.216
25 M.Kofler KTM +1.313
26 C.Tatay KTM +1.405
27 E.Bartolini KTM +2.347

Moto3 Championship Points

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Pedro ACOSTA KTM SPA 183
2 Sergio GARCIA GASGAS SPA 130
3 Romano FENATI Husqvarna ITA 96
4 Dennis FOGGIA Honda ITA 86
5 Jaume MASIA KTM SPA 85
6 Darryn BINDER Honda RSA 79
7 Ayumu SASAKI KTM JPN 68
8 Niccolò ANTONELLI KTM ITA 67
9 Gabriel RODRIGO Honda ARG 59
10 Jeremy ALCOBA Honda SPA 58
11 Andrea MIGNO Honda ITA 58
12 Kaito TOBA KTM JPN 56
13 Filip SALAC KTM CZE 40
14 John MCPHEE Honda GBR 40
15 Tatsuki SUZUKI Honda JPN 38
16 Izan GUEVARA GASGAS SPA 38
17 Ryusei YAMANAKA KTM JPN 37
18 Xavier ARTIGAS Honda SPA 30
19 Jason DUPASQUIER KTM SWI 27
20 Deniz ÖNCÜ KTM TUR 25
21 Stefano NEPA KTM ITA 19
22 Riccardo ROSSI KTM ITA 16
23 Adrian FERNANDEZ Husqvarna SPA 16
24 Yuki KUNII Honda JPN 15
25 Carlos TATAY KTM SPA 14
26 Maximilian KOFLER KTM AUT 10
27 Elia BARTOLINI KTM ITA 7
28 Andi Farid IZDIHAR Honda INA 2
29 Daniel HOLGADO KTM SPA 1

MotoE

Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) topped the timesheets on Day 1 for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup in Austria, the Swiss rider taking over on top late on as he looks to hit back in the standings following a crash in Assen. Rookie Fermin Aldeguer (Openbank Aspar Team) was deposed by just 0.010, with Eric Granado (ONE Energy Racing) third on Friday.

Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP)

MotoE Combined Times

Pos Rider Bike Time/Gap
1 D.Aegerter ENERGICA 1m35.697
2 F.Aldeguer ENERGICA +0.010
3 E.Granado ENERGICA +0.190
4 M.Ferrari ENERGICA +0.212
5 L.Tulovic ENERGICA +0.281
6 M.Pons ENERGICA +0.412
7 J.Torres ENERGICA +0.454
8 X.Cardelus ENERGICA +0.516
9 H.Okubo ENERGICA +0.546
10 A.Zaccone ENERGICA +0.643
11 Y.Hernandez ENERGICA +0.783
12 K.Zannoni ENERGICA +0.992
13 C.Perolari ENERGICA +1.011
14 M.Herrera ENERGICA +1.446
15 J.Iwema ENERGICA +1.579
16 A.Mantovani ENERGICA +1.627
17 S.Valtulini ENERGICA +2.648
18 A.Pires ENERGICA +3.103

MotoE Championship Points

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Alessandro ZACCONE Energica ITA 54
2 Dominique AEGERTER Energica SWI 53
3 Jordi TORRES Energica SPA 43
4 Miquel PONS Energica SPA 36
5 Mattia CASADEI Energica ITA 33
6 Eric GRANADO Energica BRA 28
7 Yonny HERNANDEZ Energica COL 27
8 Matteo FERRARI Energica ITA 27
9 Maria HERRERA Energica SPA 18
10 Lukas TULOVIC Energica GER 17
11 Hikari OKUBO Energica JPN 16
12 Corentin PEROLARI Energica FRA 13
13 Fermín ALDEGUER Energica SPA 11
14 Kevin ZANNONI Energica ITA 11
15 Andre PIRES Energica POR 11
16 Andrea MANTOVANI Energica ITA 10
17 Jasper IWEMA Energica NED 7
18 Xavi CARDELUS Energica AND 3

2021

Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich Schedule (AEST)

Source: MCNews.com.au

MotoGP heads to Austria for back-to-back race weekends, with crowds!

MotoGP is back!


Following the MotoGP summer break, the circus now heads to Spielberg in Austria for back-to-back races at the Red Bull Ring, initially for the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria, followed seven days later by the Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, which will include round five of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup.

One big change, is that after so long without spectators due to Covid-19 restrictions, except for limited numbers at Doha, Catalunya and Assen, the crowds will be returning for both races in Austria to cheer on their racing heroes and add a buzz and inimitable ambiance around the track.

Austria Pre KTM Crowd
The crowds are back

The 4,318m (2.684 miles) circuit, one of the most demanding on the calendar for tyres, is nestled in a picturesque bowl among the mountains and forests of the Styrian region. With only two distinct left turns, plus a very fast-left-hand curve, the remaining seven right-hand corners generate huge stresses and heat build-up that the tyres will have to endure. The longest of three straights, which are separated by a pair of uphill right-hand corners, is 626m (2054ft) and there is 65m (213ft) of elevation change throughout a lap. Michelin will bring rear tyres with a special casing designed specifically to cope with these arduous track conditions. Subject to the 2021 calendar, tyres with this type of casing construction will also be used at Buriram in Thailand due to the similarly harsh track conditions found there.

Starting with the traditional rulers of the Red Bull Ring, Ducati will expect to be strong. Winning most of the races at the track, and it suiting their bike to a T, means they’ll be heading in hoping to make some headway on Quartararo. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) remains second in the standings and will have his eye on that 34-point gap, and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) isn’t far behind either. His team-mate Jack Miller has a few more points to make up, but the Australian has podium form at the venue… and plenty of winning form this season. But there was a new kid on the block last season in Styria, so is it still truly Ducati turf?

KTM’s 2020 was a near-perfect fairy-tale at times, but 2021 started a little tougher for the Austrian factory. As we head onto their home turf after summer break though, they’ve already been back on top and back on the podium. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is leading the charge as arguably the standout performer on the grid since Mugello, and as luck would have it… it’s the Portuguese rider who took his first premier class win at the venue last year to end the Ducati run. Can he do it again? And can teammate Brad Binder reset after the break and come out swinging?

Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Iker Lecuona and Danilo Petrucci will also want to move forward on home turf, and make life difficult for the other factories at least.

Hervé Poncharal – Tech3 KTM Team Manager

After the very nice summer break the whole MotoGP paddock enjoyed, it’s time for everyone to go back to business. We at Tech3 KTM Factory Racing are of course very eager to travel to Spielberg where we will have two important races. Everybody knows it’s the home Grand Prix for our manufacturer, therefore this meeting is very important for us. Obviously, we have great memories from last year when we got our first ever MotoGP victory with Miguel Oliveira, which we won’t forget. Yet, we know the KTM RC16 is working very well at the Austrian venue, so we are targeting top 10 results with Danilo and Iker this year. I’m sure they will be fired up to show their true potential after this long break. Apart from that, the Red Bull Ring is a beautiful circuit in amazing surroundings. I think you can’t find a better place to start the second part of the season. Everybody is more than ready to meet there and Tech3 KTM Factory Racing can’t wait to restart!”

Dani Pedrosa
Dani Pedrosa will race in Austria

But the headlines at KTM don’t stop at the same four horsemen of the Austrian factory as we’ve seen so far this year… they also include a MotoGP Legend. Dani Pedrosa made a few headlines when he retired from full-time competition and then headed to KTM to become a test rider. And then a few more as his input was largely lauded across the board. Now, he’s back not just at the track but on the track, doing a wildcard with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. He’ll be exciting to watch as both a Legend and as a presence for the factory, as he helps further hone the RC16 for the season ahead.

Meanwhile at Yamaha, eyes will be on Quartararo to see if the Frenchman can do some solid damage limitation in what is traditionally enemy territory, and El Diablo does have a good cushion of points at the top too. Teammate Maverick Viñales will be looking for somewhat of a reset on the other side of the garage, although he did take a podium at Assen.

But a lot of attention will also go towards Valentino Rossi as the Doctor looks to get his mojo back, and to the man joining him at Petronas Yamaha SRT for the next few races as Franco Morbidelli recovers from knee surgery: Cal Crutchlow. Multiple Grand Prix winner and now Yamaha test rider, the Brit is back for the two in Austria and Silverstone. What can he do?

Valentino Rossi

The summer break has been good. I was able to relax and spend some time away with my people, before heading back home for some training on the bikes. It will be nice to be racing again this weekend, but to be honest I’m not sure it is the best track for us. We know the areas where our bike is strong, but there are also areas that we need to improve and I think the Austrian track might not play to our strengths. It is in a very beautiful place though, with a lot of green around it so although it is a difficult track, it is a nice place to be. We will need to try to find the best balance for these next two races, as they are both at Spielberg, and aim to achieve the maximum that is possible for us.”

Valentino Rossi has 17-points to his name so far this season and is 19th in the championship standings
Cal Crutchlow

I’m really looking forward to being back on the grid and getting into the swing of a race weekend again, although it’s going to feel very different to the job that I’ve been doing this year as Yamaha’s test rider. The circuit at Spielberg isn’t one that I’ve enjoyed too much in the past, however I did finish fourth in 2018 and that was a good result. It’s not a fast and flowing circuit, it’s somewhere where you need to be quick and very precise. I don’t have a target as such when it comes to results, my main aim will just be to try to improve session by session. I’ll be working with Ramon Forcada, who knows the Yamaha bike very well. I think it will be good as Ramon was with Yamaha when I was. I’m sure it will go well; I just want to make sure that I do a good job for the team.

One dark horse – if the reigning Champion can be considered such – could also be Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Now fourth in the standings after a tougher start, the Red Bull Ring is a special venue for the Spaniard. It’s where he took his first Moto3 win, and then another one, before also proving the place he’d take his first premier class podium. Mir will expect to be strong, and his CV backs that up. Teammate Alex Rins, meanwhile, will be the man likely most intent on a reset in the summer. His speed this season has been undermined by crashes, but it has been there, and he’ll be looking to iron out his second half of the season.

At Honda, meanwhile, there are plenty of questions too. How will Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) do in the latter half of 2021? Can Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) start homing back in on the podium? And likewise Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol)? More than anything though, the headline stealer will likely once again be Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team).

His return to the top step in Germany was an impressive and emotional feat, and his comeback ride in Assen was another warning shot. And that was now a while ago, with a good few more weeks of time to recover for the eight-time World Champion. Where will he be once the lights go out again?

Marc Marquez

I’ve enjoyed the summer break; I was able to relax with friends and family and enjoy it. It was good not just for the mind, but also for the body and I am feeling better and stronger. I’ve been able to increase my training, spending more time on bikes and even returning to riding motocross – which I am enjoying a lot! But we know the situation on track will still not be simple and we have to keep working and stay focused. I’m looking forward riding my Honda RC213V again and having full grandstands again will be incredible.”

A jubilant Marc Marquez at Sachsenring

Finally, for Aprilia, the mission to finish in the top five continues. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) also continues to impress, with some good consistency and progress. But it won’t feel enough, and he’ll be pushing again to try and take that best MotoGP era result.

The fight for Rookie of the Year, meanwhile, rages on. Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) will be looking to hammer home his advantage at a track suited to his machine, but Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) will have had more time back from injury. Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) will be pushing too, and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) aiming to add to his points tally. Martin and Marini also have good recent records at the track.

Luca Marini

I’m happy to be back at racing: it was a very long summer break. I can’t wait to get back at work and to ride my bike. Austria is a very special track, with few turns. Ducati has always done well here, the goal is to get close to the top guys and hit the points. We will run two consecutive races here, certainly in the second week the gaps will be even smaller, one more reason to work well from the day one.”

Luca Marini is 20th in the championship with 14-points, just behind his maternal half-brother Valentino Rossi who has 17-points and is 19th

It’s been a long summer break and there’s plenty to play for in the Styrian GP. What awaits at the Red Bull Ring? Ducati dominance? KTM home glory? Mir’s glorious Austria form? A Marquez feeling ready to head out toe-to-toe with the rest? We’ll find out soon enough, with the lights going out for the MotoGP race at 2200 AEST on Sunday the 8th of August.


2021 MotoGP Standings

Pos Rider Bike Bike Points
1 Fabio QUARTARARO Yamaha FRA 156
2 Johann ZARCO Ducati FRA 122
3 Francesco BAGNAIA Ducati ITA 109
4 Joan MIR Suzuki SPA 101
5 Jack MILLER Ducati AUS 100
6 Maverick VIÑALES Yamaha SPA 95
7 Miguel OLIVEIRA KTM POR 85
8 Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia SPA 61
9 Brad BINDER KTM RSA 60
10 Marc MARQUEZ Honda SPA 50
11 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Honda JPN 41
12 Pol ESPARGARO Honda SPA 41
13 Franco MORBIDELLI Yamaha ITA 40
14 Alex RINS Suzuki SPA 33
15 Alex MARQUEZ Honda SPA 27
16 Enea BASTIANINI Ducati ITA 27
17 Danilo PETRUCCI KTM ITA 26
18 Jorge MARTIN Ducati SPA 23
19 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha ITA 17
20 Luca MARINI Ducati ITA 14
21 Iker LECUONA KTM SPA 13
22 Stefan BRADL Honda GER 11
23 Lorenzo SAVADORI Aprilia ITA 4
24 Michele PIRRO Ducati ITA 3
25 Tito RABAT Ducati SPA 1

Moto2

Gardner vs Fernandez: will the gloves come off in Styria?

The summer is over, the Styrian countryside awaits and Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) remains ahead of the game. With a 31-point lead, no one but the Australian is leaving the first of two weekends at the Red Bull Ring at the head of the standings… but if that gap is to come down, the season half of the season is crunch time for Gardner’s rivals… and it’s teammate Raul Fernandez who arrives from a stunner of a victory.

Remy Gardner arrives in Austris with a 31-point lead in the championship

Gardner has so far been near pitch perfect all year though, so a mistake seems unlikely. He also, in some extra bad news for the rest, took a podium and a pole in one of the two weekends at the track last season, so he has form in Styria far before his form in 2021 became so metronomically impressive. But the most recent rider on the top step was his teammate and the Spaniard came back from a bad start to make a serious statement at Assen; a statement certainly one Gardner will have noted. Both also race on Red Bull home turf this time around, so that’s a little extra motivation if such a thing were possible. Will the duel pick right back up where it left off?

Assen did see the return of some serious competition at the front for the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo, however. Since Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) started the season on a high the momentum had very much switched to the Ajo team, but the Dutch TT saw both Lowes and teammate Augusto Fernandez right back in the fight at the front. For Augusto Fernandez it was also a welcome return to the podium and frontrunning form after a tougher run for the Spaniard, so can they use the reset of the summer break and that high note heading in to come out swinging?

Thinking back to last season at the Red Bull Ring brings to mind the man in third overall though: Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46). The second event at the track last year saw the Italian take to the top step after last lap track limits drama, making a big step forward in the second race weekend. This time round, can he come out the blocks fastest and get back to winning ways? After a more muted start to the season than likely expected, he’ll be pushing as hard as ever.

Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) is another rider with recent form at the Ring, as is Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2). Can they get in the mix? Canet already has podium form this year, and Schrötter is now sixth overall and just ahead of the Spaniard. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) will want to get back in the fight too, and the likes of Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) and Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), equal on 50 points with Augusto Fernandez, could play a role…

Moto2 Championship Points Standing

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Fabio QUARTARARO Yamaha FRA 156
2 Johann ZARCO Ducati FRA 122
3 Francesco BAGNAIA Ducati ITA 109
4 Joan MIR Suzuki SPA 101
5 Jack MILLER Ducati AUS 100
6 Maverick VIÑALES Yamaha SPA 95
7 Miguel OLIVEIRA KTM POR 85
8 Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia SPA 61
9 Brad BINDER KTM RSA 60
10 Marc MARQUEZ Honda SPA 50
11 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Honda JPN 41
12 Pol ESPARGARO Honda SPA 41
13 Franco MORBIDELLI Yamaha ITA 40
14 Alex RINS Suzuki SPA 33
15 Alex MARQUEZ Honda SPA 27
16 Enea BASTIANINI Ducati ITA 27
17 Danilo PETRUCCI KTM ITA 26
18 Jorge MARTIN Ducati SPA 23
19 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha ITA 17
20 Luca MARINI Ducati ITA 14
21 Iker LECUONA KTM SPA 13
22 Stefan BRADL Honda GER 11
23 Lorenzo SAVADORI Aprilia ITA 4
24 Michele PIRRO Ducati ITA 3
25 Tito RABAT Ducati SPA 1

Moto3

If you’re a Moto3 rookie, leading the Championship and readying yourself to come back from summer break with a bang at the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria, what would put an extra spring in your step? Something like four Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup wins at the venue in question last time you raced there? That’s the sensational Pedro Acosta’s (Red Bull KTM Ajo) CV from the Red Bull Ring in 2020, and his lead remains nearly two entire race wins’ worth of points this season so we can probably expect some excellence-flavoured déjà vu. But all is not necessarily lost for his rivals as a few arrive in good form… and this is Moto3 after all!

Pedroa Acosta heads to Austria with a 48-point lead in the championship

Sergio Garcia (SANTANDER Consumer Bank GASGAS Aspar) remains the closest challenger, with two wins so far, some solid consistent scoring and a second place at Assen taken just before summer. But Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) feels like he has some serious momentum too, now in second overall, winning at Assen – his second victory of the season – and now clawing back some traction and what was a huge deficit to the top. Can the two keep the pressure on?

Behind them, it tightens up in the points and fourth is now Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team). The Italian is the only rider to have scored in every race so far this year, and he’ll want to keep that going and home in on a first win of the year. He has taken victory at the Red Bull Ring before too – a first win back on his return to Moto3 in 2019. The two riders just behind him will be coming back from summer gunning for glory too: Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing). A season of ups and downs for both has nevertheless seen both often up at the front and on the podium, and Masia began the season with a win. Can they use the reset of summer break to put bad luck and trouble to bed?

The likes of Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3), Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3), his teammate Jeremy Alcoba and Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) will likely be back up there at the front, and John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) is a former podium finisher at the venue looking for more luck too. And Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Acosta and Masia will be pushing hard on KTM and Red Bull’s home turf, but so will the Red Bull KTM Tech 3 squad. Deniz Öncü now has a podium and will be pushing for another, and his teammate will also be back on track: Ayumu Sasaki.

A first half of the season that saw the Japanese rider putting together some impressive consistency to hover in the top five, four and three in the standings was interrupted by that crash a Catalunya, and the number 71 was sidelined until given the absolute all-clear to return. He now has that, and will be more than eager to get back out and push.

Moto3 Championship Points Standings

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Pedro ACOSTA KTM SPA 158
2 Sergio GARCIA GASGAS SPA 110
3 Dennis FOGGIA Honda ITA 86
4 Romano FENATI Husqvarna ITA 80
5 Jaume MASIA KTM SPA 72
6 Darryn BINDER Honda RSA 69
7 Niccolò ANTONELLI KTM ITA 67
8 Gabriel RODRIGO Honda ARG 59
9 Jeremy ALCOBA Honda SPA 58
10 Andrea MIGNO Honda ITA 58
11 Ayumu SASAKI KTM JPN 57
12 Kaito TOBA KTM JPN 52
13 John MCPHEE Honda GBR 37
14 Tatsuki SUZUKI Honda JPN 37
15 Izan GUEVARA GASGAS SPA 36
16 Filip SALAC Honda CZE 35
17 Xavier ARTIGAS Honda SPA 30
18 Ryusei YAMANAKA KTM JPN 28
19 Jason DUPASQUIER KTM SWI 27
20 Deniz ÖNCÜ KTM TUR 25
21 Stefano NEPA KTM ITA 19
22 Riccardo ROSSI KTM ITA 16
23 Carlos TATAY KTM SPA 14
24 Adrian FERNANDEZ Husqvarna SPA 10
25 Elia BARTOLINI KTM ITA 7
26 Yuki KUNII Honda JPN 7
27 Maximilian KOFLER KTM AUT 3
28 Andi Farid IZDIHAR Honda INA 2
29 Daniel HOLGADO KTM SPA 1

2021 Motul TT Assen Schedule (AEST)

Source: MCNews.com.au

Phillip Island MotoGP officially cancelled for 2021

2021 Australian MotoGP cancelled


Following widespread speculation that the 2021 Australian MotoGP round would be cancelled, it has now been confirmed that for the second year running the event will not run due to Covid.

MotoGP Australia Crutchlow
Australian MotoGP 2019

With a resurgence in Covid cases, the halving of travel caps and state lockdowns a continuing challenge, not to mention the enormous logistics required to bring teams to Australia, the 2021 Australian MotoGP has been called off, with the following statement released by the AGPC:

The calendar has been updated as a result, with the Malaysian round moved and Grande Premio do Algarve added. See below for more details. 


The Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) in conjunction with the Victorian Government and Dorna Sports today announced the 2021 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix has been cancelled due to restrictions and logistical challenges relating to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix was scheduled to be held at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from 22-24 October.

Tickets for the event had not gone on sale. AGPC will continue to work with Dorna Sports and the Victorian Government regarding the 2022 calendar timings for both events.

Paul Little – Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman

“We’re deeply disappointed that for a second consecutive year, both MotoGP and Formula 1 fans won’t be able to see the world’s best riders and drivers compete at the wonderful Phillip Island and Albert Park Grand Prix Circuits. We appreciate the challenge Australia faces with current international travel restrictions and the importance of vaccinations. I would like to reassure our motivated and professional staff, suppliers and partners, as well as the Victorian tourism and major events community that we will work tirelessly to deliver these iconic events in 2022.”

Andrew Westacott – Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO

“We understand this is not the news MotoGP and Formula 1 fans wanted to hear. I would like to extend my thanks to the Victorian Government, Formula 1 and Dorna Sports for their unwavering resilience and support during this challenging period, and for their ongoing commitment to these two great events. There are bound to be ongoing challenges with COVID-19, but I want to reassure fans that while there is sadness and disappointment amongst our wonderful AGPC staff there is a tenacity and determination to make sure the next episodes of MotoGP at the island and Formula 1 at the new Albert Park layout are sensational showcases of how we do things in Victoria.”

Carmelo Ezpeleta – Dorna Sports CEO

“We are very sad to announce that we won’t be able to race at the stunning Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in 2021. One of our truly emblematic venues that always delivers incredible racing, it’s a favourite for fans worldwide and everyone in the paddock. Unfortunately, we will have to wait another year to return to Victoria, but we very much look forward to seeing the Australian fans in 2022 and staging another fantastic event together – this time with two home heroes, Jack Miller and Remy Gardner, on the premier class grid when we return.”

Mick Doohan – AGPC Board Member

“I’m totally devastated that we’re not hosting the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix again this year at Phillip Island, especially with the form we’ve got with Jack Miller in MotoGP and Remy Gardner in Moto2, who could have been in a position to win the championship overall at Phillip Island.”

Jack Miller

“All us riders are really disappointed that we won’t be able to race at Phillip Island again this year – it’s a really tough thing for everyone, but we understand the situation and it’s the correct decision. Everyone in the paddock loves to come to Australia and I always feel proud of my home country when we get to host MotoGP, because everyone loves that track and that event so much. So, fingers crossed things can change for 2022 and we can ride at one of the best tracks in the world and in front of the awesome fans there.”


Malaysian MotoGP moved & Grande Premio do Algarve added to calendar

The 2021 Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix has therefore been brought forward and will take place a week earlier than previously scheduled, from the 22nd to the 24th of October – the weekend immediately following the rescheduled OR Grand Prix of Thailand.

In addition, the FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports are delighted to confirm the addition of the Grande Premio do Algarve to the 2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar. MotoGP will return to Portimão from the 5th to the 7th of November, the week preceding the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, as the iconic Autodromo do Algarve welcomes MotoGP back for a second Grand Prix this season.

2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar
July 7 Update

Round Date Location
Round 1 Mar-28 Qatar, Losail (night race)
Round 2 Apr-04 Doha, Losail (night race)
Round 3 Apr-18 Portugal, Portimao
Round 4 May-02 Spain, Jerez
Round 5 May-16 France, Le Mans
Round 6 May-30 Italy- Mugello
Round 7 Jun-06 Catalunya, Barcelona
Round 8 Jun-20 Germany, Sachsenring
Round 9 Jun-27 Netherlands, Assen
Round 10 Aug-8 Styria, Red Bull Ring
Round 11 Aug-15 Austria, Red Bull Ring
Round 12 Aug-29 Great Britain, Silverstone
Round 13 Sep-12 Aragon, Motorland Aragon
Round 14 Sep-19 San Marino, Misano
Round 15 Oct-03 Americas, Circuit of the Americas
Round 16 Oct-17 Thailand, Chang International Circuit
Round 17 Cancelled Australia, Phillip Island
Round 17 Oct-24 Malaysia, Sepang
Round 18 Nov 7 Algarve, Autodromo Internacional do Algarve
Round 19 Nov-14 Valencia, Circuit Ricardo Tormo

Source: MCNews.com.au

Vinales gets new crew chief for Catalunya

Ex Rossi crew chief moves from test team to lead Maverick’s garage

Following the Italian GP, Esteban García Amoedo, crew chief for Maverick Vinales, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP mutually agreed to end their working relationship with immediate effect.

Silvano Galbusera will take over the role of Crew Chief for Maverick Viñales for the remainder of the 2021 MotoGP season.

Galbusera was the man hand picked by Valentino Rossi to replace Jeremy Burgess when he parted ways with the Australian crew chief.

Valentino Rossi and Jeremy Burgess - 2014 - After he had been replaced by Silvano Galbusera and had retired - Image by AJRN
Valentino Rossi and Jeremy Burgess – 2014 – After Burgess had been replaced by Silvano Galbusera and had retired – Image by AJRN

The performance of Vinales seems to run hot and cold and this is perhaps seen as a circuit breaker to try and break that cycle and get Maverick back on track, every weekend, every session.   That said, when Galbusera was Rossi’s crew chief in the team, Maverick was generally faster than the #46 across most recent seasons.

Vinales, more often than not out-performed Valentino Rossi when they were team-mates but the Spaniard has been consistently beaten for race pace by Fabio Quartararo ever since the young rookie got on a Yamaha in MotoGP.  That has continued this year when the Frenchman joined Monster Yamaha as team-mate to Vinales.

Yamaha YZR M Rider Lorenzo Galbusera
Lorenzo was to have been working with Galbusera to lead Yamaha’s MotoGP testing programme but that didn’t go anywhere, thus Cal Crutchlow was in that role with Galbusera for this season. But now Galbusera has been moved back to the main game to head Vinales’ crew.

Vinales has had proven crew chiefs in Ramon Forcada, followed by Garcia and will now have a third man in his hot seat to try and turn things around. Arguably, Vinales had his best results in MotoGP when working with Forcada, who now works with Franco Morbidelli. Esteban Garcia though had helped Vinales to his Moto3 Title back in 2013.

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Yamaha Team Director

“Esteban joined our team in 2019. He and Maverick had already worked together before in 2013 and won the Moto3 World Championship that year. We are very grateful to Esteban for his dedication and passion during our time spent together, which led to eleven podiums for Maverick, including four wins, three second places, and four third places. Saying ’Goodbye‘ to one of our crew members is always a sad occasion, but it was a mutual decision based on what‘s best for both parties. We wish Esteban all the best for the future.”

Maverick Vinales is being given every chance by Yamaha to up his race game.

Source: MCNews.com.au