Author: Myanna Wedes

The headlines are all about Jorge Martin, a rookie rider on board the Pramac Ducati MotoGP machine who took the circuit and its fellow rivals by storm. The weather was a talking point for the race weekend with rain hitting the circuit and talks of moving the race. However, that did not occur and in fact, the weather held besides a first lap incident that caused carnage and a red flag. Dani Pedrosa lost control into turn three over the crest of the hill and as he lost control, Lorenzo Salvadori from the Aprilia Gresini MotoGP Team hit his bike severing the fuel lines and tank causing a fireball explosion and both bikes turning to charcoal MotoGP machines! We all know what happened in 2020 with turn three and to see another incident occur here, it was almost like the circuit was cursed. Luckily, everyone escaped without any major injury and with their lives. The race was a battle between multiple manufacturers and a good one with many riders having to find their limit and go beyond it.

The Pramac Ducati MotoGP Team have succeeded with a win at the Austrian circuit which is normally dominated by the Ducati factory head team riders. It was interesting to see at the restart, Jack Miller sprint to the front, although Pecco Bagnia struggle and showcase his frustration. During the original race start, Bagnaia was out front, this time though he had a rough ride as did Miller who was pushing for a podium position and lost the front end crashing out. He just wanted too much out of the front hard tyre which did not hold up. It was not an ideal situation for Ducati although they must be proud of Martin who injured himself early into the season and almost decided to give up on his participation within the sport. His sheer determination and strong will is incredible, to go from a hospital bed without being able to walk to winning on a MotoGP bike at such a high-speed circuit. We remember watching Martin in the early days of Moto3 and knew he would eventually climb the ranks. To be able to pull off a victory over various World Champions and multi race winners and the current title leader is remarkable and a victory he will remember forever. In comparison, Johann Zarco did not look entirely comfortable when you analyse his performance up against the other front runners. He had some vital Championship points taken away from him and was beaten at the line by two bikes sending him further down the order and Fabio Quartararo extending his lead. Talk about a winning feeling for the French rider! His title lead is certainly looking nice for the Yamaha factory.

Jorge Martin:

“INCREDIBLE! I am so happy, it was a perfect weekend, Yesterday pole and today victory, the first for me in MotoGP and for Pramac Racing with Ducati. We’ll never forget it.”

Johann Zarco:

“First of all congratulations to Jorge, what a fantastic race, I am very happy for him and for the team, they deserved it. I’m pretty satisfied, I picked up some important points and understood a lot of things. Next week we’ll start again with even more energy.”

The new squatting device for Suzuki proved to be extremely beneficial and assisted with their speed and consistency. Joan Mir did not expect his rivals to be so strong and this new device is the ticket to being competitive to really be within reach of defending the World Championship. The race was a brilliant one for Mir who put Martin under immense pressure lap after lap. Mir, the Spanish World Champion is incredibly talented and right now leading the charge for Suzuki as his teammate Alex Rins still finds his feet to be competitive once again. Without the device, fighting for victory may have been impossible, so it is interesting to see the sport develop and really transform. With the summer break, Mir appears to have returned with precision, passion and belief which is the type of rider Suzuki have always wanted to have under their brand and it is showing in the results.

Joan Mir:

“It was a tough race, it wasn’t easy trying to follow Jorge and towards the end of the race I made a mistake when trying to catch him and I went wide. Jorge was impressive today and very consistent with his lap times, so I want to congratulate him. In the end I’m satisfied and I feel very proud of the team and the factory who have made a great job over the summer. I’m happy to know that the new device is working, we have more acceleration and it puts us on a more level playing field - this gives me hope for the next races. Starting the second part of the season with a podium is a nice feeling and I feel confident for next weekend.”

Alex Rins:

“Today was a mixture of good and bad for me, I struggled a lot with the front brake and I didn’t feel comfortable on the hard braking zones. Lap by lap I tried to adapt to this and manage it, and I was able to gain some places. In the end I finished seventh, but for sure the bike was capable of finishing closer to the front so we need to adjust it and resolve the issue for next weekend. I’m pleased that we can race again in just a few days at this same track because it gives me another chance to improve and bring a better result. The ride height device felt good, it gave me a step forward in acceleration and I’m happy to keep working with it from Friday.”

When it comes to World Championship leads, we know they can extend and fade at times. It was not smooth sailing for the Yamaha team this weekend with Quartararo unable to fight for the win and Maverick Vinales stalling it on the grid for the race restart after the red flag. Watching on in disbelief, Vinales was a sitting duck, having to ride his bike towards the first turn and then reverse backwards. It was not the ideal start for “Top Gun” who had a strong feeling with his bike this weekend if anything he was raging at the mistake and finishing the race with a long lap penalty and in last place. From one race start to the next, the bike and tyres felt different and that can be the card dealt that determines the outcome.

Fabio Quartararo:

“It feels so good, because when there is a red flag it’s tough, even if it’s not a big crash. I made an impressive overtake in Race 1, Turn 6. I was a little bit on the limit and to repeat this was so difficult. I knew that Jack Miller was so fast. I was extremely good on braking in Turn 3. I knew that that was a good point to overtake if I was given that possibility. The goal was to finish on the podium, and we did it! I am so happy for Jorge Martin, and as a bonus he took some points from Joan Mir. Let’s see what happens next week, but this leaves a good taste.”

Maverick Vinales:

“We changed the clutch. I made a normal start on the grid for the warm-up lap, but the bike stopped. I'm happy that in the first race I was able to start well. I was fighting at the front, but in the second race the feeling was not the same. We changed the tyres, and I don't know why but the bike was spinning so much, even on the main straight. I tried to go up the order, but then I had problems with the bike, and I stopped.”

This weekend, we return to the same circuit and Miller will be riding for redemption. He had the podium within his grasp and crashed, something Ducati are not fans of nor happy about. You can read their emotions inside the box because they literally wear them on their sleeves! Miller knows that his mistake has dampened his chances of the World Championship, although in this sport, you never know what can be around the corner. Whether it is bad weather, poor tyre choice, injury, COVID-19, a mishap, or poor performance just in general. The Australian rider knows he is capable of being at the top and just needs to refine those skills a little bit more with discipline as it will see him soar and really push his competitors to show up and perform.

Jack Miller:

“I had the podium within my reach today, and I lost it because of a crash. Unlike the first race, where I couldn't get a good start, I felt much more comfortable in the second race. After Quartararo passed me, I had to push, and once I set my pace, I could catch up. Unfortunately, when I had closed in the gap from him, I lost the front suddenly. I am disappointed with myself and sorry for my team. Now we'll try to move forward and come back stronger next week”.

Pecco Bagnaia:

“I'm really disappointed with how the race went today. The first start was perfect, even though I didn't feel completely comfortable with the front tyre. Unfortunately, I didn't have the same feeling with the rear of the bike at the restart, which prevented me from riding the same way as before. Moreover, I received a three-second penalty for not taking the long lap penalty, but I was never told in the race to do so. It's a shame because today we really had a great chance to fight for the win. We'll try again next week”.

When it comes to Christmas time, it is guaranteed that Alexi Espargaro will not be sending one to Marc Marquez! On both race starts, the two riders hit each other and after the first start was called off due to a red flag, Espargaro was in his box raging! One was aggressive, the other not wanting to yield and as a result, you meet in a part of the circuit that then sends you in a different direction. The wheel-to-wheel action was great to see as both riders pushed one another to the extreme. Marquez showcased a better and refined Honda machine though he was disappointed with the result and rightly so as he is not used to being at the middle to rear of the pack. The spinning issue that has been a problem for so many riders has become one for Marquez and he is navigating these unchartered waters in the best way he can, delivering feedback to the engineers/mechanics to build a more refined machine. We must remember, Marquez was absent for some time, and they had to develop the bike regardless of his lack of input. Track and bike time are the essential ingredients for this team to recover and regain track positions reflective of talent. Whilst the Honda teamwork, so does the Yamaha team and with the news of Valentino Rossi retiring, every bit of time watching him race is well worth it. The Doctor is still suffering with rear grip issues even though he is fast. In contrast, Crutchlow felt good though also had issues with the rear traction and no doubt his feedback will be vital to building the bike beyond 2022.

Marc Marquez:

“I am happy with the weekend; our pace was good and I was riding well. But I am not happy with the race. In the first race I was feeling really good and I thought ‘this is my race’. In the second race we changed tyres and already on the out lap I could feel something strange. There was a lot of spinning and I couldn’t find any grip. I tried to cool the tyre a bit and then push again but I was one second slower than during practice. All we could do was finish the race and try to show our true performance next weekend. In the first race I was optimistic when I passed Aleix and touching was more my mistake, in the second race I had a better start and was inside and in front but then he released the brakes and turned in so I had no space and made contact, losing time. This is racing, it happens.”

Valentino Rossi:

“It hasn’t been a bad day today because we managed to score some points after starting from 17th. In both starts I lost positions at the beginning. I felt good after the first start; I might have been behind the other riders but I had a good rhythm. Then after the second start we suffered with the rear grip a little bit more than in the first. In the end the race wasn’t too bad, I didn’t make any mistakes, my pace was good and we finished in the Top15. I was able to fight with those around me for position and I think we had a similar pace to what we had yesterday. For sure I want to do better, but today was not bad. We have some things to work on to try to be stronger next week.”

Cal Crutchlow:

“It was good to be back racing again. Physically I felt quite good and I’m happy to finish the race. I had an issue at the first start, which then affected my opening laps and I lost an important gap. Then on the re-start, we fixed the previous issue and I got into a good rhythm, so I’m happy with my race. I had a problem with the rear traction but it was good to complete the race distance. I’ve been able to gather some data for us to look through and the rear grip issue is something for us to try to understand. It was enjoyable to be back out there and I’m looking forward to doing it again next week.”

KTM have everything to play for with the splendid ride by Brad Binder and Dani Pedrosa this weekend. So, can they recover and take it to the field this weekend? We will have to wait and see, because the weather could be different, feelings the opposite and desires stronger for some more than others. We look forward to another weekend of MotoGP battles!

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