Three points, two showdowns: the Red Bull Ring beckons as the title fight tightens up

August 12, 2024

Three points, two showdowns: the Red Bull Ring beckons as the title fight tightens up

The gap at the top is now the lowest it’s been after a GP since the season opener, and the rider chasing that duel arrives from a weekend masterclass. Welcome to Austria!

After racing it out for 37 points in the season opener in Qatar, the gap at the top of the MotoGP™ World Championship was two points. Having raced, battled, slipstreamed, duelled, attacked, defended and sweated for 333 more since, that gap has only increased by a single one. It’s Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) back in the driving seat on the road to the Red Bull Ring, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) on the chase, and a new name in third after a stunning Silverstone double: Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team). And this is one of Ducati’s most oft-conquered venues on the calendar. Are you ready?

The winner the last two seasons here – including doing the double last year – is Bagnaia. He’ll be feeling confident enough of attacking that three-point margin with a record like that. But Martin also has good memories here, scene of his first MotoGP™ win, and won’t go down without a fight. Meanwhile Bastianini, having been somewhat left out of a few narratives so far in 2024, put in a masterclass at Silverstone to put his name into the hat. 49 points used to be a lot, but it’s less when 37 points are on offer every weekend. It seems even less of a deficit considering it’s exactly the number Bagnaia pulled back on Martin between Catalunya and summer break…

Meanwhile Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) had a solid weekend at Silverstone. Despite a crash on Saturday – just like Bagnaia – Sunday was a good haul of points. But he’ll need to find something more to challenge for the podium again in Austria… and luckily enough he’s a veteran of final corner showdowns for the win at the venue. This time though, he’d rather win one. This is one of the few venues where he’s never done that.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) is impressing once again, however, and was closer to Marc Marquez by the flag at Silverstone than Marquez was to Bagnaia. He also pulled out a full Moto3™-style seat slap to tell Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) to follow him – confidence clearly high. He’ll be looking to make an impression again in Austria on the back of his new contract too, and Alex Marquez will be looking to turn the tables. Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) likewise, and he arrives from a solid British GP despite an incident at the start of the Tissot Sprint that saw him skittled by Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing). Bezzecchi was also on the podium in Spielberg last year.

However good the record for Ducati in Austria though, there is another factory that has taken to the top step – twice. KTM arrive on a tougher run as it stands but will be looking to start rebuilding their form in front of a partisan crowd, who will also have rookie superstar Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) to cheer on for the first time in MotoGP™. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is now trailing the rookie through no fault of his own after some bad luck at Silverstone so will want to change that in Austria, whereas teammate Jack Miller took solid points and will want more. For Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), meanwhile, the rumour mill has now started to swirl regarding a test role for next year with another factory, but with nothing confirmed. One thing that is confirmed for Austria, however, is a wildcard for Red Bull KTM test rider Pol Espargaro, so his machinery will be of interest as the factory look to push back towards the front.

At Aprilia, more may have been expected for Silverstone, but there was a Sprint podium for Aleix Espargaro and from pole position too. Maverick Viñales had a tougher one, however, and both will be aiming higher in Austria. It could be a tougher venue, however, with the Noale factory not yet having finished better than sixth – a result taken one apiece by both riders in the last two years. They’re the only factory missing a podium at the venue, but in the world’s most exciting sport that’s not an indictment of the then, it’s an opportunity in the now. Test rider Lorenzo Savadori will also be out to add more data with a wildcard.

For Trackhouse, meanwhile, bouncing back is almost guaranteed after a tough end to Silverstone as Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez crashed out together early on. As the centre of the rumour mill too, it was a spotlight Sunday and one they’ll be hoping to start reshaping with more points Austria – now both on 2024 RS-GPs too.

For Yamaha, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) continues to bank some points but they’ll want more. He has Yamaha’s best MotoGP™ result here, taken in 2022, and it will be interesting to see how their machine now takes on the less flowing, more stop go venue. We await news on teammate Alex Rins in the meantime after the Spaniard withdrew from Silverstone.

Honda will also be an interesting watch. After a first point in Germany following a visible step forward for Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team), it seemed the Italian had more from Silverstone until a tyre pressure penalty. Still, the positives were clear. Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) led the charge, however, and took 14th, with teammate Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) then promoted to that P15. Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) was forced to retire from the race at Silverstone with an issue, so fresh from a new contract he’ll be hoping more is possible in Austria – one of his very much favoured venues. The squad will also be joined by Stefan Bradl wildcarding with HRC Test Team to gather even more data.

Three points cover the duel at the top, Bastianini has chance to double down on his momentum, and Marquez is looking to stem the tide. The same can be said of KTM as the orange corner faces down Ducati on hallowed ground. Eight years ago the Italian factory put that winning cherry on top of their comeback with victory in Austria, and now an armada of riders will pit out with proven, world-reigning machinery. Back then, KTM were only just beginning their journey in MotoGP™. But they’ll want to start building their fight back to the very front this very weekend – so make sure to join us for the Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich!

SHOWTIME
Saturday
Tissot Sprint: 15:00 (UTC +2)
Sunday
Grand Prix: 14:00 (UTC +2)