Driver Marc VDS continued his apprenticeship in the premier category on the Austrian circuit this weekend. Even though he didn't manage to get into the points, he had a good race and feels ready for the day of testing that awaits him before the next Grand Prix.
After being injured at Assen and missing the Sachsenring, Franco Morbidelli was able to take advantage of the summer break to recover, and arrived in good shape at the Brno Grand Prix where he had a solid weekend, taking thirteenth place in the race.
He continued the following week with Austria where things got a little complicated due to the weather. Of the three important free sessions to qualify for Q2, only FP1 took place in the dry, and the Italian driver was then classified seventeenth. He did well in the rain in FP2, taking thirteenth time, then it was a little more difficult in FP3 where he finished nineteenth. Again in this place in FP4, qualifying did not look easy, but he managed to qualify sixteenth.
Due to a penalty, he was demoted three places on the starting grid and therefore started from nineteenth position. This place as well as a poor choice of tires somewhat conditioned his race. He finally crossed the finish line in the same position. Even if his lack of experience didn't help him, Morbidelli was still satisfied: “I am very happy with my performance, but unfortunately I made a bad tire choice. I chose the soft rear and from the start had less grip than the other drivers riding in my group. At the end of the race, the grip deteriorated even more, so this only confirmed the fact that the soft was a bad choice. However, I am satisfied with my riding and my performance with the bike. I'm looking forward to the planned test at Misano before the Silverstone race. »
Austrian Grand Prix Red Bull Ring MotoGP J.3: Standings
1 99 Jorge LORENZO Ducati 39'40.688
2 93 Marc MARQUEZ Honda +0.130
3 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati +1.656
4 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW Honda +9.434
5 9 Danilo PETRUCCI Ducati +13.169
6 46 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha +14.026
7 26 Dani PEDROSA Honda +14.156
8 42 Alex RINS Suzuki +16.644
9 5 Johann ZARCO Yamaha +20.760
10 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA Ducati +20.844
11 53 Tito RABAT Ducati +21.114
12 25 Maverick VIÑALES Yamaha +22.939
13 29 Andrea IANNONE Suzuki +26.523
14 38 Bradley SMITH KTM +29.168
15 30 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Honda +30.072
16 55 Hafizh SYAHRIN Yamaha +30.343
17 41 Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia +31.775
18 43 Jack MILLER Ducati +34.375
19 21 Franco MORBIDELLI Honda +40.171
20 45 Scott REDDING Aprilia +53.020
21 17 Karel ABRAHAM Ducati +53.261
22 12 Thomas LUTHI Honda +54.355
Not Classified
10 Xavier SIMEON Ducati 18 Laps
