MotoGP Red Bull Ring 1 Race: Dovizioso offers his start to Ducati

Let's go for the fourth Grand Prix of the season. On the starting grid, Maverick Viñales qualified on pole position for the first time since Australia last year. This is the first time Viñales has qualified for pole position since Australia last year. This is his 10th pole in the premier class, equaling Kenny Roberts Jr. Of his nine pole positions in the previous premier class Viñales has won the race twice (Qatar and France in 2017).

This is the first pole position for a Yamaha rider at the Red Bull Ring since the track was added to the MotoGP calendar in 2016, and the first for a rider Yamaha in the premier category in Austria since Christian Sarron in 1988 (at the Salzburgring). Additionally, this is the first pole position for a factory driver in the premier class since Maverick Vinales was on pole position in Australia last year.

Will all these elements be enough to make the Spaniard a winner this Sunday? Before answering this question, here is the table which recalls the facts hitherto known in Styria…

MotoGP™ Austria 1	2019	2020
FP1	1'24.033 Andrea Dovizioso (See here)	1'24.193 Pol Espargaró (See here)
FP2	1'23.916 Marc Márquez (See here)	1'26.475 Jack Miller (See here)
FP3	1'23.251 Marc Márquez (See here)	1'24.317 Maverick Viñales (See here)
FP4	1'23.983 Maverick Viñales (See here)	1'24.183 Pol Espargaró (See here)
Q1	1'23.829 Cal Crutchlow (See here)	1'23.865 Johann Zarco (See here)
Q2	1'23.027 Marc Márquez (See here)	1'23.450 Maverick Viñales (See here)
warm up	1'28.803 Franco Morbidelli (See here)	1'24.365 Joan Mir
Course	Dovizioso, Marquez, Quartararo (See here)	Dovizioso, Mir, Miller
All time lap record	1'23.027 Marc Márquez (2019)

The best driver of the independent team, Jack Miller, who has failed to score points in his last four visits to the Red Bull Ring. He qualified in second place, which is his best qualification since he was also the second fastest in qualifying in Brno last year, which paved his way to third place.

Ducati riders have won every MotoGP race at the Red Bull Ring since the Austrian track was introduced to the calendar in 2016, with three riders: Andrea Dovizioso (2 victories), Andrea Iannone (1) et Jorge Lorenzo (1)

fabio quartararo qualified in third place as the second Yamaha rider. It is the 11th successive front row start for the Frenchman, a streak which began last year at Misano, and the 17th front row start since he moved to MotoGP last year. During the first 16 rows, he reached the podium nine times, including two victories.

Andrea Dovizioso, who is the best driver at the Red Bull Ring with two victories, qualified in fourth place. It's his worst qualifying result on the track so far, but his best qualifying result since he was third... in Austria last year.

Pol Espargaro qualified in fifth place, which is his best qualifying result since he was second at Misano last year, as well as the best qualifying result for a KTM rider at the Red Bull Ring.

First Suzuki driver, Joan mir qualified in sixth position, which is his best qualifying result since fifth place last year at Assen. This will be the first race of Mir in MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring, as he missed the race last year due to injuries.

On the podium for the first time in MotoGP last week in Brno, Franco Morbidelli qualified in seventh position, which is his worst qualifying result since he was 10th in Spain this year. But this is his best result at the Red Bull Ring.

alex rins qualified in eighth position, which is his best qualifying result of the season so far. He will aim for the podium for the first time since his victory at Silverstone last year and thus become the first Suzuki rider to achieve such a performance in MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring.

After going through Q1, Johann zarco, who was on pole position in Brno, qualified in ninth position. He will aim to reach the podium for the second consecutive time, a performance achieved with the Malaysia/Valencia succession in 2017.

Takaaki Nakagami qualified in 10th position as the best Honda rider. This is the first time that no Honda rider has been in the first two rows of the MotoGP grid at the Red Bull Ring.

After going through Q1, Valentino Rossi qualified in 12th position, 0,545s behind his teammate Maverick Vinales, in a top 12 which is the tightest at the end of a MotoGP qualifying session since the Spanish GP in 2007 (0,481s between Dani Pedrosa and Randy De Puniet).

Winner in Brno, Brad Binder qualified in 17th place as the fourth KTM rider, which is his worst finish so far. He will still aim to become the first rookie to win two consecutive victories in the first class since Marc Marquez in 2013 (four in a row at the Sachsenring in Brno).

It is 27,2° in the air and 53,2° on the track, the sun is generously present above the track.

28 laps will have to be covered to achieve victory.

The handlebars are released and it is Miller who takes the lead at the exit of the first turn in front of Vinales and Dovizioso. Mir and Espargaro are in 1th and 4th place.

Quartararo is 8th, Zarco is 12th. P.Espargaro goes on the attack and positions himself in 3rd place. Mir and Vinales make up the top5. The tricolor, Quartararo returns to the wheel of Vinales, he is followed by his teammate Morbidelli and Rossi.

After 3 laps, Quartararo passes Vinales, the Frenchman is very fast (1.24.882s against 1.25.033 of Miller, the race leader), he is now in 5th place, while Binder, 12th, comes up like a cannonball ( 1.24.841s)

Quartararo slowed down, he went straight, while P. Espargaro took control of the race in front of Miller and Mir. Fabio is last in the standings.

Top 10 after 8 laps: P.Espargaro, Dovizioso, Miller, Mir, Oliveira, Vinales, Rossi, Morbidelli, Zarco and Rins.

Big clash between Zarco and Morbidelli, red flag, race stopped!

The grid will start with the classification of the 8th round and will resume for 20 laps.

Big scare for Rossi, the bike went over his head..

Green flag, track cleaned..

A little thought from the world champion, Marc Marquez who is following the live broadcast, behind his television..

It's off and it's Miller who comes out on top ahead of Mir and P.Espargaro. P Espargaro regains the leadership in front of Miller but the latter does not let himself be counted, he takes it back instantly, Dovizioso, Mir and Oliveira make up the top5

Binder attacks Rossi, it doesn't work. Nakagami passes Rossi, Binder takes advantage, he is 7th. Viñales is 18th, Quartararo is in 13th place.

Miller is in front and is the fastest on the track, 1.24.368s.

Dovizioso held his own against the attacks of P. Espargaro who grew impatient behind the Ducati rider. Rins passes his teammate Mir, he is now 4th.

Rins gets rid of P. Espargaro, he is in 3rd place, there are 14 laps left to cover. Mir also tries an attack but it doesn't work, Espargaro resists. Fabio, for his part, is unable to get rid of Petrucci in front of him... the battle for 12th position is underway...

Rins arrives in Dovizioso's wheel for the benefit of 2nd position. Fall of P.Espargaro in turn 4, it is in fact a collision with Oliveira who also went to the mat.

Dovizioso passes Miller, Rins does the same.

Rins, wanting to take the lead, forces his machine in the turn and falls.

There are 9 laps left and the top 5 is as follows: Dovizioso, Miller, Mir, Binder and Rossi

Binder overtakes Rossi, the South African is now 4th, Fabio is in 8th place, Vinales is 12th.

5 more laps before the final passage under the checkered flag, the top 10 is as follows: Dovizioso, Miller, Mir, Binder, Rossi, Nakagami, Petrucci, Quartararo, Lecuona and A. Espargaro.

Crutchlow no longer appears in the rankings.

Last lap and Dovizioso holds on at the front in front of Miller and Mir.

Victory for Dovizioso ahead of Mir who managed to overtake Miller who finished 3rd. Binder and Rossi finished 4th and 5th.

Er the excellent 4th position of the rookie Binder!

 

Full results:

 

 

 

 

Standings for the Austrian MotoGP Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring:

 

Classification credit: MotoGP.com