Eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix Von Osterreich

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Spielberg, Austria

August 11, 2018

Qualifying Results (all on Michelin tires):

From Qualifying Two:

1. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 1:23.241

2. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), 1:23.243

3. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Ducati), 1:23.376

4. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), 1:23.503

5. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), 1:23.812

6. Johann Zarco, France (Yamaha), 1:23.887

7. Tito Rabat, Spain (Ducati), 1:23.922

8. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Suzuki), 1:24.091

9. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (Honda), 1:24.124

10. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), 1:24.227

11. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), 1:24.284

12. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (Ducati), 1:24.342

From Qualifying One:

13. Bradley Smith, UK (KTM), 1:24.245

14. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), 1:24.309

15. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), 1:24.762

16. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Honda), 1:24.767

17. Jack Miller, Australia (Ducati), 1:24.805

18. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (Yamaha), 1:24.834

19. Xavier Simeon, Belgium (Ducati), 1:24.868

20. Scott Redding, UK (Aprilia), 1:25.067

21. Takaaki Nakagami, Japan (Honda), 1:25.178

22. Thomas Luthi, Switzerland (Honda), 1:25.310

23. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), 1:25.339

More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:

Zarco clinches second row start in Austria – Syahrin primed to fight

Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Johann Zarco produced a superbly calculated ride to qualify in sixth position for tomorrow’s Austrian GP. After collecting useful data in partly wet and partly dry conditions this morning, he went 0.880 seconds faster than yesterday during an impressive Qualifying 2 to secure ensure the best Yamaha spot of the highly competitive premier class.

In mixed conditions Hafizh Syahrin showed his huge talent in FP3 this morning by blasting to ninth position. Following an important fourth Free Practice, the sun was out again above the Austrian venue and the Malaysian rookie performed well in Qualifying to improve on his fastest lap time from Friday morning by 0.760 seconds. Therefore, Syahrin is set to start the 11th race of his MotoGP career tomorrow at 14.00 local time from the sixth row of the grid.

Johann Zarco

Position: 6th – Time: 1’23.887 – Laps: 9

“This morning we had half and half conditions again, so it was not possible to improve the lap time. FP4 has already been in the dry and I was happy to ride well. My lap time was coming quite good, although I struggled a bit with the acceleration. Overall, the bike gave me a good feeling and the Qualifying was pretty interesting. I believed I can do a fantastic lap time, but I did all and I’m in sixth position. It’s complicate to fight against these fast bikes, but I try to manage. I must be happy about this and use this opportunity to start well, do the best as possible at the beginning of the race to be close to the podium and after half the race we will see how good the others are.”

Hafizh Syahrin

Position: 18th – Time: 1’24.834 – Laps: 9

“We are a little bit behind in 18thposition, but it has not been easy for me to find a good feeling at this track in the course of this weekend, especially with the changing conditions. I have a lot of spinning on the rear and I tried to find the required grip and a decent rhythm. To be honest, it was quite tough, but gradually we understand where we have to work on. I hope that we can make another step forward in the Warm Up tomorrow morning.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ TO START FROM THE FIFTH ROW AND SCOTT REDDING FROM THE SEVENTH IN AUSTRIA

It was a day divided by the weather today for MotoGP in Austria. After an FP3 that started out wet, the asphalt on the Red Bull Ring gradually dried out so FP4 was basically dry. This made work difficult in the garage. In addition to tyre and wear testing in view of the race, there was also a need to find a good setup for the qualifiers, multiplying the efforts of riders and mechanics.

Given the less-than-perfect conditions, Aleix Espargaró preferred to stay in the garage during the morning FP3 session. In FP4, the only dry session, he focused on testing in view of the race, completing two runs without changing tyres. In qualifying he missed out on going through to Q2 by just a few tenths, while his time of 1’24.762 earned him the third spot on the fifth row of the grid.

After his third place time on the wet track in FP3, Scott Redding was unable to find the same feeling on dry asphalt. Especially in qualifying, where he had to settle for the twentieth spot on the grid with a time of 1’25.067.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“In qualifying I expected to be able to do a time around 1’24”5 and in reality we were not that far off. We only missed it by 2 or 3 tenths. Tomorrow a complicated race awaits. This circuit is more demanding for everyone in terms of tyre wear, so we will need to work hard on this aspect. We tried a map in FP4 already in preparation for the race and tomorrow we will try to use the warm up to find a better compromise and to decide which tyre to use – medium or soft.”

SCOTT REDDING

“Unfortunately, on the dry track we were unable to be incisive. Especially in qualifying, even going from the soft rear to the medium, times did not improve enough. There is work to be done. It will not be an easy race for us, but I hope to find some solution to test in warm up after discussing things with the team.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:

TOP 10 STARTS FOR IANNONE AND RINS AT AUSTRIAN GP

Andrea Iannone: 8th – 1:24.091 (+ 0.850)

Alex Rins: 10th – 1:24.227 (+ 0.986)

• Iannone with signs of strong pace during weekend.

•Rins works his way through Q1 and into Top 10.

•Rain thought to be moving away for tomorrow’s race.

After a soaking opening day at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, slightly brighter skies met the riders for the second day of action. However, the track remained damp and chilly during F3, meaning there was no chance for improvements in lap times. Alex Rins used the session to further build on his good feeling in wet conditions and he completed the session in 8th place.

In FP4 the sun began to shine and slick tyres were the order of the afternoon. Rins and Iannone worked on their dry settings and made promising improvements ahead of qualifying, with the Italian finishing 4th.

With the track completely dry qualifying became intense, Rins was able to use his good pace and smooth style in Q1 to put himself into 2nd place, and graduate to Q2.

Q2 saw very tight times among the top riders and a strong start from Andrea Iannone. As the session came to a close the Suzuki pairing placed themselves in the Top 10, both less than a second away from the pole time.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“Of course it was a difficult day because this morning the conditions were mixed, but in the end we managed to get both riders in Q2 because Alex was able to pass through from Q1. I thought we could do a little bit better, but Andrea wasn’t able to use the potential of the tyre and made a small mistake during a hot lap. And Alex couldn’t really reduce his lap time from Q1. It wasn’t easy today because the track was far less grippy after the rain and it was difficult for everybody. We hope tomorrow there will be a big group which we can be part of, let’s see what happens.”

Andrea Iannone

“My feeling on the bike was good, but I wasn’t fast. I would prefer to have a bad feeling but to be at the top! We struggled on the acceleration points and the top speed, and with grip and sliding in general, and it’s difficult to control. This track is one where we struggle, but tomorrow I’ll try my best and I hope we end up in a good position.”

Alex Rins

“Qualifying was quite nice, I was feeling comfortable on the bike and I gave my maximum, 110%, to get through to Q2 – which was our target. In Q2 I did my best and enjoyed it, and finally I’ll start in 10th tomorrow. We need to make a good start and try to enjoy the race, I feel good and I feel ready to battle with the other riders. Starting in 10th place here is difficult because the track is tight, but we will fight and I will try to defend positions. Let’s see if we can be with the top group.”

More, from a press release issued by Alma Pramac Racing: 

Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich – Qualifying

#AustrianGP Quali. Superb P4 for Petrux who conquers the “First Independent Trophy”. Jack finishes 17th.

Danilo Petrucci celebrates a great second row at Parc Ferme as First Independent rider. Jack Miller has a technical problem that does not allow him to find a good rhythm in the Q1 and has to settle for the sixth row.

After winning direct qualification to Q2 yesterday (P3 in Fp1), Petrux pushed hard in the first time attack to find the feeling. In the second run, he tried to conquer the first row but the competitors were faster and he finished 127 thousandths from the Jorge Lorenzo’s third place.

In the first run of the Q1, Jack was forced to return to the garage after 2 laps due to a technical problem. The Australian got back on track with the second bike but did not find the conditions to be incisive, finishing in P17.

P4 – Danilo Petrucci 1’23.503

“I am very pleased with this qualifying. To be honest I think that the three guys in the front row will play the victory and my goal is to stay with them throughout the race. It will be important to manage the tyres well. Finishing in Top 5 would be a good result”.

P17 – Jack Miller 1’24.805

“It’s a very difficult weekend for me. I thought I could do better but we had some problems that did not allow me to find the feeling. Tomorrow will be a very difficult race but we will work with the team to be able to recover and take valuable points”.

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Marc Marquez grabs a brilliant pole at the Red Bull Ring, Pedrosa on third row

First in this morning’s damp FP3 session, first in this afternoon’s dry FP4 session, Marc Marquez concluded an extremely positive Saturday at the Red Bull Ring by taking his 49th MotoGP pole, the 77th of his career.

It was not an easy affair for Marc. He had to fight tooth and nail to beat runner-up Andrea Dovizioso and third-fastest Jorge Lorenzo for the top spot on the grid, and he ultimately succeeded by the blink of an eye, just 0.002”. It was amazing display of riding and determination from the Championship leader as he prepared for tomorrow’s Austrian Grand Prix.

It will be a third-row start for teammate Dani Pedrosa, who suffered with the post-rain lack of grip, but the Spaniard looks forward to an improvement in track conditions with the fairer weather expected tomorrow and will endeavour to recover a good pace in the race.

Marc Marquez 93

POLE 1’23.241

“We’re on pole but it was all so very tight today. The plan was to make three runs, but I was comfortable during my second exit and decided not to stop. My last lap wasn’t perfect as I made a little mistake in the last corner and had to close the gas a little bit, but we got it anyway. I’ve felt good on the bike for the entire weekend, and today I was able to be fast during every practice, especially FP4, and that’s the most important thing. Anyway, we must keep pushing, keep working, and remain totally concentrated because Dovizioso and Lorenzo have a very good pace, consistent and fast. It looks like tomorrow will be dry and the warm-up will be crucial for choosing the best tyre for the race; I’ve tested the soft and the medium, but it will be important to also understand the level of the hard spec. Of course I would like to win here and tomorrow I’ll start with that objective, but if it’s not possible, I’ll take points for the championship.”

Dani Pedrosa 26

9TH 1’24.124

“After yesterday and today’s rain, the track didn’t have much grip, and I didn’t have a good feeling with the rear. Basically, that was the issue today, and it’s why our performance wasn’t what we were looking for. I hope the track conditions will improve tomorrow and that I’ll be able to start well and be fast from the beginning.”

More, from a press release issued by Angel Nieto Team:

BAUTISTA MAKES Q2 FOR THIRD TIME IN FOUR RACES

Ángel Nieto Team consolidates recent qualifying improvements to secure twelfth on the grid

Just two thousandths of a second were enough for Marc Márquez to seal pole position in Austria and spoil the celebrations for Ducati. The Spaniard will start from the front of the grid in tomorrow’s race, just as he did here in 2017, when he battled for the win until the final corner Andrea Dovizioso. The Italian will start alongside him on the front row in second place, with teammate Jorge Lorenzo completing the top three. Danilo Petrucci, Cal Crutchlow and Johann Zarco make up an all-Independent Team second row, with Valentino Rossi, second in the championship, starting fourteenth.

Álvaro Bautista continued with his recent strong showings in qualifying to make Q2 for the third time in four races. The Ángel Nieto Team rider was the fastest qualifier from Q1 but could not progress any further than twelfth position in Q2. Bautista didn’t feel comfortable with the medium front tyre in the second session and switched back to a soft option that already had several laps on it and no longer had the performance for him to make a stronger lap time. Karel Abraham will start from 23rd position after getting held up by another rider on his fast lap, costing a vital few tenths that would have moved him one or two rows further forward.

12th Álvaro Bautista 1:24.342: “We were fastest in Q1 and managed to get through to Q2 with a strong lap time. We have done virtually full race distance on a soft front and I feel confident with it but in Q2 we tried a medium front and I didn’t like it, I felt the front was folding. We didn’t have another soft front available so I went back to a tyre with over fifteen laps on it and immediately struggled. We will tried to go with the lead group from the start tomorrow. I am happy and motivated and I have a good feeling with the bike.”

23rd Karel Abraham 1:25.339: “I am really angry with how today went. I had a couple of incidents with other riders slowing down in the middle of the track and I got blocked a couple of times in free practice and also in qualifying. The bike is not working how I want and I had some problems that made it hard to fight with the rest. I’m annoyed because if it was the other way around there’d have been a big fuss, but because it’s him nothing is done. I am really angry about that because it cost me half a second, which would have gained us four or five positions on the grid. This is one of my favourite tracks and I didn’t manage a good lap in qualifying.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:

FIFTH ON THE GRID FOR CRUTCHLOW IN AUSTRIA

Cal Crutchlow will start Sunday’s Grand Prix of Austria from the second row of the grid after setting the fifth fastest time during qualifying at the Spielberg circuit on Saturday. Going into the weekend the Brit had expected things to be tough at the hillside venue, but could be pleased with his performance in the 15-minute shootout.

The LCR Honda CASTROL man has been up against tricky conditions in the Styrian mountains, with rain hampering both the second and third free practice sessions. However, he made good of the dry conditions once the sun emerged from the behind the clouds, and is hopeful of getting involved in the battle for the top positions in the 28-lap race.

Cal Crutchlow – 5th

(1’23.812 – lap 8 of 9)

“We have to be happy with the second row, but I made a really scrappy lap to be honest. I pushed hard but it wasn’t good enough unfortunately. I had the speed and should have gone faster, but I was just not clean enough really. I don’t know how much farther we would have been up the grid, maybe only fourth, but we tried our best”.

“The LCR Honda CASTROL team have worked well with the bike, and I’m pleased to qualify where we have. I think we have good pace for the race on Sunday. We are in between set-ups at the moment, going back and forth between what we have used up to now and a quite radical change with the bike. I have set the same lap times with both settings so we are a bit confused which way to go, but we look forward to the race to see what we can do.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:

TAKA ON ROW SEVEN FOR AUSTRIAN SHOWDOWN

MotoGP rookie Takaaki Nakagami will start the Austrian Grand Prix from the seventh row of the grid after a difficult weekend of weather at the Spielberg circuit. The LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider has had limited dry track time on his first visit to what is a uniquely technical track, but is still hopeful of making progress through the field in the race.

The Japanese rider set the 21st fastest time of the Q1 session, after both FP2 and FP3 had been affected by rain. With the lack of dry practice time, making improvements to the bike has been hard, but the team have ideas of what they can do to improve Taka’s feeling for the 28-lap race.

Takaaki Nakagami – 21st

(1’25.178 – lap 5 of 10)

“It was a bit of a difficult day for me, and this isn’t the sort of position I want to start in. The weather has been very changeable, and we thought it might even be wet all day. Finally, in FP4 it dried up and just before qualifying we had a dry track. We tried to make changes, but we couldn’t improve the bike from yesterday. We also tried to modify the gearbox and the electronics, but there was no step forward unfortunately”.

“In qualifying we tried to go back to Friday’s set-up, but the lap time was almost exactly the same. It has been tough, and in the race I think it’s going to be hard to make a choice of the rear tyre because we could not do a proper long run. Following our tyre choice we need to think about the end of the race, and this might mean making changes to the engine power, but we will discuss everything with the whole LCR Honda IDEMITSU team and then make a decision.”

More, from a press release issued by Ducati:

Front row start for both Ducati Team riders at the Red Bull Ring: Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo second and third in qualifying for Austrian GP

The Ducati Team had an excellent day today at the Red Bull Ring, with its two riders Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo qualifying second and third respectively for tomorrow’s Austrian Grand Prix. The all-important Q2 session was held on a dry track after the morning’s FP3 run, which was run in the wet, left the overnight positions unchanged.

During the Q2 Dovizioso, who only went out on medium rear tyres, set a time of 1’23.243 on his second run, the Italian finishing just two-thousandths of a second away from Marquez’s pole time, while Jorge Lorenzo, who did three runs on soft rear tyres, was classified third with a time of 1’23.376.

The eleventh round of the season, over a distance of 28 laps, will get underway tomorrow afternoon at 14.00 CET.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04): 2nd (1’23.243)

“I was just a couple of thousandths of a second off the pole, but in any case qualifying went very well: I set a really good time and I didn’t expect that because in FP4 I didn’t have a great feeling with the bike. We chose the medium rear tyre for qualifying and it went well, and also for the race we are in good shape. Marquez here is particularly competitive, more than last year, but we are also stronger and so I believe that tomorrow it will be a three-way battle with Marc and Jorge. Unfortunately, we were not able to do many laps in the dry and so we’ll go into the race with some doubts about the choice of tyres and the strategies, and we’ll just have to be ready to manage the situation.”

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99): 3rd (1’23.376)

“We’re on the front row again and very close to the pole, with a very good lap time that I think I could have improved even more. It was actually a pity not to be able to do more laps in the dry in practice, to set up the bike better. In qualifying we opted for a three-run strategy with three new rear tyres, but probably in the last exit we should also have changed the front tyre, which was pretty worn, and it didn’t allow me to push the way I wanted to and improve my time. In any case third place on the grid is very good and now we have to think of a good strategy for tomorrow, because it’ll probably be a race between me, Dovi and Marquez, and I think we’re going to have some fun! We are all very close together and the most important thing is that we have confirmed that now we’re competitive at every circuit and that we are working in the right direction.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

MOVISTAR YAMAHA TO START AUSTRIAN GP FROM FOURTH AND FIFTH ROW

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi had to deal with mixed conditions again on the second day at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg track. They struggled to find a good feeling in qualifying and will start tomorrow‘s eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich from 11th and 14th place respectively on the starting grid.

Spielberg (Austria), 11th August 2018

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales put up a fight, trying a two-stop strategy in Q2, and secured 11th place on the grid for tomorrow‘s eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich. Valentino Rossi aimed to battle his way through Q1 after finishing outside the combined FP top-10 results due to the wet conditions of this morning’s FP3 session, but he came just short. He will be starting the race from 14th position.

Vinales put his head down straight out of the gate in Q2. He quickly left the box to slip into sixth position and immediately headed back to pit lane with more than ten minutes on the clock.

He had been pushed back to 11th place as he headed back out less than two minutes later, starting his second charge. He set a 1’24.831s but didn‘t move up the order. He hurried back to pit lane to make a second stop with four and a half minutes remaining.

With two and a half minutes left to leave his mark, and now in 12th position, the Spaniard continued his challenge. There was just enough time left for two last flyers. A new personal best of 1‘24.284s put him in 11th place. He followed it up with a promising start to his final lap but was ultimately unable to improve and had to settle for a starting place in the middle of the fourth row.

Rossi had a cautious start to the Q1 session as he tried to shake off other riders that were aiming to follow him around the Austrian circuit. His first flying lap put him in eighth place, but he improved on the next two laps to fifth when he dropped under the 1‘25s mark for the first time this day.

With more than six minutes remaining, the Doctor pulled into the pits for a quick stop. The Italian kicked the level up a notch when he returned. Having been pushed back to seventh he now placed second, but it was short-lived as he got pushed back to fourth soon after. He had two more goes, setting another red sector and two personal best sectors on his final lap for a 1‘24.309s, but was unable to improve his position. He will start tomorrow‘s race from 14th position on the grid.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

Today was a very complicated day to get it right, due to the big contrast between the morning and the afternoon sessions. FP3 was wet, so it became clear early on that Vale would have to join Q1, while Maverick would promote to Q2. The change in conditions in the afternoon meant we had to try all our dry-setting options in FP4. The dry qualifying didn’t go as we expected. The riders couldn’t push the way they wanted to, so the team will work hard to find a solution to the problems. The start of the race will be crucial, both riders will need a good launch from the fourth and fifth row to hit the front of the field early on. We will use the warm-up session to fine-tune the bikes for the race, regardless of the weather conditions, though we hope for either a fully dry or fully wet day. It’s been a very dark weekend for us so far and we acknowledge our responsibility for not being able to provide the riders with a package that enables them to fight at the top, where they both deserve to be, but we will continue to fight as a team, so together we can overcome the struggles and the technical issues that have held us back so far.

MAVERICK VIÑALES

Actually, this weekend we have some more problems with the electronics and the bike was not working well on the track. Anyway, we hope to solve it for tomorrow. It is an important race and it’s important to be inside the top-10 and get points for the championship. We have the same situation as yesterday, we couldn’t find improvements. So, let’s see tomorrow if we can fix it in the Warm Up. For the race the soft tyre is too soft for us. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I’ll do my best as always. We’ll get through this race and then we’ll focus on Silverstone. We’re a team, we have to keep pushing and working. I hope Yamaha can respond, so we can be stronger.

VALENTINO ROSSI

During this weekend I was unlucky, because the only dry session for going into Q2 was Friday morning and I broke the bike after three laps. With the other bike I wasn’t strong enough to be in the top-10. The other problem is that, when we tried the soft tyre today in the qualifying, I didn’t feel good. It didn’t work well for our bike. I was able to improve my lap time but not by a lot and I didn’t feel comfortable, and unfortunately I didn’t go into Q2. We have to say that in FP4 my pace was nothing fantastic, but it was average. So, we need to work to improve the race pace for tomorrow a little bit. Starting from the fifth row will be chaotic with everybody going crazy in the first braking zone. We have to overtake in that moment, and then we’ll see.

More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM:

BRADLEY SMITH ALMOST MAKES Q2 AND IS ONLY ONE SECOND FROM POLE AT HOMEGP IN AUSTRIA

QUALIFYING 11th Rd. MotoGP 2018 – Red Bull Ring, Spielberg (AUT)

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team relied on lone representative Bradley Smith to take the KTM RC16 to 13th position in Qualification at the Red Bull Ring today. The Brit was only a second away from Marc Marquez’ Pole Position effort and will line-up first on the fifth row of the grid for the 28-lap eleventh round of nineteen in MotoGP tomorrow. Championship leader Miguel Oliveira starts from second position with his KTM Moto2 bike, Moto3 leader Marco Bezzecchi did the fastest lap time in qualifying on the KTM RC250 GP.

MotoGP

With Pol Espargaro and Mika Kallio absent through injury it was left to Bradley Smith to set up KTM’s flagship racing machine for one of the fastest circuits on the MotoGP calendar. Changeable conditions made for some complicated work at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg and through the four Free Practice sessions. Smith excelled in the wet and classified second in FP3 on the KTM RC16 MotoGP bike.

#38 set his best lap-time with his second-to-last run in Q1 this afternoon and missed out on his first Q2 appearance by just five hundredths of a second. He beat Valentino Rossi (in 14th) and ended up just a second from World Champion Marc Marquez. His feat was an improvement of almost half a second from 2017.

Smith: “It was frustrating not to get into Q2 and I should have done it on the first flying run but I made a mistake into Turn 4 and then I’m sure 0.05 was about the tyre not accelerating a bit better out of the last corner (on the second run). It is weird to be frustrated in a situation where we are 13th but I feel we had the pace to be in Q2 today. Anyway tomorrow is when it counts and when it’s about points. I had good pace on the Medium tyre in FP4. We’ll try and analyse everything we can for tomorrow when we’ll have another chance. I’m happy we can keep on improving our current bike because that bodes well when the new one comes along. The top ten is possible tomorrow. It will be very close. The start will be everything and tyre choice as well.”

Sebastian Risse (Technical Director MotoGP): “Considering all the pressure and expectation here Bradley is doing an excellent job for us. Having just one rider instead of three does not make it easier for anybody; we miss data and information and especially with quite ‘special’ track conditions in a lot of the sessions. The bike works well here and we are still working on things because some corners are demanding. The track looks quite simple on the map and amazing when you are standing next to it but you have to set up the bike in a particular way. Tyre choice will be a bit of a gamble because nobody could get a lot of experience with the range in all conditions. I don’t think we are in a bad spot and we just missed Q2 by a little bit. The dominant feeling is one of positivity and we’ll try to make the most of it tomorrow.”

Moto2 & Moto3

Despite a dramatic collision in Free Practice with Iker Lecuona (in which he was blameless) Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Miguel Oliveira was in contention for Moto2 Pole Position and finally took second place for his highest Qualification performance of the season so far o nthe KTM Moto2. Teammate Brad Binder, on his 23rd birthday, was eighth fastest.

Oliveira: “It’s been a difficult weekend due to the weather conditions, so we had very little time to adjust the bike setup for dry conditions. However, from the early stages of qualifying my bike was already performing well. We suffered a bit of sliding coming into the corners, but in the end we were able to set a good lap that allowed us to claim our first front row of the year. We are happy about that! Ahead of tomorrow’s race, we first have to analyse qualifying, because as we’ve only had two dry sessions it will be important to understand who has the best pace. As always, our goal is to fight for the victory and try to make as few mistakes as possible.”

Marco Bezzecchi shaded Jorge Martin to obtain his very first Moto3 Pole Position and was ahead of another KTM RC250 GP rider as Albert Arenas filled third place.

Races: August 12, 2018 – Moto3 11:00 | Moto2 12:20 | MotoGP 14:00 | Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 15:30 CET

More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing:

Rabat seventh in Austrian qualifying, Simeon 19º

MotoGP GP of Austria – Spielberg

Reale Avintia Racing rider Tito Rabat scored a fantastic seventh place in qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday. His team-mate Xavier Simeon shone again in wet conditions and will start from 19th place on the grid, his best starting position in this season so far.

Once again, the day started with rain and low temperatures at Spielberg. Rabat, who had his ticket for the Q2 top qualifying already secured, preferred to watch the FP3 from his garage, knowing that the qualifying would take place in dry conditions. His strategy worked out. With race settings, he had a great pace in FP4 and in the Q2, he scored an impressive seventh position.

In contrary to Rabat, Xavier Simeon took to the track in the wet. He clocked an amazing time and was fastest for a while, before dropping back to eleventh. In FP4, which took place in dry conditions, he was also higher up than usual. Keeping his spirit high despite a crash, he was fast again in Q1 and scored 19th place. On the starting grid for the race, he will be even higher up in 18th position, since Franco Morbidelli was penalised and lost three places in the time sheets.

Tito Rabat | 1’23.922 | P7

“So far, we’ve had a good weekend. We were clever yesterday and pushed at the right moment to get into QP2. Today we had a really strong pace in FP4 and were competitive once again when it counted in qualifying. But obviously, the race is on Sunday. I hope to put the bad luck of our recent races behind me and to be able to fight for a good result, which we really need by now. We can’t prepare ourselves any better, we are trying everything possible and all we can do now is wait and see if we can battle for the result we deserve.”

Xavier Simeon | 1’24.868 | P19

“It was a good day and I had very good feelings with the bike, in the wet as much as in dry conditions. On a wet track in the morning, I felt comfortable and had a good rhythm. Later on in dry conditions, I also felt great and confident, but at the end of FP4, I had a crash. This didn’t dent my confidence for the qualifying though and despite the fact that I had to go out with my other bike, I clocked a fast time and achieved my best grid position of the year. I hope to be able to fight with the group in front of me tomorrow and to score my first points of the season.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Marquez holds off the Ducatis to take pole by just 0.002

The reigning Champion was able to hold off the charge as Dovi misses out by just 0.002 seconds

It was a breathless fight to the wire for pole position at the eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, with the battle boiling down to a three-way scrap between Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) vs the Ducati Team riders of Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo. The red sectors came thick and fast for both Borgo Panigale machines but in the end it was Marquez’ benchmark 1:23.241 left at the top of the timesheets as a target, with neither of the red machines able to quite push him off pole. Dovizioso came incredibly close – just 0.002 back, making the closest margin since Germany 2003 – but the Italian will line up second, with Lorenzo completing that front row and just over a tenth off. That makes a tantalising top three just a week after the trio battled it out at Brno, with many expecting a spectacular repeat on Sunday at the Red Bull Ring.

Just behind them is top Independent Team rider Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing), who will be hoping he can get in the mix on race day with his Ducati GP18 after also showing good pace on Friday, with Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) starting alongside him. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completes that second row, meaning the top three in the fight for top Independent start very close together, and it’s just seven points cover them in the standings. Zarco is also top Yamaha.

Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) kept his good form to take seventh after also having gained automatic graduation to Q2, with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) taking the middle of a third row at a more difficult track for the Hamamatsu factory. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), on the podium last year in third, took P9 ahead of the second Suzuki of Alex Rins. Rins was one of the riders who moved through from Q1 after having not got into the top ten in FP1 before the rain interrupted further practice, along with Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team), who took P12.

Between the two men starts Maverick Viñales. The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider was only able to take eleventh at a tough track for the Iwata marque, and the result comes a week after the Spaniard started twelfth in Brno. His teammate, meanwhile, also had a tough qualifying session – and Valentino Rossi will be starting in P14. Just pipped to the top ten in FP1 by Viñales and with FP2 and FP3 affected by the weather, the Italian headed for Q1 and wasn’t quite able to move through. Moving through, though, will be something both Yamahas will be dead set on when the lights go out – with a good start crucial.

Just ahead of Rossi, Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) flies the flag for KTM after a very positive day for the Austrian factory. With his teammates sidelined through injury, the Brit did the home team proud to only just miss out on Q2 and outqualify a difficult day for the ‘Doctor’. Behind Smith in P13 and Rossi in P14, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completes the top 15.

Ready for race day? It’s got some serious potential and is sure to be another classic. Come back on Sunday for the race at 14:00 (GMT +2).

Bagnaia bolts to pole, but Oliveira starts second

The Championship protagonists will start P1 and P2 at the Austrian GP

Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) sealed pole position at the eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich after setting a scorching 1:29.409 on his fifth flying lap, ensuring he starts Sunday’s race ahead of second place and main Championship rival Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Oliveira starts on the front row for the first time since Sepang last season, 0.310 behind the Italian. Fabio Quartararo (+ Ego – Speed Up Racing) completed the front row in a dramatic Moto2™ session.

As has become custom in Moto2™ qualifying, some of the fastest times were set at the start of the session, with Bagnaia coming straight out the blocks to set what proved to be an unbeatable benchmark. Oliveira had to wait until his 22nd flying lap to set his quickest time, but the Championship leader couldn’t get within three tenths of the man who sits just four points behind him in the overall standings.

Quartararo was another to set his best lap late in the session before a battery issue signaled a premature end to qualifying, with Bagnaia also having to end his session short – running out of fuel on the run towards Turn 3. Fourth in qualifying was Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) who grabbed his equal best Saturday afternoon result of the season, with Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) recovering from a small crash at Turn 3 to qualify fifth. Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) rounds out the second row in sixth.

Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) starts seventh, 0.026 off the second row, with Sachsenring winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) eighth at the team’s home race. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP 40) had to pull off the circuit late in the session with a problem, and the Italian will launch from P9. Brno’s pole man Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) settled for tenth after a crash with just over 20 minutes to go briefly saw the Red Flag shown – rider ok.

The session started in dramatic fashion for Steven Odendaal (NTS RW Racing GP) and Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP) after they collided at Turn 1, resulting in Vierge being declared unfit for the race after suffering a right wrist fracture. Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Iker Lecuona (Swiss Innovative Investors) also crashed in the session – riders ok.

So, it’s the top two in the Championship who will start P1 and P2 on the grid for Sunday’s intermediate class race at the Red Bull Ring, but who will come out on top? Get ready for another pivotal round in the Moto2™ World Championship live from 12:20 local time (GMT +2).

Bezzecchi beats miraculous Martin to Austria pole

The Italian secures his maiden Moto3™ pole position in a frantic qualifying session which saw Martin take an astonishing P2

Despite a crash at Turn 3, Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PrustelGP) secured his maiden Moto3™ pole position at the eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich as the Red Bull Ring dried up at the end of a dramatic qualifying session, setting a 1:38.617 to beat main Championship rival and the truly heroic Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) by 0.078 seconds, with Albert Arenas (Angel Nieto Team Moto3) completing the front row.

The session started off in the wet, but as the sun started to creep over the Austrian mountains, it was only a matter of time before the slick tyres would be introduced. And sure enough with 15 minutes to go, Philipp Oettl (Sudmetal Schedl GP Racing) was the first rider to head out on the slicks, setting off a chain reaction that would see a phenomenal end to the lightweight class qualifying.

Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Oettl were alternating quickest lap times, before magnificent Martin joined in, setting his first provisional pole lap with five minutes of the session to go in what was nothing short of an astonishing effort after breaking a bone in his left wrist eight days prior. The three, along with Bezzecchi, kept leapfrogging each other until it was the Italian who went fastest on his final run – with Martin narrowly missing out at the checkered flag and Canet just pushed off the front row behind Arenas, set to start fourth.

Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team) threatened the front row on several occasions, with the Italian going fifth on his last flying lap. Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider) crashed towards the beginning of the session but recovered to start P6 for the Austrian GP. Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai) will start seventh at the Red Bull Ring, with Oettl having to settle for eighth. Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) starts 9th on board his Honda, with Adam Norrodin (Petronas Sprinta Racing) rounding out the top ten in Austria.

A dramatic lightweight class qualifying ends with the two Championship leaders spearheading the grid. Can Martin last a full race distance with his injury? Can Bezzecchi pull out the gap in the Championship? Find out when the lights go out at 11:00 local time (GMT +2) in what promises to be another spectacular Moto3™ race.