Michelin and Iannone take maiden victories at the Red Bull Ring in a Spielberg blockbuster
2016 10 GP Austria 40408
Michelin’s MotoGP™ debut at the Red Bull Ring in Austria produced a thrilling race during the NeroGiardini Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich which saw Ducati’s Andrea Iannone take his first premier class win at the Spielberg track.
Starting from pole position, Iannone was the only rider to choose the new medium compound rear MICHELIN Power Slick, which had been especially developed for the Austrian circuit following a recent test held there. The Italian got the holeshot and led for most of the first-lap until Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) passed him just before they crossed the stripe for the first time. An incredible battle then ensued at the front, as those two were joined by four more riders in the shape of Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) and Maverick Viñales (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR). With all the riders battling for positions it wasn’t long before the lead changed hands as Dovizioso reeled in his team-mate on lap-10. The Italian – who today became the youngest rider to make 250 Grand Prix starts – held the lead for 10 more laps until he was hunted down by Iannone and passed on lap-21. Despite Dovizioso’s best efforts, Iannone used his Michelin tyres to great effect in the closing stages as he recorded the race’s fastest lap on the 24th circulation and almost bettered it on the final lap to further confirm the durability of the latest compounds. He brought his Ducati home in front of Dovizioso to give Ducati its first MotoGP victory since 2010 and the Italian marque’s first one-two since 2007. Iannone’s victory also made him the fifth different MotoGP winner this season, a feat that hasn’t happened since 2009.
Behind the front two the battle was just as intriguing as the Yamaha’s of Lorenzo and Rossi stayed in close contention throughout the 28-lap race. Lorenzo just got the better of his team-mate to secure the final podium position, with current championship leader Marquez taking fifth, just in front of Viñales. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) took seventh, with Scott Redding (OCTO Pramac Yakhnich) racing to eighth and the position of First Independent Team Rider. The top-10 was rounded out by Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3). Michelin’s new tyres also saw the race completed without a single rider crashing, as the only incident that saw a faller was due to one rider hitting another.
Today’s event was held in clear and sunny conditions with track temperatures reaching 46°C, a statistic that further underlines the tyres’ all-round performance on this technical and abrasive circuit. A crowd of 95,000 packed the circuit, taking the total of spectators to almost 216,000, making this the biggest race weekend of the season so far.
Michelin and the rest of the MotoGP field now makes the short trip to the neighbouring Czech Republic as it heads to Brno for the second race in this double-header and round 11 of the championship on Sunday 21st August.
Andrea Iannone – Ducati Team:
“Michelin has worked very well from the test that we had here and they changed the tyres to give us ones that are very strong and had competitive grip, so I am very happy with that. Always this year, race-by-race, test-by-test and step-by-step Michelin has improved and they are coming better all the time, which is good for everybody.”
Nicolas Goubert – Deputy Director, Technical Director and Supervisor of the MotoGP Programme:
“We are very pleased with the weekend here in Spielberg, it has been very positive and showed that our tyres work well in many different conditions. At the start of the weekend on Friday it was very cold with track temperatures of 15°C, but for today’s race it was almost 50°C and our tyres reacted very well. Today’s race was always believed to be a dual between the Ducatis – and so it proved – but the two Yamaha’s closed the gap over the weekend, so it made for a very competitive and interesting afternoon. To see the fastest laps recorded towards the end is testament to what we are doing and to have a 28-lap race in those conditions without a single crash due to tyres, is also an extremely positive indication of the direction we are going in. We now move to Brno where we have some new tyres which we will be using for the first time since the test at Barcelona and we hope that these will give yet another step in performance and provide the riders with even better traction.”
More, from a press release issued by Tech 3:
Vierge and Vinales fight all the way to the finish flag in challenging Austrian GP
Tech3 Racing Team rider Xavi Vierge produced a tireless display in Austria to conclude the 10th round of the 2016 Moto2 World Championship in 16th after impressively overtaking eleven riders in the highly competitive Grand Prix. The 19-year-old kicked off his campaign from the ninth row but undertook a strong start to move up seven positions by the second lap. From here, he quickly set into his race pace as he looked to climb further through the field and at the midway point, the Spaniard was locked in a battle with four other riders and running in 18th after consistently making progress. On lap 15, he shouldered past his teammate to clinch 17th and then set his sights on the rider in front. Vierge remained focused and after closing in on Luca Marini, he surged past with five laps left to run. The pair exchanged passes all the way to the finish line, with the Tech3 Racing Team rider expertly winning the fight to complete the Austrian Grand Prix in 16th.
Meanwhile, Isaac Viñales fought the physically demanding circuit and produced a solid effort during the 25 lap sprint to bring his Mistral 610 home in 18th position. The intermediate class rookie leapt forward from the head of the ninth row after a tricky qualifying session and jumped up two places during the opening lap. He then set into a consistent rhythm and his hard work paid off as he moved up to 16th by just under the halfway point whilst he fought in the pack of five with his teammate. As the race enter the final stages, the fight grew more intense, with the Tech3 rider locked in a dice with Remy Gardner. Yet, the Spaniard stayed resolute and powered past Gardner on the last lap, to finish two places behind his teammate.
Xavi Vierge
Position: 16th – Championship: 28th – Points: 3
“I am very happy with today’s result, even though it was a shame to just miss out on the points. However, the most important thing is that the feeling that I had with the Mistral 610 during the Grand Prix was great. I felt really positive and my rhythm was so close to the group inside the top 15 which shows we’ve made a good step. Yesterday wasn’t the best day because my lap time in qualifying was not as quick as it should have been and so, I started from the back of the ninth row which made it tricky to reclaim positions. However, I pushed throughout the GP and eventually I clinched 16th after a good fight with Marini, Pons, and my teammate. It was important to finish at the front of this group and tomorrow we have a test where we will continue to improve. Thank you to the Tech3 Racing Team and KYB for the perfect work.”
Isaac Viñales
Position: 18th – Championship: 24th – Points: 10
“I am pleased with my performance today and for the whole race I pushed non-stop and fought as hard as I could. It was a challenging GP and also demanding because of the track and also the group that I was fighting in. Furthermore, I also lost my knee slider which didn’t make things easier. However, I never gave up and another big positive is that my quickest lap today was faster than my qualifying time by nearly three-tenths of a second. The battle was tough but I am pleased and we will go to Brno feeling positive, after the test tomorrow in Austria.”
Hervé Poncharal – Team Manager:
“Today I am very happy and proud of both Xavi and Isaac. They rode really strong races, the lap times were impressive and they never gave up. The guys were in a tough group where all the promising young riders were fighting and they all had strong paces for the entire GP. Unfortunately, there were no points because we ended up in 16th and 18th, but this is not the most important thing because we learnt a lot today and the boys reclaimed a lot of positions from their ninth row starts. It was a really exciting event and I would like to thank the whole team for their hard work and the riders for their efforts and never give up attitude which is what we need. We have a test tomorrow, and even if we are not sure about the weather, we will try our hardest so that we can learn more about the bike. Next week is at Brno where hopefully we can repeat this performance and score some points. The feeling is very positive, and I would like to thank the team and the riders again.”
More, from a press release issued by Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:
Career Best Second Place for Morbidelli in Austria
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Franco Morbidelli scored a career best second place podium in a fiercely contested Austrian Grand Prix.
The Spielberg shoot-out was a classic Moto2 battle with Morbidelli delivering two superb final lap overtakes to beat fast-finishing rivals Álex Rins and Tom Lüthi.
Morbidelli was in a ruthless mood as he engaged Lüthi in the fight for second, passing his Swiss rival with two superbly timed moves.
Morbidelli had put himself in contention by taking the lead at turn one from the start and holding the advantage until race winner Johann Zarco swept to the front on lap 16.
With Zarco untouchable Morbidelli set himself for his final lap assault as Lüthi and Rins joined the challenge for the podium.
With a stirring sixth place finish Álex Márquez was to back to top form with a fast start from the second row taking him into second behind Morbidelli in the opening laps.
After being bumped wide by the charging Zarco on lap five Márquez elected to consolidate sixth place, his best result of the season to date, and score valuable championship points.
Franco Morbidelli: 2nd
“It was a very nice race and better than I expected. I made a great start and was able to lead for 16 laps. But when Johann caught and passed me to take the lead he was very fast and I wasn’t able to stay behind him. But then on the final lap I had a big fight with Tom and gave back to him what he did to me in the Qatar, race so it was a nice way to get second place and onto the podium.”
Álex Márquez: 6th
“I made a really good start and trusted myself to get into second behind Franco on the opening lap. I was on the limit so when Zarco passed me with a tough move I lost a little bit of concentration and decided to make sure of sixth place. This was not my target, I wanted a better result but this circuit was not perfect for my style but now we go to two tracks, Brno and Silverstone, which are fast and flowing and my favourites. I am 100% motivated after this result.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“Today’s result is the reward for the hard work we have done during practice and in the test here at Spielberg. But the most important thing is that we saw the real Franco Morbidelli and his ability to fight in a close race, this is why we signed him and confirmation we made the right decision. It was a good result for Álex because in Moto2 anything can happen in the top six positions so his race was very positive I’m very proud of Franco, Álex and the whole team this weekend and it was nice to see Franco and Álex 1-2 in the opening laps. I want to see more of this in the future.”
More, from a press release issued by Forward Racing:
Baldassarri fights his way to the Top10, Marini a whisker from the Top15
The Austrian GP has just ended on the Red Bull Ring circuit for the riders of the Forward Racing Team who again showed great determination in this race.
Lorenzo Baldassarri e Luca Marini made an impressive comeback that saw them recover positions right from the early laps and bitting the bullet until the end.
“Balda”, still sore for the shoulder dislocated in Germany, started from 12th place and found himself immediately involved in the midfiled battle losing precious time to close the gap with the front group. The Italian nevertheless gritted his teeth despite the worsening of the pain managing to close in eighth place.
On the other side of the box “Maro”, after losing a bit of time at the start, began to recover positions aiming for the point zone. Unfortunately a mistake at the hairpin made the Italian lose ground mid race, forcing him to brawl with the group of pursuers and to close the race in 17th position.
Lorenzo Baldassarri – 8th
“The overall race performance was good, I’m not happy with my finishing position but I had some problem at the start and I had to recover. I was riding to the limit, we were struggling a bit the whole weekend but I managed the tires well and we were quick in the end. This is a track with many right turns, surely my aching shoulder did not made it easier for me and I made a small mistake: while I was trying go get close to Pons and Nakagami, I missed the hairpin entry and two guys overtook me making me lose time. I am happy in any case, now we focus on tomorrow’s test. “
Luca Marini – 17th
“I had some problems at the beginning; too bad because I was hoping to get back position right from the start. I immediately started pushing, I managed to get in 16th position and I tried to go hunting for points, I felt well with the bike. Too bad I made a small mistake and we finished 17th. Maybe we were still missing a step with the bike but I’m glad to go testing tomorrow to work on the set-up with the team and be competitive in Brno . “
Giovanni Cuzari – Team Owner
“We finish the weekend with another Top10 here in Austria. The guys did a great job: the track was new for everyone and the team worked hard to better interpret this new circuit. “Balda”, despite the pain to his right shoulder, shown once again that we can get in the Top10 consistently even if our potential goes far beyond.
Luca ended a little bit further back but made a good comeback, he is gathering experience every race and I see him gaining more confidence and feeling with the bike.
The support of the VR46 Riders Academy and of our sponsors is as always key in approaching every race in the right way. Now we are preparing for a day of testing scheduled for tomorrow here at the Red Bull Ring. They will surely be very useful to focus on the Czech Republic Grand Prix next weekend. “
More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing:
EARLY FINISH FOR SAM LOWES AT UNLUCKY AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX
The tenth round of the 2016 Moto2 World Championship, the Austrian Grand Prix held today at the Red Bull Ring, saw the Team Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 rider Sam Lowes retired after a crash during the fourth lap of the race.
After losing the front at Turn 9, despite a damaged bike the determined 25-year-old English rider tried to continue the race, but he struggled to ride with the handlebars damaged, which then led him to another crash.
Despite the setback Lowes maintains the third position in the Championship standings, 55 points behind series leader Johann Zarco, today’s winner.
SAM LOWES (DNF)
“I was feeling strong in the part of the track where I crashed early in the race: probably I struggled more with the full fuel tank, losing the front. I was able to re-join the race, because you never know what can happen, but the handlebar was damaged and this led me to a second fall. We struggled all weekend and today my pace was not enough to get on the podium, but I could have fought in the group battling for sixth place and limit the damage. I’m very disappointed because now the top of the standings is far: anything can happen, of course, but now my priority is to have fun and to enjoy riding my bike again, in order to try to win some races and get some podiums. It’s been a tough weekend, but now we look forward to Brno and Silverstone, two tracks I really like, and of course we will try to come back”.
FAUSTO GRESINI
“It was a disastrous race for us… Fortunately Sam had no injuries in the crash. Now we need to think carefully about what’s happening, to understand why recently we were not able to be as competitive as in the previous races. Obviously I’m very sorry for Sam and for the whole team: now we have to stay focused in order to find a solution that would allow us to return to winning ways”.
More, from a press release issued by KTM:
KTM MOTO3 RIDERS JOAN MIR AND BRAD BINDER FINISH 1-2 AT BRAND’S HOME GRAND PRIX
10th Rd. Moto3 2016 – Red Bull Ring Spielberg (AUT)
Leopard Racing’s Joan Mir of Spain and Red Bull KTM Ajo’s South African rider Brad Binder got down to business at the sweeping Red Bull Ring in Austria’s Spielberg on Sunday to give KTM the double at the company’s HomeGP Moto3 race. Enea Bastianini took the podium third in a race that saw six of the top ten riders on the Austrian brand bikes.
KTM riders finished 4,5,7 and 9 with Fabio Quartararo (FRA), Philipp Oettl (GER), Binder’s young teammate Bo Bendsneyder (NED) and Nicolo Bulega (ITA).
After a spirited battle for the lead, Joan Mir took the win when he dived up on the inside of championship leader Binder in the last corner. It was his career first in this class. The rider who has come up through the ranks of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup also broke the run of riders this season who have not won from pole position.
Mir: “Incredible. What can I say about this weekend – it was perfect right from the first free practice. We worked a lot with the team and thanks to them because we worked well together and this is the result.”
Both Brad Binder and Mir were major players in the lead group throughout the 23-lap on the Red Bull Ring when the MotoGP competition returned to the new-look Austrian circuit after a 19-year absence.
The South African took holeshot honors but Mir immediately went into the lead in lap two to launch a five-way duel between these two riders, Bastianini, Mir’s teammate Quartararo and Oettl. Binder had the best of the action at the front in the first half of the race but he was constantly challenged by the fierce competition amongst the lead group. He went out of the top three for the first time in lap 18 of the 23-lap race when he got into difficulties in turn four and dropped back to fifth while Mir took care of business at the front. The final stages of the race saw Mir and Quartararo in a tough contest while Binder set his personal best lap with three laps to go. He moved up to third but again ran into difficulties in turn four in the penultimate lap. Half way through the final lap Binder hit the front but Mir dived in low on the inside of the final corner and took the prize.
Binder: “I’m very happy with how things went today. I was close to throwing everything away, because I went wide a couple of times on the final laps, but I was able to regain contact with the group quickly. Today I had a strange feeling with the bike and it did not let me go as fast as during the rest of the weekend. On the last lap I felt strong and I tried to overtake Mir, but I went a little wide and I had to pass Bastianini as well. I’m sorry, because it was a bit of a hard move, but I wanted to try and win. To finish second here is amazing. Regardless of what others do, I always try to win as if it were the first race. I think I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
While Binder had to settle for second, he leaves the circuit with an impressive 67-point lead in the championship. The South African’s dominant position was further secured after his closest challenger Jorge Navarro crashed out with five laps to go after spirited ride from grid position 17. Binder’s other main challenger, Romano Fenati, was also not on the start with his KTM RC250 GP after his team sanctioned him for a rule infringement.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s rookie Bendsneyder can also leave the Red Bull Ring satisfied with his season’s best result.
Bendsneyder: “I think we have done a great job all weekend, the bike has worked great and in the race everything went perfectly. I am also happy for Red Bull and KTM, as it was a special Grand Prix for them.”
Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Race 1
Aleix Viu crossed the line first but fellow Spaniard Marc Garcia won the first ever Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race at the Red Bull Ring. Pole man Viu was penalised for exceeding track limits and thus gave up first spot to 16-year-old Garcia while Cup points leader Ayumu Sasaki, the 15-year-old Japanese, completed the podium places.
Viu’s race on the KTM RC250 RB was almost perfect as the 15-year-old did most of the leading just as he had done a few weeks ago at the Sachsenring. This time he was only threatened by Garcia as the pair stretched an advantage over Sasaki who was having his own private battle with fellow countryman Kaito Toba but got way from the 16-year-old Sachsenring Race 2 winner in the closing stages.
The Rookies Cup lap record as well as race win goes to Garcia who did do a fantastic job of chasing Viu and arguably pushed him into exceeding those track limits on the final lap. “Yes it was a great race and I did everything that I could, my plan was to pass him at the last corner but he came across and took the line,” explained the Catalan. “The bike was great, I changed my lines a bit through the race and looked for the best way. I really thought there would be a lot more riders up front and of course tomorrow it might be a very different race, we’ll see,” said the third year Rookie who takes his first win of the season and the second of his career.
Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Race 2
After a string of second places, Viu would not be denied his victory on Sunday at the Red Bull Ring. An incredible final lap of Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup action on the KTM RC 250 RBs saw the 15-year-old Spaniard respond to attacks by Sasaki and Garcia and lead them across the line to claim his second win of the year.
“The three of us had agreed before the race that we wouldn’t fight until the end,” explained Viu. “We knew that it needed to be like that to get away from the others. On the last lap I knew Ayumu and Marc would attack and I also knew I just had to pass them straight back, I was feeling great on the bike and I was confident I could do it.” Before Race 1 I planned to try and get away in front but I couldn’t do it so it made sense to run with Ayumu and Marc this time, I just made sure I didn’t exceed track limits. I have felt great on the bike these last races, we have a good setting and it is gives me great confidence so I think we can carry this to Brno next weekend,” enthused the Catalan.
Next Race: August 21, 2016 – Automotodrom Brno (CZE)
Results Moto3 Red Bull Ring-Spielberg 2016
1. Joan Mir (ESP), KTM, 37:23.325 min (23 laps)
2. Brad Binder (RSA), KTM, +0.279 sec
3. Enea Bastianini (ITA), Honda, +0.431
4. Fabio Quartararo (FRA), KTM, +0.439
5. Philipp Oettl, (GER), KTM, +0.600
Other KTM
7. Bo Bendsneyder (NED), KTM, +4.161
9. Nicolo Bulega (ITA), KTM, +4.972
12. Juanfran Guevara (ESP), KTM, +5.871
13. Andrea Locatelli (ITA), KTM, +5.905
14. Maria Herrera (ESP), KTM, +12.775
25. Andrea Migno (ITA), KTM, +28.405
DNF Gabriel Rodrigo (ARG), KTM, +9 laps
DNS Romano Fenati (ITA), KTM
Standings Moto3 2016 after 10 of 18 rounds
1. Binder, 179 points
2. Jorge Navarro (ESP), Honda, 112
3. Fenati, 93
4. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA), Mahindra, 90
5. Bulega, 82
Other KTM
7. Mir, 75
12. Locatelli, 53
13. Quartararo, 52
14. Oettl, 43
16. Migno, 37
19. Guevara, 29
20. Bendsneyder, 27
25. Rodrigo, 9
27. Herrera, 6
Results Race 1 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Spielberg 2016
All riders on KTM RC250 RB
1. Marc Garcia (ESP), 28:26.181 min (17 laps)
2. Aleix Viu, (ESP), +0 lap
3. Ayumu Sasaki (JPN), +3.453 sec
4. Kaito Toba, (JPN), +10.264
5. Raul Fernandez (ESP), +11.712
Results Race 2 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Spielberg 2016
1. Viu, 28:18.781 min (17 laps)
2. Sasaki, +0.183 sec
3. Garcia, +0.263
4. Rufino Florido (ESP), +11.560
5. Kevin Ogris (GER), +11.567
Standings Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2016 after 8 of 13 rounds
1. Sasaki, 155 points
2. Viu, 132
3. Fernandez, 122
4. Garcia, 100
5. Toba, 70