Friday MotoGP/2/3/E round up from Red Bull Ring

MotoGP 2022 – Round 13 – Red Bull Ring
CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich

MotoGP Friday Practice

It was Ducati domination overnight in Austria as Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) made it a 1-2-3 for the Bologna brand on Friday, but they’ve got company.

By the end of Day 1, Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was within just 0.040 of the top, and just ahead of key rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team).

Zarco, Miller, Martin, Quartararo and Bagnaia is quite a top five, and the Ducati invasion keeps coming with Marini, Bezzecchi and Bastianini all up next.

There’s more Italian machinery in ninth but this time in the hands of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) as the number 12 keeps his form rolling to take a provisional place in the top ten. That top ten is rounded out by 2021 winner Brad Binder flying the home flag for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in P10.

That leaves Aleix Espargaro a notable name outside the top ten, as well as the likes of Mir and Rins. With the weather seemingly still changeable too, FP3 could be pivotal in the mission to move through to Q2.

On a wet track, Remy Gardner set off for the first time with his KTM RC16 on the new Red Bull Ring, which he admitted he has enjoyed today. Cautious on a drying track, the Australian rode in 1’35.095 this morning, before improving in the afternoon on drier conditions. His personal best of 1’31.324 placed him in P23 at the end of the first day. The rookie admitted feeling good today despite a crash in FP1 without any major damages, and he will look to continue the work on Saturday.

MotoGP Riders Reflect on Day One

Johann Zarco – P1

“I am satisfied and happy with all the work we have done. We are on the right track, I have very positive feelings. We have all the cards on the table to have a very good weekend, the goal is clear.”

Jack Miller – P2

“I felt comfortable right from the first few laps in the wet and, even in the dry, our base setup proved to work very well. We didn’t touch anything on the bike and only worked on the tyre choice and the electronics. I like the new chicane: it lets the bike flow and be aggressive in both changing direction and opening the throttle when exiting the corner. I am satisfied with this first day and confident I can do well again tomorrow.” 

Jorge Martín – P3

“I am satisfied with this first day. We improved in the afternoon session, making important steps forward. It is a track that I like a lot and where I feel particularly comfortable. Tomorrow we can do even better.”

Fabio Quartararo – P4

“The pace looks good, but it’s true that we set those laps riding alone. In a group it’s different. It’s a shame that we had some yellow flags, and we weren’t faultless today. I set my fastest lap on lap 3 or 4 with the soft rear tyre, so I think we have a bit of a margin to improve. This new chicane in Sector 1 is much better. It makes it slightly easier, although the chicane feels smaller on the bike than when you walk the track, but that’s okay for us. I’m on the limit, I’m pushing myself to the limit. It won’t be easy, but I feel we have good potential.”

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Francesco Bagnaia – P5

“It’s been quite a day; this morning, first on wet tyres and then on slicks, I struggled a bit, but in the afternoon, we managed to improve. We’re still missing something in the corner exit compared to Quartararo, but we know what we need to do to improve. In general, the Ducati Desmosedici GP is a competitive package which works really well at this track. There are a lot of fast Ducati riders here, and they can all aim for the podium on Sunday. This is a great motivation for me, and I’m optimistic for tomorrow’s qualifying session.”

Luca Marini – P6

“A Friday with a lot of data to analyse, also considering that we ride in different conditions, a very useful aspect. I am quite satisfied with the time attack, I did a good lap, while on the race pace I have struggled more, especially with the long run tyre. We will compare our data with the other riders and work to confirm ourselves into the Q2.”

Marco Bezzecchi – P7

“I am happy with the first approach to the track and also to the new section. We did a good job from the FP1 and we were immediately competitive. We still lack something in braking, a very important aspect on this track, to be able to adjust our pace on the long run. For tomorrow we will focus on the tire for the race, it will be crucial.”

Enea Bastianini – P8

“It’s been a positive day: we got up to speed from the get-go and showed a good pace. The feeling is good, and everything comes easy. I don’t think we will make big adjustments tomorrow – except from a few electronic tweaks to exploit the power of the bike. The new chicane is not too bad, but it’s quite a challenging spot also due to the different type of asphalt. Lap cancelled aside I’m not worried, as we can do well tomorrow.”

Maverick Vinales – P9

“I’m satisfied in general, even if it wasn’t an easy day. In the morning, the conditions were a bit complicated with the track drying out, whereas in the afternoon we struggled to find the right grip. I also made a few mistakes braking, but nothing too worrisome. I’m working on braking to be as incisive as possible in the race, because it will be extremely important for overtaking. In the finale of the FP2 session, I was able to repeat my best time, albeit without progressing, but it was enough to stay in the top ten, which provisionally puts me straight through to Q2. I really like the new chicane and we know that we still have plenty of margin for improvement, so we’ll keep working hard tomorrow to try and start from the front rows”.

Aleix Espargaro – P11

“I struggled a bit today, especially interpreting this track. Not just in terms of the chicanes, but this is a very particular circuit that demands a riding style that is just as specific. In any case, toward the end of FP2, I began to feel more competitive. We’re still lacking just a bit on the more hard braking sections but I think we’ll be able to improve tomorrow. I don’t particularly like the new chicane as a rider but I must say that they did an outstanding job in terms of safety and that’s the most important thing”.

Takaaki Nakagami – P12

“Overall, it was quite a positive first day. In both sessions we were able to improve during the sessions and especially in FP2 when we had dry conditions. We finished out of the top 10, in P12, but only four tenths from the top, so the gap is super-tight. We need to improve the small details, especially in sector two we have a lot of room to improve and there are some corners in sector three where I can improve the riding. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully we can have a good session in the morning and definitely be in the top 10, so we can prepare for Q2 and get a good grid position in qualifying.”

Pol Espargaro – P14

“We are not that far from the top, just half a second at a tight circuit like this is a lot better than our position shows. But this is MotoGP so every tenth counts and there are a few tools we can pull out tomorrow to close the gap. We aren’t in Q2 at the moment but if the weather holds tomorrow we will be pushing hard to make the top ten. We are working together inside Honda to improve, Marc was here also today watching and listening to the team talk.”

Álex Márquez – P16

“In the morning we did ok, I had traffic on my final lap and I wasn’t able to improve my time, but we did quite well. In the afternoon, like always, I gave 100% for the team, but we had the same problems we always seem to have. We’re trying to work on them, trying to understand what could be done. I’m enjoying the new chicane, I definitely like the new layout and we’ll keep working hard tomorrow and do our best.”

Franco Morbidelli – P17

“Today, it looked quite positive. The medium tyres felt quite okay, although it looks like will need to use the hard for the race. I felt quite fast on the mediums. On the soft tyre I still wasn’t able to keep the same level going. Let’s see. I will try to improve. We will keep on working for tomorrow.”

Andrea Dovizioso – P18

“This morning we started with a good feeling. The track was a bit difficult, but I felt good. In the afternoon, we did a step in terms of setup, which was positive. But at the same time, I wasn’t able to use the full potential, because I made a lot of mistakes on my fastest lap and we wanted to try the setup, so there was no time to try the hard front tyre. It looks like this is the best option in this moment. Everybody is fast, but I think there is still a lot of work to do. I’m a bit more confident than on the other tracks and I think I can do a step up tomorrow. Let’s also see what the other riders will do.”

Fabio DiGiannantonio – P19

“It’s a shame that we were unable to make the most of the soft tyre today: there was a lot of traffic, and I made a few too many mistakes, plus the yellow flags also didn’t help so we must keep our fingers crossed for a dry FP3 session. Having said that we didn’t do too bad, and I think tomorrow we will have a clear picture of the direction to follow. We especially have to improve the corner entry as the bike still doesn’t fully feel the way I’d like.”

Lorenzo Savadori – P20

“A good day. We moved forward with our work both to help Aleix and Maverick and also in view of 2023, also managing to be fast. My shoulder isn’t bothering me too much, but it obviously penalises me a bit. I’m pleased because we were able to test everything we had scheduled. The new layout isn’t bad. The chicane is rather slow, but it seems like an acceptable solution.”

Stefan Bradl – P21

“The new chicane is good here, it reduces the speed and they have done a good job. It’s a bit bumpy but the chicane makes the track very different. It was a productive day today, I was able to get some good information and work with HRC and Marc on a few points. We are making good progress, both for this weekend and for the future. Let’s see what happens with the weather, times are very close so a bit of rain can really mix things up.”

Remy Gardner – P23

“The weather was a bit strange today so we were unable to take full advantage of the tyres, but the day was good overall. We know what we need to do for tomorrow, so I look forward to tomorrow already.”

Darryn Binder – P24

“We got a little bit of mixed conditions today. We started in the wet this morning with a drying track and we ventured out on the slicks at the end of FP1. The new chicane is pretty cool, it’s definitely a tricky corner and it adds a little bit to this track’s layout for sure. This afternoon we got lucky enough to get a full dry FP2 and I made a nice step forward from this morning. Overall, I’m feeling pretty happy with how things went today. I’m looking to make a nice step forward tomorrow and catch up to the front boys.”

Raul Fernandez – P25

“The day was good overall despite the tricky conditions. I had a good second free practice session in the afternoon, but I made a small mistake which caused a crash and I was unable to try the soft tyres. Anyway, I am really happy with the steps we have made today on the bike, the feeling is good, so I will work hard tomorrow because I think that we can have a good day.”

MotoGP Friday Practice Results

MotoGP Championship Points Standings

Moto2 Friday Practice

It’s an Idemitsu Honda Team Asia 1-2 heading into qualifying day at the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich as Somkiat Chantra beat team-mate Ai Ogura by 0.055s in FP2 to top the Moto2 time-sheets on Day 1.

World Championship leader Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was 0.311s off the pace in third, with former points leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) down in P15.

Behind the ATC alumini 1-2 and the Championship leader, Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) grabbed P4 in the closing stages as both the Italian and fifth place Lopez demoted Dixon down to P6.

Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) is seventh ahead of FP3 and it joined in the top 10 by Fermin Aldeguer (CAG Speed Up), Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2) and Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40).

The last four riders currently on to move through are Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team), Albert Arenas (Zinia GASGAS Aspar Team), Joe Roberts and Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team)… leaving Championship challenger Vietti down in P15 and looking for a way through.

Young Aussie Senna Agius was P29 after his first day on the MarcVDS bike and at Red Bull Ring. Agius has been drafted in to replace the injured Sam Lowes for this and the following round.

Moto2 Friday Practice Results

Moto2 Championship Points Standings

Moto3 Friday Practice

Leopard Racing’s Dennis Foggia emerged with the fastest after Moto3’s first dry-weather session at the new-look Red Bull Ring. The Italian set a 1:41.774 with the chequered flag out in FP2 at the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich to top the session and the day, with Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) second with a lap time set just before he was involved in a crash with Lorenzo Fellon (SIC58 Squadra Corse).

John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) took third as both AutoSolar GASGAS Aspar Team riders, Izan Guevara and Sergio Garcia, made it into the top 14, which could be particularly important given the threat of rain when FP3 unfolds on the following morning…

Behind Foggia, Öncü, McPhee and Suzuki, Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) claimed fifth on a 1:42.080, ahead of Sasaki on a 1:42.085, then Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Masia, and David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), the latter of whom had light contact with Öncü exiting Turn 2b in the early stages of the session.

Guevara took 12th on a 1:42.193 and Garcia 13th on a 1:42.251, as they continue to battle each other for World Championship supremacy. Kaito Toba (CIP Green power) pipped returning rookie team-mate Joel Kelso by just 0.010 to take the final, provisional place in Q2.

Moto3 Friday Practice Results

Moto3 Championship Points Standings

MotoE Qualifying

The FIM Enel MotoE World Cup has resumed after its summer break and Eric Granado has secured a much-needed first pole position of the season at the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich. The LCR E-Team rider is second in the standings, with just two rounds left to try and overtake Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE), and the 1:41.390 which he set in Q2 at the Red Bull Ring gives him the best possible chance of doing so. Joining Granado on the front row will be Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40) and Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE), while Aegerter is set to get away from fifth position in both of this weekend’s races.

After a mixed morning of weather in Spielberg, sunny conditions greeted the MotoE field for qualifying on Friday afternoon. Granado kicked off Q2 with a 1:42.024 which was quickest at that point, and consolidated provisional pole with a 1:41.390 next time through. Casadei set a 1:41.530 on his second flyer to be second-fastest, but neither of those two could relax.

Ferrari was continuing to improve and gradually got his time down to a 1:41.569 with a handful of minutes remaining in the decisive stanza, to be third when the chequered flag came out. A host of riders then set quick sectors in a final bid for pole position, but there would be no further changes to the front row. 

Row 2, on the other hand, was firmly still in play. Kevin Zannoni (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) had only got himself out of Q1 with a very late effort to top that session, and did something similar at the end of Q2 when he vaulted himself from eighth to fourth with a 1:41.596. It was also a significant lap in the context of the title race, considering it pushed World Cup leader Aegerter back to fifth position, the Swiss rider having gone as good as a 1:41.642. Joining them on the second row of the grid will be Niccolo Canepa, who rode his WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team entry to a 1:42.029.

Xavi Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) was second-quickest out of Q1 and would ultimately claim seventh on the starting grid, ahead of Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team), Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing), and Hector Garzo (Tech3 E-Racing).

Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) was a surprise omission from the top 10 having missed the cut by 0.059 seconds in Q1 and will line up on the middle of Row 4, between Garzo and Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE). Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team) qualified 16th while Alessio Finello (Felo Gresini MotoE) has been declared unfit after suffering a fractured metatarsal in his right foot when he crashed in FP1, meaning he will take no further part in the weekend.

Eric Granado – P1

“It was a great day for us! It was raining during the first session in the morning, which was a useful practice in case one of the races happen to be in wet conditions. We were competitive in the wet and also in the dry in FP2. I felt a good “flow” even though I haven’t been riding my Energica for almost two months! The Q2 went very well, I had good rhythm and I could set the fastest lap and an all-new lap time record! It’s always important to start from the first row and this is my first Pole Position of the Season so I’m very happy and motivated to keep this feeling for the weekend!”

MotoE Qualifying Results

1. Eric Granado – LCR E-Team  – Energica –  1’41.390
2. Mattia Casadei – Pons Racing 40 – Energica – +0.140
3. Matteo Ferrari – Felo Gresini MotoE™ – Energica – +0.179

MotoE Championship Points Standings

CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich Schedule
Times in AEST

Saturday

Sunday

2022 MotoGP Calendar