Austria is Red. And this is not news, since the Borgo Panigale bikes have been leaving their mark at the Red Bull Ring in MotoGP since way back in 2016. The news is that for the last three years, only Pecco Bagnaia’s red Desmosedici GP has climbed to the top step of the podium: victory in 2022, a double last year and this weekend, thanks to which he also regained the lead in the world championship standings.
The reigning world champion’s race was practically perfect. This time Jorge Martin was faster at the start, but at the start of the second lap Bagnaia took the lead with a decisive attack at the braking point of Turn 1. A lap later, “Martinator” tried to respond at Turn 9, but then went wide, allowing Pecco to re-cross.
From that moment on it was a real monologue from the Piedmontese, who in the second part of the race, with a series of fast laps, slowly opened up the gap to over two seconds over his rival from Prima Pramac Racing, who, it must be remembered, was racing with two stitches on his left thumb due to an accident in the shower on Friday.
Only in the final did Martin attempt a reaction, reducing the gap to 1″5. After managing for a couple of laps, Bagnaia responded immediately, making him understand that today he could do nothing to deny him his seventh win of the season (as many as his record), the 25th of his MotoGP career (equaling Kevin Schwantz in tenth place in the all-time standings). The rider from Madrid can still be satisfied, because in the face of an Imperial Sin he only lost a few points and now there are 5 that separate them in the world championship standings.
Thanks to a good start, Enea Bastianini moved into third position right from the very early stages of the race and for a few laps he even tried to go with the leading tandem. In the long run, however, it was impossible for him to keep up with the pace of the first two, so he decided to settle for a podium that still keeps him afloat in the World Championship, with the gap from the top rising again to 61 points. Among other things, “Bestia” gave Ducati its eighth consecutive hat-trick. A truly monstrous number.
At the foot of the podium is Marc Marquez, who unfortunately ruined his race even before the start, failing to engage the lowering device on his Gresini Racing Ducati. His start was therefore disastrous and to make matters worse there was a contact at the first braking point with Franco Morbidelli, which made him fall to 13th place. The eight-time world champion however did not lose heart and by dint of overtaking he climbed up to fourth place, with the regret of a pace that perhaps could have earned him at least the podium with a normal start.
The first not to ride a Ducati is Brad Binder, who at least allowed KTM to take the stripes of second force on the home track. A small consolation, however, if you consider that he showed up at the finish line with a delay of more than 18″ on the winner. Then there is another Ducati, the GP23 of Marco Bezzecchi who at least returned to battle for the top positions, giving the impression of having had a lot of fun in the battle with Marquez and the Aprilias.
After yesterday’s unexpected podium in the Sprint, the Noale-based manufacturer’s bikes once again had to deal with the difficulties that have always held them back on this track, with Maverick Vinales finishing seventh and Aleix Espargaro having to settle for ninth place, both over 20″ behind. Franco Morbidelli slipped in between them, climbing up to eighth place on the second Ducati from Prima Pramac Racing after contact with Marquez at the start had relegated him to 17th.
The top 10 is completed by the other Ducati of Alex Marquez, with the wild card Pol Espargaro who instead finished in 11th place with the “laboratory” KTM, which already presented interesting solutions for the future. It is curious that the Spaniard placed himself ahead of the rookie Pedro Acosta, who is experiencing the first difficult moment of his adventure in the premier class and did not go beyond 13th place, also behind the Aprilia Trackshouse of Miguel Oliveira. It was a shame for Jack Miller, who fell at the chicane when he was in the train that was battling for fourth place.
We have to go down to 14th place, therefore, to find the first of the Japanese bikes, which this time is the Honda of Takaaki Nakagami. Only 18th instead is Fabio Quartararo, who evidently felt the burn to his leg suffered in yesterday’s Sprint. The proof is that in front of him is also the other Yamaha of his teammate Alex Rins, 16th and also not in perfect physical condition. Unfortunately Luca Marini retired, returning to the pits probably due to a technical problem after a few laps, while the Aprilia test rider, Lorenzo Savadori, finished in 20th position with the experimental RS-GP.
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