Our first winner for the Austrian GP weekend has been crowned, with Márc Márquez taking advantage of a starting line mistake from his Ducati Lenovo teammate, Francesco Bagnaia. Álex Márquez settled for second while Pedro Acosta secured a podium finish for the KTM home round. The #93 Tissot Sprint winner dedicated his victory to the late Junior GP World Championship rider, Pau Alsina. The seventeen-year-old passed a few weeks ago from injuries he sustained in a racing accident.
Read on to catch up on all the action, as well as what to expect going into the Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday.
Extra Time on the Sprint Starting Grid
There was more time on the grid for the Saturday Tissot Sprint after the Grand Prix Commission approved the addition of an extra five minutes for this weekend and subsequent races to come. This time allocation change to twenty minutes on the grid, the same time allowed for a GP race, gave teams more time to make any adjustments or tyre changes.
However, no extra time was needed for Maverick Viñales as the Spaniard opted to withdraw from the Austrian GP to focus on continued left shoulder injury recovery. There’s no word yet as to whether he will take part in next weekend’s race events in Hungary.
After an impressive qualifying run earlier in the morning, Bezzecchi settled into the polesitter position in front of the two Ducati riders of Á. Márquez and Bagnaia. At the back of the grid, the embattled Monster Energy Yamaha and Pramac Yamaha riders were going to need a clean race to avoid further misfortune for their Austrian GP weekend.
Rear Wheel Spins Off the Starting Line
With the front row opting for medium front and soft rear tyres, the riders took off at lights out. Bagnaia had a horror start, falling to fourteenth. Fermín Aldeguer almost had an identical wheel spin behind the #63. Thankfully, the lead-up into Turn 1 was safely completed despite the mass reshuffling of positions.
The big winners from the chaos were M. Márquez and Acosta, jumping up into second and third. But, as expected, several riders were handed track limits warnings, adding extra pressure when trying to overtake and gain positions. Franco Morbidelli got all of his corners messed up, coming off wide and off the racing line.
Movers and Shakers Take Advantage of Bagnaia’s Misfortune
As Bagnaia tumbled down to last place, all three participating KTM machines found themselves within the top nine to score points in the Tissot Sprint. It was business as usual for the Márquez brothers as they battled for first place. With six laps left, Bagnaia ended his misery and retired to the Ducati Lenovo garage. He wasn’t the only bike to retire, as Trackhouse Racing rider Raul Fernandez pulled his Aprilia machine into the pits. It appeared that the ride height device had malfunctioned, making it unsafe to continue.
While the majority of the Yamaha riders had remained at the back of the pack, Fabio Quartararo had made his way to tenth, just shy of points. Ahead of him, Johann Zarco was the only rider out on track to choose the medium rear tyre.
A Comfortable Last Lap Lead
With more than a second between him and his younger brother, M. Márquez cruised into the last lap to the finish line and secured points for the Ducati Lenovo team. The only other rider to match the time of the front runner was Jorge Martín, finishing in tenth after overtaking Quartararo a lap or two earlier.
Top 9 in the Tissot Sprint
Here are the top nine point scorers of the MotoGP Tissot Sprint Race:
For Bagnaia, this Tissot Sprint is one he will be quick to put behind him as the grid resets for the Sunday Grand Prix. While they weren’t able to secure a win and they are one rider short, the results in the Tissot Sprint were a massive win for KTM. Having Acosta, Enea Bastianini, and Brad Binder all gain points will be a significant morale boost. Can they transfer that energy into more home race success? Or, will M. Márquez finally be victorious at the Red Bull Ring? We’ll keep our fingers crossed that the rain will be kept at bay for a stunning, sunny race on Sunday.