If there is a circuit where Ducati has shown overwhelming superiority in the past, it is Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring. Since the Austrian track returned to the calendar in 2016, once it was bought and renovated by the energy drink giant, it has become a private preserve for powerful Italian bikes. Its layout, nestled at the foot of the Alps, is one of the shortest in the championship, with just eleven corners, but several braking points where the MotoGPs practically stop dead. Within motoring jargon, this type of track is known as ‘stop and go’ and it has always suited the Ducati like a glove, with great stability under braking and a lot of horsepower in its engine for acceleration from stopped.
The historic victory that Andrea Iannone achieved here in 2016 ended a nearly six-year winless drought for Ducati in the World Championship and began a triumphant streak for Italian motorcycles on this track that also saw Andrea Dovizioso win by game in red. triple, Jorge Lorenzo, Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martín. Precisely these last two names are in all the pools as the main favorites.
Bagnaia and Martín are also first and second in the provisional classification, with 41 rental points for the reigning MotoGP champion. They both know what it’s like to win on the Ducati at the Red Bull Ring, but they’ve also done it previously in the smaller classes. The Madrid driver was so confident that he did not hesitate to point out that “the objective is to win the race” and not be so concerned about cutting points in the standings. «I can’t look at what Bagnaia does in each race because he would drive me crazy. I have to think of myself.”
There are eight Ducati on the grid and any of them is a candidate to at least step on the podium. Even for a driver like Álex Márquez, for whom this type of track doesn’t suit him so well. “It is not a very favorable circuit for my style, because I prefer them more fluid, but you see the straights in a different way with the Ducati,” explained the Cervera rider, recently renewed in his team for 2024.
Aleix and the KTM, the alternatives
Only on two occasions has a non-Ducati motorcycle won in Austria and in both cases it was a KTM and in very particular conditions, with rain making an appearance. But the Austrian motorcycles cannot be ruled out, which apart from racing at home, have this track as a test circuit thanks to its strong relationship with the energy drink brand, and backyard of its factory, a few kilometers from the small town by Spielberg.
The next name in the list of favorites would be that of Aleix Espargaró. And despite the background, the Austrian track is not one of the best for the Aprilia. But the Catalan arrives ultra-motivated after his spectacular victory in the last British Grand Prix and this was demonstrated at the press conference prior to the event. “Austria has been the kryptonite of this bike, but if I had to choose a track right now it would be this, since we arrived at our best moment after having been very strong in the last few weekends.”
The one who is still not expected is a Marc Márquez who with his speech continues to maintain that unrecognizable low profile. The ilerdense did not hesitate to point out that he faces the race with “zero expectations” and without intending to risk more than necessary, at least until he regains the confidence lost after a painful start to the season. Of course, he again remembered his “maximum commitment” with Honda after he was re-linked with KTM for the next season. “There is a good relationship, but there has not been any approach to reach something more,” he said, although he avoided closing doors in the future. “At the moment I have a contract next year, in 2025 we’ll see…”.
2023-08-17 18:54:12
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