The Japanese rider pips the reigning Champion in FP1 before rain slows play in the afternoon
Friday, 06 August 2021
Takaaki Nakagami (30). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) got the best start to the Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria, the Japanese rider fastest on a mixed Friday after ending FP1 on top. The weather turned just in time to stop the MotoGP™ class improving in the afternoon, leaving his 0.076 advantage over the field to stand as we head into Saturday.
Reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was the man in second by the flag as his Austria skills proved sharp as ever, and he also said he’ll try the new Suzuki ride height device on Day 2 after Friday proved such a positive first day on track. Third went to Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) after a late lunge from the number 41 in FP1, with his teammate Lorenzo Savadori then fastest in the damp-affected and drying FP2 to make it a good start to Styria for Aprilia.
FP1
Nakagami struck late in the morning, his final push of the session enough to deny reigning World Champion Mir by 0.076. Mir had been fast throughout and led the middle half hour of FP1 too, with Aleix Espargaro making a late lunge to take over in third, 0.378 off the top.
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) made it two Hamamatsu machines in the top five, 0.038 off Aleix Espargaro, with Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) locking out the top five and also within a few hundredths.
The incident sheet was an all-KTM affair in the morning, with the home heroes suffering three issues. Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) crashed at Turn 3, a lowside, before a technical problem saw wildcard and MotoGP™ Legend Dani Pedrosa pull his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine over between Turns 3 and 4. The exit of Turn 3 also saw drama for Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as the Portuguese rider got flicked off his KTM, subsequently heading to the Medical Centre. He was judged fit to continue and initial check ups found no fractures, although as the weather changed in the afternoon he sat the session out.
At the end of FP1, it was Pedrosa – despite being over two years on from retirement – who was the fastest KTM, starting his weekend in P11.
FP2
The afternoon began wet for the MotoGP™ runners, although a drier line had emerged by the last few minutes. And that’s when Savadori struck, the Italian timing it perfectly to top the session by a tenth and a half from Zarco. Mir was third, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) in fourth and Aleix Espargaro locking out the fastest five.
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) had been the fastest man for much of the afternoon, before the final push saw him leapfrogged by Rins, Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), Lecuona and Viñales, the eight-time World Champion ultimately ending the session in P10.
Lecuona suffered the only incident, the Spaniard running on at Turn 1.
Combined timesheets
FP1 times rule the roost on Friday, so Nakagami leads Mir ahead of Aleix Espargaro, with Rins and Pol Espargaro up next. His teammate, Marc Marquez, was a couple more tenths in arrears and only 0.017 ahead of the fastest Yamaha.
That was Maverick Viñales, as the number 12 pipped Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP teammate Fabio Quartararo by just under a tenth… and El Diablo’s closest challenger by the same margin as Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) slotted into ninth with an identical laptime to his compatriot. Jack Miller (Ducato Lenovo Team) completes the top ten.
The rain leaves Pedrosa outside the top ten as he remains P11 but fastest KTM, ahead of Bagnaia, who will also be looking for more in FP3. So too will Oliveira down in P15 just ahead of Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT), and Binder to boot. The South African heads the remaining KTMs from P18 down, and for a track where only Ducati and KTM have won, they’ll all be eager to make up some ground on Saturday morning.
The fight for a place in Q2 picks up again at 9:55 (GMT +2), with FP3 giving the grid a final chance to book a guaranteed place in the qualifying shootout. That starts at 14:10, with the first grid of the second half of the season soon to be decided.
Bezzecchi and Augusto Fernandez split by 0.080 on Day 1
It’s close in Styria, with Bezzecchi leading Fernandez leading Gardner and the three covered by less than a tenth and a half
Marco Bezzecchi (72). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) rules the Day 1 roost at the Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria, the Italian returning to the scene of his first Moto2™ win and edging out Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) by less than a tenth. Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the top three on Friday, with rookie teammate and closest challenger Raul Fernandez down in P9.
FP1
Bezzecchi was fastest out the blocks in the morning, the Italian enjoying a gap of nearly two and a half tenths back to Augusto Fernandez for much of the session. In the last few minutes the Spaniard hit back, but Bezzecchi had more in his pocket and the Italian went back to the top with his final lap of the session, 0.080 ahead. Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2) shot up into third late on, with Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team) ending FP1 in an impressive fourth place.
Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) completed the top five despite earlier having a lap cancelled, with Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) slotting into sixth as the fastest rookie.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s powerhouse pairing of Championship leader Gardner and Raul Fernandez ended the morning in P7 and P8 respectively, split by just four thousandths. Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP 40) and Jorge Navarro (Lightech Speed Up) completed the top ten.
Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) crashed at Turn 4, and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) at Turn 3, riders ok.
FP2
The rain may have put paid to improvements in MotoGP™, but by the end of play for the intermediate class, some of the times were tumbling. Gardner topped the session ahead of Lowes, with Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) in third despite not feeling on full power. Augusto Fernandez was fourth, with Dalla Porta impressing again to complete the top five.
Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) had a noteworthy afternoon session, the Italian rookie taking P6.
There were a good few incidents in Moto2™ FP2. The first was for Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) at Turn 4, before Jorge Navarro at Turn 9. Bezzecchi then at Turn 1, before Canet at Turn 9. Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) then at Turn 1, before Hafizh Syahrin (NTS RW Racing GP) at Turn 9. Beaubier then had a technical issue too.
Combined timesheets
The combined timesheets are a good mix of both sessions, with Bezzecchi and Augusto Fernandez taking a 1-2. Then come FP2’s fastest men as Gardner takes third ahead of Lowes, with Canet’s FP1 time slotting him into fifth.
Lüthi takes sixth ahead of Dalla Porta, the Italian’s best lap set in FP1, with Ogura in P8 as the fastest rookie – denying Championship challenger Raul Fernandez that honour by just 0.020. Vietti completes the rookie run in the top ten in P10.
Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Manzi, rookie Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and his teammate Marcel Schrötter are the final riders currently within the Q2 zone, although FP3 could easily switch it up again. Who will head through? FP3 starts at 10:55 (GMT+2), before qualifying from 15:10!
Binder, McPhee and Garcia end Friday within 0.057
Three riders within half a tenth and the top five within 0.131? Moto3™ must be back from summer break!
Darryn Binder (40). Photo courtesy Dorna.
The Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria is underway and Moto3™ remained close as ever on Day 1 as Petronas Sprinta Racing made it a 1-2 by the end of play, with Darryn Binder heading the timesheets from teammate John McPhee by an apt 0.040. An equally fated 0.017 split the Scotsman from third place, which went to Sergio Garcia (Santander Consumer Bank GASGAS Aspar Team). Second in the standings, the Spaniard was consistently quick on Friday.
FP1
In the morning, Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46) was on a charge and he led for much of the session. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jaume Masia homed in in the latter stages though, the Spaniard getting to within 0.010 before the Spaniard struck back. And then Garcia made his dash for the top, the Championship challenger pulling out a tenth and a half on Antonelli. The Italian tried to fight back and was up again on his next lap before sliding out at Turn 6, rider ok.
Garcia, meanwhile, only got quicker and after McPhee was next to take over on top, the Spaniard still found an answer. The number 11 ended the session 0.046 ahead, and then McPhee’s lap got cancelled. So Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), another putting in a late lunge, moved up to second, with McPhee dropped to third in FP1.
Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), who returns from injury this weekend, impressed immediately to end the session in fourth, ahead of Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) as the 2019 winner locked out a top five split by just 0.155.
FP2
The afternoon belonged to Petronas Sprinta Racing as Binder hit the top and McPhee retained his speed to sit second. Garcia likewise kept his early momentum, and Fenati moved up a place to fourth. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) went from P11 to fifth as he aims to keep his roll of recent frontrunning form going, making gains in the standings over the last few rounds.
Acosta was one name that dropped down the timing screens on Friday afternoon, the points leader and record-breaker taking P11 in the session. There were no incidents to report, making Antonelli’s low drama Turn 6 crash in the morning the only one of the day in the lightweight class.
Combined Timesheets
The top ten correlates to FP2 as they all improved in the afternoon: Binder, McPhee, Garcia, Fenati and Foggia are the top five, with Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) in P6 to pip compatriot Antonelli. Masia was eighth, ahead of Filip Salač as he gets back on track with CarXpert PrüstelGP. Rookie Izan Guevara (Santander Consumer Bank GASGAS Aspar Team) had a good start to the weekend as the 2019 ETC Champion and 2020 FIM Moto3™ Junior World Champion completed the top ten in FP2 and therefore overall.
Acosta just missed out on that top ten by 0.007, slotting in behind his fellow rookie in P11, with Sasaki taking P12. Neither Acosta nor Sasaki improved in the afternoon, but they were both fast enough in FP1 to retain a place in the provisional Q2 graduation zone.
The final two riders currently set to take a place in Q2 are Adrian Fernandez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and Carlos Tatay (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3), but will it shuffle again on Saturday morning in FP3? We’ll find out from 9:00 (GMT +2) before qualifying from 12:35.
More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing Tech3:
Petrucci and Lecuona kick off second half of 2021 in Austria
Day one of the Styrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring saw some mixed weather conditions. While FP1 was dry and sunny, the MotoGP World Championship faced some rain in the second session this afternoon. Thereby, Danilo Petrucci concluded Friday in P19 with his fastest time from the first session, missing out on the top 10 by just half a second.
At the same time, Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Iker Lecuona landed in P20 this morning, just 0.09 seconds behind his teammate. Yet, the Spanish youngster shone with a decent eighth position in FP2, where the track was wet at the start of the practice, but slowly dried out towards the final minutes.
Danilo Petrucci (9). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing Tech3.
Danilo Petrucci
Position: 19th
Time: 1:25.409
Laps: 35
“Today has been half a day for our work in the rain. We had the chance to ride in the wet and we were quite fast, so I’m happy about this, especially as Sunday’s weather forecast says rain as well. In FP1, I felt good as well, but we lost a lot of time on the straight, which is obvious in the standings of the top speed, where I am last. Therefore, our mission is to manage this loss of pace, because here you are on full throttle quite a lot of time. Let’s wait and see what happens tomorrow. Hopefully, we can improve.”
Iker Lecuona (29). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing Tech3.
Iker Lecuona
Position: 20th
Time: 1:25.499
Laps: 40
“In general, it was a difficult day. This morning in dry conditions, I struggled quite a lot with the bike, as I couldn’t stop it properly. We are there, but we also need to continue to work. This afternoon, we couldn’t try our new base for the dry, so we need to wait for tomorrow. The good news is, that we have been able to try the bike in the wet here, as on Sunday it looks like a wet race. I feel very good in the rain. I feel very fast, very good, thanks to the team. Plus, I’m happy to be back again.”
More, from a press release issued by Sky Racing Team VR46:
P14 FOR LUCA MARINI AFTER THE FIRST FREE PRACTICES IN AUSTRIA
The rider of the Sky VR46 Avintia is just four tenths from the direct access into the Q2
Spielberg (Austria), August 6th 2021 – First day of free practices to pick up the pace after the summer break with uncertain weather for the MotoGP circus in Spielberg with Luca Marini in 14th place in the combined standings.
On the dry track in the FP1, the rider of the Sky VR46 Avintia scored a good 1.25.207 which means a gap of just 4 tenths from the P10 and the direct access to tomorrow’s Q2. Positive feelings also on the wet tarmac thanks to a best lap time of 1.33.152 (12th place).
Luca Marini (10). Photo courtesy Sky Racing Team VR46.
Luca Marini:
I had fun today: from the FP1 I found the same feelings as a month ago and I immediately felt at ease on the bike. We did two sessions in different conditions and we were able to collect a lot of info both in the dry and then in the wet. The sensations are good, as always the gaps here in Austria will be minimal, one more reason to take care of all the details. Our ideal time was very good today, a few tenths less than my best lap. Let’s continue like this.
Ruben Xaus:
It’s always nice to get back on the bike after the summer break, even more here in Austria, a track where Ducati is always competitive. We started well, we have some technical updates and this gives us perhaps more motivation. This morning in the dry Luca was not very far from the leaders and in the wet he made another step forward. We are close to the Top10 and if we continue to work well we can improve.
More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:
Styrian GP – Johann Zarco ended the first day of practice P9, Jorge Martin P17
Johann Zarco (5). Photo courtesy Pramac Racing.
Today begins the second part of the MotoGP championship at the Red Bull Ring. Currently, the Pramac Racing riders Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin are in second and eighteenth position respectively in the championship standings.
Both riders made the most of FP1 to regain confidence with the Desmosedici Ducati. Johann ends the first free practice session with a ninth-best time of 1:24.580, whereas the Spanish rookie came in seventeenth with a time of 1:25.316.
FP2 took place for the first part under the rain. The asphalt, however, began to dry towards the end of the session. The French rider performed well and ended in the second position. Jorge had some difficulties on the wet and finished in P19.
Jorge Martín
A good first day although I don’t believe the position I am currently placed in accurately reflects the work done today. I have good sensations and tomorrow my objective is to make it into Q2 and set a good lap-time.
Johann Zarco
A positive day, I am happy because I have immediately found good sensations despite not riding for 5 weeks. In FP2 I had a good feeling on the wet asphalt as well and so I can only be satisfied.
More, from a press release issued by Esponsorama Avintia Racing:
MARINI 14TH AND BASTIANINI 21ST ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE GRAND PRIX OF STYRIA
Red Bull Ring – Spielberg (Austria), 6th August 2021
The Avintia Esponsorama and the Sky VR46 Avintia riders were in action today for the first two free practice sessions of the Styrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg.
Luca Marini and Enea Bastianini set their fastest laps in the morning, as rain made its presence in the afternoon and made it impossible for the riders to improve their times. Marini finished the first day 14th in the combined practice times with a best time of 1:25.207, whilst Enea Bastianini was 21st with a time of 1:25.585.
Tomorrow will take place the third and fourth free practice before the qualifying session of the premier class of the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria.
“It was a positive day and I was able to have fun on the bike. I love this track, but with the MotoGP it’s very physical. This morning went well, unfortunately we didn’t manage to put in a perfect lap, but I didn’t feel too bad. This afternoon in wet I felt quite comfortable, I tried to improve lap by lap and gain confidence and it went better than I expected. It was a good first day.
“I had a good time today. From FP1 I found the same feeling as a month ago and I immediately felt comfortable on the bike. We did two sessions in different conditions and we got a lot of information in both dry and wet conditions. The feeling is good, as always the gaps here in Austria will be minimal, which is another reason to take care of all the details. Our ideal time was really good today, a few tenths less than my best lap. Let’s keep it up.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:
THE APRILIAS CELEBRATE THE ITALIAN TRIUMPHS DURING THIS MAGICAL SUMMER AND GO FAST ON THE FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE IN AUSTRIA
ALEIX ESPARGARÓ BATTLES FOR THE PROVISIONAL POLE ENDING THE DAY WITH THE THIRD-BEST TIME: “INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS HERE TOO; WE ARE ALREADY FASTER THAN LAST YEAR’S QUALIFIERS”
LORENZO SAVADORI FIRST IN FP2 HELD IN THE WET
The Aprilias did exceptionally well on the first day of practice at the Red Bull Ring ahead of the Styria GP scheduled for Sunday.
The RS-GPs took to the track with light blue winglets and badges in the Italian colours to celebrate the victories, from the Euro football cup to the Tokyo Olympics, which are making this summer an unforgettable one for Italian sports. The special livery, dedicated to all Italian athletes, did indeed bode well for an extremely positive first day of practice for the Aprilia riders.
Both with the Austrian track dry in the morning and in wet conditions during the afternoon session, Aleix Espargaró and Lorenzo Savadori were protagonists, riding their RS-GP machines to the top of the standings.
With the sun shining and in ideal asphalt conditions in the morning, Aleix finished with the third-best time (1’24.183), confirming the progress of the RS-GP which was competitive on a track that has traditionally been difficult for it. In the final stint, with new tyres, Aleix turned a series of fast laps that kept him in the running for the top spot all the way until the end, where he finished third, just 37 hundredths from the provisional pole position time.
In the afternoon FP2 session, conditions changed completely due to the rain. In wet conditions, Lorenzo Savadori was the one who shone. The Italian rider took full advantage of his skills in poor grip conditions, taking first place with a time of 1’31.304. Aleix also did well, finishing fifth just 927 thousandths behind his Aprilia Racing Team Gresini teammate.
Aleix Espargaro (41). Photo courtesy Aprilia.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’
“It’s only Friday, but I am particularly pleased with our performance today because this is a track that has traditionally not proven to be our favourite. Despite only one dry session, we are already faster than our qualifiers last year. This demonstrates the undeniable progress the RS-GP has made. Due credit goes to the guys at Aprilia who continued working and testing with Dovi over the summer break, even managing to give us a few interesting developments. It isn’t easy to improve consistently each weekend, but we are giving it our all and it shows.”
Lorenzo Savadori (32). Photo courtesy Aprilia.
LORENZO SAVADORI
“Being first in a session, even if it’s on a wet track, is always great. I’ve always felt good in these conditions because, compared to the dry, the bike and the tyres move around more and that gives me a better feeling, similar in some ways to the bikes I’ve ridden in the past. In any case, even on dry asphalt, my sensations with the RS-GP are getting better and better. This is a new track for me, so I used the FP1 session mainly to find my references. We’ll need to work session by session, because the weather conditions are quite variable and this means that we’ll have to be ready for anything.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:
TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR OFF TO A FLYING START FOR STYRIAN GP
Team Suzuki Press Office – August 6.
Styrian GP Day 1:
Joan Mir: 2nd – 1’23.881 (+ 0.076)
Alex Rins: 4th – 1’24.221 (+ 0.416)
Team Suzuki Ecstar returned to MotoGP™ action on Friday following a five-week summer break. Austria’s Red Bull Ring awaited the eager riders and fans for the first in a double header, the Styrian Grand Prix.
Both Joan Mir and Alex Rins got off to a great start in the morning’s FP1 session, quickly getting to grips with the circuit in Spielberg. They set about putting in lots of laps with their GSX-RRs on the dry track and found themselves with comfortably strong pace. Mir rocketed to the top of the time sheets early on and was able to maintain this number one spot for the vast majority of the session, only slipping to second by +0.076 at the very end of FP1. Rins was firmly in the Top 10 throughout the morning, and a time attack brought him up into fourth.
The Suzuki pair showed their form around the track as Rins clocked the fastest time in Sector 2 and Mir in Sectors 3 and 4.
A heavy rain shower ahead of FP2 left the riders with no choice but to test the track in wet conditions – something which may prove useful if Sunday’s predicted downpours arrive. Mir and Rins were not put off by the slippery conditions and they were determined to continue their good work ahead of tomorrow’s sessions. They managed this very well, closing the session in third and sixth respectively, and completing Friday in second and fourth on combined.
Joan Mir (36). Photo courtesy Team Suzuki ECSTAR.
Joan Mir:
“I’m happy about today, straight away on my first pit exit I felt comfortable on the bike and I was able to push and be quite fast with consistent lap times. So it has been a good starting point, the bike has a solid base set-up. This afternoon in the wet and mixed conditions it was a bit more difficult, but it was important to understand which tyres might work best in the wet because on Sunday there could be rain, so it’s useful to try the feeling in various different conditions. We’ve done a great job today so overall I’m feeling good.”
Alex Rins (42). Photo courtesy Team Suzuki ECSTAR.
Alex Rins:
“Both FP1 and FP2 were good for us. At the beginning of the first session it was a bit tricky to find the speed and get the correct braking points, but in the end it went well, we did some good laps and came up the timesheet. Then FP2 was wet, but in the end it was quite nice because by the end of the session the track was drier and I kept the positive feelings with the bike. If tomorrow we will have the conditions to try it already, it will be exciting to see how it works, but the main goal at the moment is to get into Q2.”
Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager:
“For the moment I think we’ve restarted the season well. This morning was dry and then this afternoon it started out wet and then later on it was damp, and it seems that we are competitive in all conditions at the moment. We’ll continue working on our race set-up and tomorrow in FP3 we’ll hope to go straight to Q2 which will put us in a better position to get the best possible results.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Consistent start for the Repsol Honda Team as MotoGP action resumes
Just a few tenths split the Repsol Honda Team pairing of Pol Espargaro and Marc Marquez during the only dry session of the day at the Styrian Grand Prix, both riders on the pace as racing resumes.
The opening day of the Styrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring proved to be a day of two halves as rain hit the circuit in the afternoon after clear running in the morning. With the weekend’s forecast still looking mixed, the Repsol Honda Team worked to gain the most of both sessions regardless of the weather to prepare for Qualifying and the race.
Pol Espargaro has shown fine form around the 4.3 kilometres of the Red Bull Ring in recent visits and continued that form on Friday morning. Steadily improving throughout Free Practice 1, he ended the first session back in fifth place with a best time of 1’24.254. His personal best time would go unchallenged as rain at the start of Free Practice 2 left the circuit damp and drying. A 1’33.415 Espargaro’s quickest time of the wet afternoon. With a solid foundation found, Espargaro is looking to take further profit from his Honda around the Austrian track.
It was straight back to work for Marc Marquez after the summer break as he was reunited with his Honda RC213V in FP1. Like his Repsol Honda Team teammate, Marquez started Friday with a longer run and worked throughout the opening practice to adapt to the Red Bull Ring. A best time of 1’24.492 left Marquez only 0.221s behind Espargaro on the time sheets and sixth overall. Although only 0.6s off the top, Marquez admitted he was hoping for more after the break. As with the rest of the field, Marquez did not improve his time in FP2 and ended the session in tenth.
The LCR Honda of Takaaki Nakagami ended the day quickest with a 1’23.805.
Current predictions are calling for a return to dry running during Saturday morning’s Free Practice 3 session, a last chance for riders to compete for place inside the combined top ten. This important session is scheduled to begin at 09:55 Local Time with Qualifying starting later in the day at 14:10.
Pol Espargaro (44). Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Pol Espargaro
FIFTH 1’24.254
“The bike was performing well today when I pushed the lap time was coming. It was great to be back out riding after the summer break but for sure there is still some time from all of us to find. This is the kind of circuit where the bike works well, where we can make the most of our advantages. Our final lap time isn’t too bad, there’s room to work and improve but we are feeling positive in the wet and the dry. Let’s see what the weather does for the rest of the weekend.”
Marc Marquez (93). Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Marc Marquez
SIXTH 1’24.475
“Honestly speaking I was expecting a lot more from today but I didn’t feel great today, so I accepted it and we keep working. It’s a little frustrating but we are doing what we can, and our times were quite good even though our level wasn’t what we wanted. We will see what happens over the course of the weekend and if my feeling improves. The bike is working well here and the times are quite close after the summer break. Certainly the weather might complicate things a bit later in the weekend, but it’s the same for everyone.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP STARTS SECOND HALF OF SEASON IN SPIELBERG
Spielberg (Austria), 6th August 2021
GRAND PRIX OF STYRIA
FREE PRACTICE
It was back to school for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales and Fabio Quartararo today after the five-week long summer break. The riders were excited to be reunited with their YZR-M1s, but rain dampened their progress in the afternoon. They ended the day in seventh and eighth position respectively in the combined timesheets.
7th MAVERICK VIÑALES 1’24.492 (FP1) / 25 + 13 LAPS
8th FABIO QUARTARARO 1’24.580 (FP1) / 26 + 18 LAPS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales and Fabio Quartararo were keen to make steps on the first day at the Spielberg track, but mixed conditions in FP2 made the first day back from summer break tricky. The teammates ended the day in seventh and eighth position respectively in the combined free practice results.
With changeable conditions predicted for the Friday, Viñales planned to get as much work done in the morning as possible. He pushed hard in the opening stages of FP1 to take second place just nine minutes into the session. After improving his time once more, he held a top-3 position for a while until the pace quickened with 15 minutes left on the clock. The number-12 rider in turn posted a 1‘24.492s on lap 19/25, for seventh place, 0.687s from first.
In FP2, although Top Gun was looking to get in more laps, rainy conditions precluded any possibilities to make strides in terms of time improvement. The Spaniard waited for the right moment to resume his work. When a dry line was slowly forming with 25 minutes remaining, he sprung back into action. He moved up to fourth place in the final five minutes, clocking a 1‘32.685s on lap 10/13. As the times dropped, he ended the FP2 session in ninth. But thanks to his morning time he secured seventh in the combined free practice times, 0.687s from first.
Quartararo had been eagerly awaiting the start of the second half of the season. He was quick to hop to it and get a feel for the Austrian circuit. The current championship leader made sure to make the most of the available dry track time, focusing fully on race setting preparations. His best time, a 1‘24.580s set on lap 7/26 earned him eighth place.
Following a dry morning session, the weather at the Spielberg track took a turn for the worse with rain falling down right before and during the start of the FP2 session. The Frenchman had predicted that these conditions would be tricky for him, but he bravely soldiered on. With a dry line forming halfway through the session, his best effort of a 1‘33.498s set on lap 16/18 put him in 15th place. However, his 1‘24.580s FP1 time kept him in eighth in today‘s combined rankings, 0.775s from the top.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
Today we didn‘t get quite as much dry laps in as we had hoped for. FP1 was good though. The sunny conditions allowed our riders to get a good feel for the track after five weeks without riding a MotoGP bike. Overall, their first impressions weren‘t too bad, though there‘s definitely work to be done. In a way we are lucky that FP2 was wet, because we were able to see early on where we need to improve in those conditions. It’s good that we already have some wet weather data to work with because the forecasts for Sunday are not that nice. Right now we are inside the top 10 in the combined results without having done a time attack. We will take a good look at today‘s data and work this evening to prepare a step for tomorrow to ensure our riders a place in Q2.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
I felt good in all conditions, wet and dry. It was important to feel good and fast right from FP1, because we had a long break before. I think we have a good potential, but I hope that tomorrow the weather will be more consistent, so we can try more things and push a bit more. Here you never know. One moment it’s raining, but then suddenly the sun comes out and the track dries in five minutes, so you always need to be ready for anything. For sure, if it stays dry tomorrow, the plan is to keep doing laps to better understand the best way of riding at this track. We don’t need to touch the bike’s dry settings too much, they are good. I’m quite happy about the rhythm we had in the morning. Maybe we could have done a time attack in FP1, but we are still inside the provisional top 10 to promote to Q2 anyway, and that’s the most important.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
FABIO QUARTARARO
I felt really good on the dry today and pretty bad in the wet and half-and-half conditions. On the dry I felt much better on the bike than I did last year. In the mixed conditions I wasn’t feeling good, and I don’t know why. But that is why it was good to have these conditions today, so we could try to make a step forward for Sunday in case it rains. So, my aim is to find something this evening and improve for the race.
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:
TAKA TOP OF MOTOGP CLASS ON DAY ONE IN AUSTRIA
6 August 2021 | Styrian GP Practice
Takaaki Nakagami made the best possible start as the MotoGP class resumed after the summer break, topping the timesheets on the opening day of free practice for the Grand Prix of Styria. The LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider was straight back into the groove at the Red Bull Ring as he went fastest in FP1 before rain complicated matters for the riders in Spielberg.
Having qualified on the front row of the corresponding race last year, the Japanese star laid down a marker in the morning session as he eclipsed reigning world champion Joan Mir to secure top spot in FP1. Bursts of rain then ensured that the MotoGP class would not improve their times in the afternoon, leaving Taka (17th in FP2) on top of the pile overnight.
Takaaki Nakagami (30). Photo courtesy LCR Honda.
Takaaki Nakagami – 1st
(1’23.805)
“P1 is the best way to start the second part of the season, so I’m pretty happy with that after the long summer break. I’m feeling pretty good on the bike in dry conditions, in FP2 there were some drops of rain and the conditions were mixed so we couldn’t improve the lap time from this morning. But, overall, P1 is a good first day and we’ll keep working to improve the bike and I’m really looking forward to this weekend and the qualifying session.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:
ÁLEX MÁRQUEZ MAKES ENCOURAGING START IN SPIELBERG
6 August 2021 | Styrian GP Practice
LCR Honda CASTROL rider Álex Márquez was satisfied with his efforts on the first day of free practice for the Grand Prix of Styria as the MotoGP class reconvened after the mid-season break. The Spaniard showed good rhythm as he reacquainted himself with the RC213V and finished narrowly outside the top 10 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.
Álex made encouraging progress in a dry FP1 session dominated by LCR team-mate Takaaki Nakagami and eventually finished in 13th spot, around a tenth of a second behind 10th position. Rain ensured FP2 took place in mixed conditions and, although the riders could not better their times, he demonstrated his confidence on the wet track by taking 7th place in the session.
Alex Marquez (73). Photo courtesy LCR Honda.
Álex Márquez – 13th
(1’24.959)
“First day here in Austria and it was nice to ride the bike again and I was feeling really good this morning in dry conditions. That’s one of things you worry about after a long break, whether you will get the feeling back quickly or whether it will take some time. Unfortunately, FP2 was wet, but it was also our test for Sunday as it looks like there’s a big chance of rain on Sunday. The feeling was also really good on wet. There are still a lot of things to do tomorrow in dry conditions, but I’m happy with the first day and looking forward to making steps tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Grand Prix of Styria. Miller and Bagnaia finished respectively in tenth and twelfth place the first day of free practices as they were hindered by rain in the afternoon
Jack Miller and Pecco Bagnaia took to the track today at the Red Bull Ring in Austria for the first day of free practices of the Grand Prix of Styria, the tenth round of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship.
Back on the Desmosedici GP after a long five-week summer break, the Ducati Lenovo Team riders were able to take advantage of this morning’s entire FP1 session, held in dry conditions, to regain feeling with their bikes. However, in the afternoon, with rain starting to fall shortly before FP2, the premier class riders could not improve on their morning lap times.
The timesheets remained unchanged, with Miller ending his first day in Austria in tenth place. The Australian rider, who has been working on the setup of his Desmosedici GP bike, declared himself satisfied with the behaviour of his bike, both in dry and wet conditions. Bagnaia, fourth this afternoon in the rain, finished in twelfth place overall on Friday, with the fastest time of 1:24.915 set in the morning. With the weather forecasted to be dry tomorrow morning, Miller and Bagnaia aim to improve their best times in FP3 to gain direct access to Q2 in the afternoon.
Jack Miller (43). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 10th (1:24.827)
“I’m pretty satisfied with this first day here in Austria after the summer break. We’ve been very busy today, trying different things on the bike, and unfortunately, the weather conditions weren’t favourable during the afternoon session. Despite this, I felt comfortable with the Desmosedici GP in both dry and wet conditions and the final minutes of FP2, when used slick tyres as a dry line appeared after the rain that fell earlier in the session. Tomorrow, we’ll make a few more small changes, but overall I think I’m ready for any weather conditions.”
Francesco Bagnaia (63). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 12th (1:24.915)
“Despite today’s position, it was a pretty positive start for us. We weren’t expecting rain this afternoon, and after working on several aspects in the morning session, we wanted to try and improve our time in FP2. Unfortunately, the track conditions didn’t allow us to do that, but we could do more tests on the wet asphalt. We know what we need to do to improve and be in the top ten tomorrow morning if FP3 is dry, so I’m positive”.
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will be back on track tomorrow at 9:55 am for FP3 before heading into qualifying for the Styrian GP scheduled to start at 2:10 pm local time, at the end of FP4.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Gerloff tops rain-hit FP2 at Most, Razgatlioglu leads the way overall Friday, 6 August 2021 14:00 GMT
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) was fastest overall in World Superbike free practice Friday at Autodrom Most. Photo courtesy Dorna.
The rain came down hard in the afternoon at Most, with nobody improving in the afternoon, making for a thrilling prospect on Saturday
FP2 for the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Autodrom Most saw the heavens open and the rain lash down right at the start of the session, with a wet weekend in prospect. WorldSBK’s first day of action was blighted by weather from start to finish after an initial delay to the day’s action due to heavy fog. Come the close of business on day one, it was Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) who led the way on the combined times after a dry FP1, with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) completing the top three, with just 14 riders setting a time in the wet afternoon session.
TOPRAK BOUNCES BACK, LOWES IN THE MIX: Yamaha vs Kawasaki?
Razgatlioglu had a rather quiet opening session, never dropping outside of the leading positions before vaulting into top spot with less than ten minutes to go. Setting the fastest ever two-wheeled lap around Most, the Turkish rider only did two laps in FP2 and was second, but overall, it was an inconclusive but positive opening day at Most. Teammate Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) was also in contention and was up the order in fifth place, the Italian building on his prosperous Assen podium from two weeks ago.
Flying the flag for Kawasaki, Alex Lowes elevated himself into second place right at the close of FP1 in the morning. The British rider was exactly six tenths from Toprak’s sensational top time, whilst his teammate Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was a solid sixth as both KRT riders took to the Most circuit for the first time. Rea was 0.840s behind Razgatlioglu and thus heads into Saturday with the Turk as his target, but Rea will be confident in the process and will of course be right in the mix come action on Saturday. Neither rider ventured out in FP2’s rain.
REDDING’S SOLID DAY 1: more to come…
Lying third going into Saturday is Scott Redding, with the 2020 runner-up led the way for most of the session. Being pipped in the closing stages, Redding will be hoping that Most’s unpredictability will bring him back into contention for the Championship. The British rider’s teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), languished in 13th on the combined times and will have work to do to get on the pace on Saturday, and didn’t head out in the wet FP2.
WILDCARD REVELATIONS: Fritz and Hanika amongst the factory teams
Leading the Independent charge and to the surprise of everyone was Marvin Fritz (IXS-YART Yamaha), with the German rider wildcarding and debuting in WorldSBK aboard a bike that is slightly modified in comparison to what he rides in the EWC. He was fourth, whilst the next Independent rider was his fellow wildcarding teammate, Karel Hanika. The Czech rider was ninth as both proved to be revelations on day one at Most as both were inside the top ten in the wet too; he was one place higher than Garrett Gerloff in tenth, who topped the wet FP2 and made it five Yamahas in the top ten overall, whilst Axel Bassani was top Independent Ducati in 12th and third in the afternoon.
Flying the flag for BMW and right in the mix is Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). He took seventh in FP1 and thus on the combined times and stayed in his box for the wet weather in the afternoon. Teammate Michael van der Mark was 11th overall but did two laps in FP2 to finish eighth, but during the heavier rain, opted to stay inside his garage.
Making it five manufacturers inside the top eight places was Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), with the Spaniard back at Most for the first time since 2002. He managed to get an early lap in during FP2 and was fourth then, whilst teammate Leon Haslam was one of the first riders to get out on the track in the soaking wet conditions. The ‘Pocket Rocket’ headed out with less than 20 minutes to go and did nine laps. He was 14th on the combined times with his dry time being the representative one, so it was a mixed bag for Honda after day one.
COMPLETING THE ORDER: rookies, debutants and established names
In 16th place was Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) as the Spanish rookie heads to Most for the first time, with him rising to tenth in the afternoon’s rain. Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) was next up ahead of Japan’s Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who was 12th in the wet running. Isaac Viñales (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) was next up ahead of Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport – Yamaha), Alessandro Delbianco (MIE Racing Honda Team), Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and his new teammate Jayson Uribe from America.
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
#CZEWorldSBK Day-1. Scott Redding and Michael Rinaldi respectively 3rd and 13th as rain hampers free practices
Bad weather conditions influence the first day of free practice at the Tissot Czech round, sixth event of the 2021 WorldSBK season.
After the FP1 held in dry conditions, the rain starts to fall heavily at the beginning of FP2 and the two Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team riders (as well as other colleagues) decide not to take to the track. For Scott Redding and Michael Ruben Rinaldi, the appointment is for tomorrow morning’s FP3 (at 9.00 CEST) when the weather seems to exclude the risk of new storms.
FP1
Scott Redding is immediately at ease on the new circuit and is the fastest for most of the session, closing in third place using the same rear tire (20 laps in total).
Some more difficulties for Michael Rinaldi who after a good start is not able to make progress. The Italian rider tries the softer rear tire but the effects are not the desired ones.
Scott Redding (45). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #45)
“The day started quite well. The feeling with the bike was positive this morning and I was able to ride consistently with a convincing race pace. In the afternoon, then, there were no conditions to get on track. I really hope to be able to race tomorrow on a dry track”.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“The start of FP1 was quite positive. Unfortunately, though, when I tried to get back on track with the soft tire I couldn’t make a significant step. The goal for FP2 was to continue and improve the work done in FP1. For this reason, we decided not to go on track in wet conditions”.
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
Team HRC explores the Most Circuit with promising sensations despite mixed conditions
The sixth Superbike World Championship round officially opened today at the Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic, with Team HRC taking part in the first timed practice sessions with riders Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam.
This morning saw the Superbike field head out for its first practice at what is a new circuit for almost everyone, Most having never featured on the WorldSBK calendar before now. Conditions remained ideal this morning, the weather dry and not too hot. Bautista and Haslam used the opening session to familiarise themselves with the layout of the Czech track and start to make modifications to the set-up of their CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADES. By the end of this phase, Bautista was lying eighth with a time of 1’34.085, just over four tenths off a provisional front row spot, while Haslam was a further half a second back (1’34.548), in fourteenth place.
A light rain unfortunately affected the afternoon’s second session, the majority of the riders opting to remain in the garage before heading out with around 15 minutes left to run. Despite having lost out on a good part of the practice, Team HRC attempted to make the most of the remaining track time, but it was of course the morning’s lap times, recorded in dry conditions, that remained the quickest of this opening day. Bautista and Haslam therefore held eighth and fourteenth place respectively at the end of day one, the pair determined to make the most of tomorrow morning’s third and final free practice.
Alvaro Bautista (19). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Alvaro Bautista 19
P8
“Today was spent discovering a new track and I must say I really like it. Even though I raced here twenty years ago, I had no clear memories of the layout and I didn’t expect it to be so enjoyable. It’s quite fast except for the first chicane, which is the only part I don’t like because it’s very tight and the asphalt is quite bumpy and worn. That sector is nothing like the rest of the track. So this morning we worked to try and find good feeling. We were lacking something in terms of our turning and rear grip but we had clear ideas to try in the afternoon. Unfortunately, as soon as we went out for the first run in FP2, the rain began and disrupted our plans. I eventually made a few laps in the wet but with those conditions the track has no grip at all and the bike was spinning a lot. Anyway, the weather forecast looks better for tomorrow so we will use the third free practice to work to improve before the Superpole and Race 1”.
Leon Haslam (91). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Leon Haslam 91
P14
“This first day at Most hasn’t been so bad. This morning we kept the same harder tyre for the whole session, so the actual lap time wasn’t great if we look at the final results, but we were quite competitive compared to others on the same solution. We still have things to learn and change but I was quite happy this morning. In the afternoon it was raining from the very first lap. We made a small change to head out towards the end of the session, still in the wet. I think I was the fastest in those conditions, but we still have things to improve upon of course. Anyway, we will see what the weather brings tomorrow and keep trying.”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:
BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team complete day one at Most in mixed conditions.
• BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team launch 2021 clothing range
• Rain stops play in FP2
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team today entered new territory with the FIM Superbike World Championship as they completed the opening day of practice at the Czech circuit Most. Tom Sykes was the fastest of the BMW’s in this mornings FP1 session as he finished in P7 (1’34.006). Teammate Michael van der Mark finished just outside the top 10 with lap time of (1’34.267).
The afternoons session was hampered by mixed conditions with minimal riders opting to go out for FP2. Both Michael and Tom decided not to take part in the second session with the view of better weather for tomorrows free practice 3 session.
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team today have also launched their 2021 clothing range to the public, which is available to purchase at the online shop. The new range features 9 items such as Men T-shirts, Anoraks, Gilets and Kids T-shirts, Bespoke Jumpers, Sweatshirts, Woman’s T-shirts, Zip polos and Softshell jackets. The new official teamwear is only available to purchase from the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Shop.
Shaun Muir, Team Principal
“From what we can see the circuit is nice track and a good layout. Everyone seems to be happy, although a few concerns on the amount of run off. This morning’s FP1 went reasonably ok. Tom ran a full session with the same tyres and secured a solid seventh position. I think there was 10 riders around him that used the SCX tyre which gave him an advantage, so he had a good start to the day. Michael made a couple of changes to gearing and a quick change of tyre at the end of the session, so generally happy with him as well. It’s a shame this afternoon we were not able to try those settings again in dry conditions. Unfortunately, in FP2 it was not dry enough, yet it was also not wet enough to do any significant testing, so we made a decision to wait and look forward to tomorrow’s sessions.”
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
“Looking at the weather forecast for the next days and for safety concerns it made absolutely no sense to go out this afternoon. It’s a shame, as we could have definitely used the time to get some more information about the set up. We had a fairly good morning but there was not much data to pull from this. But now we have more time analyse overnight and we will go for it tomorrow.”
Tom Sykes
“We came here with a clear plan of a base set up for the BMW M 1000 RR, and It seems it has been the strongest and most consistent in quite some time, which I am happy about. This morning I was able to go out with the harder tyres and really learn and understand the circuit and even from that we had a good plan for the bike going into this afternoon. Unfortunately, this afternoon we didn’t go out on track to try these things due to the weather. But tomorrow is another day and hopefully the sun will come back, and we all can have a safe weekends racing.”
Michael van der Mark
“It was nice to learn a new track again. To be honest its quite a fun circuit as there are some fast corners, some slow corners so it’s quite difficult, but I had fun. This morning we didn’t do that bad, but we stayed out on the harder tyre and we struggled a little bit with changing direction. We had some ideas to try for this afternoon but unfortunately it was wet, so we have a lot of things to try tomorrow morning.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:
Resurgent Razgatlıoğlu Fastest in Most Free Practice
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK’s Toprak Razgatlıoğlu was the fastest rider on track in Free Practice, while teammate Andrea Locatelli was fifth-quickest, at the opening day of the Czech Round of the 2021 FIM Superbike World Championship held at Autodrom Most today.
Razgatlıoğlu bounced back after the disappointment of Race 2 in Assen to draw a clear line in the sand in Free Practice 1, with an impressive lap time 0.6s clear of the next closest rider at the new WorldSBK venue.
On the other side of the pit box, Locatelli continued in positive form following his career-first WorldSBK podium in Holland to complete his best Friday performance of the season so far, finishing fifth fastest and less than 0.3s from second place.
Rain dampened proceedings in the afternoon with only 14 of the 23-strong WorldSBK field choosing to venture out on track in anger. Both Razgatlıoğlu and Locatelli completed a handful of laps each in order to test wet settings on their respective Yamaha R1 WorldSBKs, and gain further experience of the circuit in different conditions.
The Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK team and its riders are keeping their fingers crossed that the weather forecast continues to improve in order to provide the Czech fans with two days of thrilling racing this weekend. One final Free Practice session of 30 minutes at 09:00 (CEST) tomorrow will allow any final set-up tweaks required before Superpole qualifying at 11:10 and the 22-lap, full-length Race 1 at 14:00.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P1 – 1’33.022
“Today was the first time I ride at Most circuit, but I like it! It’s like “my style” track because of the mix of slow and very fast corners. I’m happy because today for me was a good day. The plan was for a race simulation in the second session but then it started to rain, so we ride some laps in the wet conditions. We are happy with this though, it was the first time I was a little bit faster and also the confidence in these conditions is growing. I am feeling now that I am ready for a race! So we will see tomorrow what we can do.”
Andrea Locatelli (55). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Andrea Locatelli: P5 – 1’33.861
“It was a strange day because in the second Free Practice we rode in wet conditions, but also the feeling is quite good even in the wet. This was interesting because maybe the weather during the weekend could be a bit crazy. I’m so happy about this morning because we worked very well, put in the laps to learn the track and the bike felt so good in the dry. We hope for the good weather tomorrow morning to be able to continue to work to prepare for qualifying and the race. I feel confident and with P5 it was the best Friday for us for sure, it is a new track for everybody and so maybe tomorrow we can do very well.”
Paul Denning, Team Principal – Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
“It’s nice to be back in the Czech Republic and at a new circuit for the WorldSBK Championship. The first day here in Most has gone pretty smoothly. Both Toprak and Andrea are enjoying the track and the base settings of the R1 WorldSBK seem, at least for now, to be working well. The weather forecast looks a little more settled for the next two days, so we’re hoping to translate today’s positive performance into good races and put on a very good show for the enthusiastic Czech fans!”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Lowes Second After First Day At Most
Alex Lowes finished second fastest and his KRT team-mate Jonathan Rea sixth after the first day of WorldSBK track action at Most in the Czech Republic. Only the FP1 lap times counted towards the riders’ overall day one classification after heavy rains arrived early in FP2, effectively halting progress for the day.
On the new Ninja ZX-10RR both Lowes and Rea made their early race preparations at a track layout neither had ever seen before.
Both official Kawasaki riders got up to speed early at the 4.212km long circuit but plans to improve set-up and pace even more in the afternoon were held back by first light and then heavy rainfall.
Neither KRT rider rode in FP2, preferring to sit it out and prepare for what is expected to be a dry weekend to come.
The Most track itself has been almost entirely resurfaced but in one key area, Turn One and the approach towards it, the old asphalt remains, delivering different feel and grip characteristics compared to the rest of the winding layout.
After losing all their potential track time in FP2 to the weather conditions both KRT riders and the whole team hope for a dry FP3 to make final pre-race evaluations before Tissot Superpole qualifying and then Race One take place on Saturday 7 August.
The weekend’s action will be completed on Sunday by the ten-lap Tissot Superpole Race in the morning, and then Race Two, a full distance event like Saturday’s opening race.
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “It was a shame not to get a dry session in FP2 to get more laps in because the rest of the weekend looks like it might be dry. The first experience of the track this morning was quite good. I enjoyed the layout as this track has some real nice corners. In the first section the tarmac is different compared to the other sectors, which makes it feel quite different too, but apart from that it is a quite interesting circuit. It looks like it will be a lot about changing direction in the races and many corners lead into the next ones, so you need the bike to be really agile. We tried to make a set-up change this afternoon but we did not get the chance because of the rain. I think the best plan is to start again in the morning in FP3, hopefully it will be dry and we will get to try what we wanted to this afternoon.”
Jonathan Rea (1). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “The bike was pretty good today. I had zero expectation coming here because there is no real footage or TV coverage to look at. I did a track walk with the guys from the team on Thursday and the biggest decision we have to take now is about the final gearing. There are a lot of second and third gear corners and I feel quite ‘in between’ corners sometimes. I learned the track quite well and there are a few little tricks that I can use where you can slide the tyre early to gain metres on the exit; use less or more kerb. We got lucky because FP1 was uninterrupted so I was able to do a lot of laps with no problems. We made a small change and went back out to finish the session so I took a lot of info from that. Unfortunately the second session, when we planned to confirm what we needed to do, was wet. A positive first day and pleasantly surprised at the feeling with the track.”
With Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) unable to ride at Most as he recuperates from surgery to his injured wrist Isaac Vinales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) finished the first two practice sessions in 19th overall.
American Jayson Uribe (14). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Loris Cresson (TPR Outdo Kawasaki) was 22nd today and new WorldSBK rider Jayson Uribe (TPR Outdo Kawasaki) was 23rd.
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
FRIDAY AT “SCHOOL”, BUT JUST TILL THE RAIN CAME!
Finally Most! Finally the first laps of WorldSBK on the “new entry” circuit, after the long wait created in the previous days! Unfortunately, the day was not exploited to the maximum, but at least it was possible to understand the layout of the track and what is needed for the set-up of the bike.
The first practice starts at 10.30 under the sun, which heats the asphalt around 27°C. Chaz takes to the track with the aim of understanding the lines to interpret the Czech track in the best possible way, without taking too many risks. His approach to new circuits is like this: he takes his time to evaluate the track, then improves lap after lap, session after session.
In FP 2 the Welsh rider was ready to hit the track with new tyres, to complete what he had learned in the morning. Unfortunately, a few moments before the session it starts to rain, completely changing the teams’ plans. It is not the first time, this year, that the weather gets in the way, and always in an uncertain way; even today until the last minutes the track was neither in Rain nor Slick conditions. No time set, therefore, by Chaz and the light-blue Ducati V4-RS. Solution? Riders standing in the pits chatting to each other, demonstrating the relaxed atmosphere in perfect WorldSBK style!
All postponed until tomorrow, where the weather seems to be quite nice. The WorldSBK protagonist will have a few minutes in the morning to get ready for Superpole and Race 1, with little data available. It will be an enjoyable weekend!
Chaz Davies (Rider):
“It was interesting to discover this new circuit, and I enjoy the layout. It’s completely different, uncomparable to anything we have got on the calendar at the moment, but I have to say that it’s quite an enjoyable track. I need to get my head around a little bit, normally I like to sleep on a new circuit, and then come out with better ideas on what I need to do on the following day and that would be the case for tomorrow. Unfortunately this afternoon with the rain we loose quite a lot of track time, and that was something I was not hoping for. I just hope we will find dry tomorrow and Sunday and try to make some steps forward!”
More, from a press release issued by Barni Racing Team:
Bad weather affected the first day in Most, Rabat ended in P16 the FP1
Most (CZE), 6th August 2021. Bad weather was the protagonist of the first day at the Most circuit in the Czech Republic, which makes its debut on the WorldSBK calendar. After the first free practice, held in dry conditions, a few seconds after the start of FP2 it started to rain and many riders chose not to take to the track on the wet asphalt.
After running two laps Rabat shared the choice of his colleagues who stayed in the pits. So the indications came only from the first free practice session, the one in which the riders got to know the new track.
Tito finished the FP1 in P16, putting together 23 laps with the best time of 1’35.267. Superbike will be back on track tomorrow for FP3 when the weather forecast excludes further rain.
Tito Rabat (53). Photo courtesy Barni Racing Team.
Tito Rabat, #53
“We would have needed to ride in FP2 to verify the changes we decided to make after the first session, but – like other riders – I preferred not to go out on the track. Tomorrow morning’s session will be very important.”
Marco Barnabò – Team Principal
“In the first session, we realised that we would have to make quite important set-up changes to allow the rider to ride at his best. The bike was ready for FP2, but the rain prevented us from understanding if our choices are going in the right direction. Lapping in the water would have been pointless, so hopefully we can try the new set-up in tomorrow morning’s FP3.”
More, from a press release issued by GRT Yamaha:
Mixed conditions hamper GRT’s Day 1 at Most
The first day at the Circuit Most was difficult for the FIM Superbike World Championship teams to fully exploit. Free Practice 1 was indeed used by the riders to learn the track, at its first appearance on the WorldSBK schedule, whereas the afternoon session was heavily affected by the arrival of the rain.
The GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team’s work plan was affected by the mixed conditions as much as everybody else’s, but the team’s two riders were happy to at least be able to learn the circuit in the dry FP1. Garrett Gerloff, despite being fastest in FP2 with a 1’35.301, did most of his work in the morning, in which he was 10th (1’34.155) after running 19 laps. His position at the top of the standings in the afternoon’s session shows his ease at immediately managing a quick lap, but, overall, it is not particularly representative, as the rain immediately started falling and his fastest lap was also his only one.
Kohta Nozane, on the other hand, had a tough time finding the pace he wanted in FP1 and only managed the 18th fastest time (1’35.408). Eager to become better acquainted with both the R1 in wet conditions and the Czech track, he was then among the riders who decided to go back out when the rain arrived in FP2. He ran 8 laps in the rain and found a good feeling with his bike, improving every lap and ending the session in 12th place with a 1’52.427. He expects to continue making progress tomorrow.
Garrett Gerloff (31). Photo courtesy GRT Yamaha.
Garrett Gerloff: 10th / 1st
“This circuit is brand new, it feels very nice and I think there are several different areas on the track where the Yamahas will shine. We just need to work on the setup a bit more, but we are headed in the right direction and it was nice to have at least the first session totally dry. Unfortunately the second session was rained out so we did not learn very much, but in that single lap I did the bike felt solid. Hopefully tomorrow we will get out on track again and the lap times will come a little more easily.”
Kohta Nozane (3). Photo courtesy GRT Yamaha.
Kohta Nozane: 18th / 12th
“In FP1 I went out with the dry setting to try to learn the track, like most other riders. I thought the track was a bit difficult and I could not keep the pace I thought I would be able to. But in FP2 I could run two dry laps with a different setting and the bike felt better, so I think we took the right direction. Then it immediately started raining and I took advantage of it to also test the R1 and the track in wet conditions. There are several areas that I have to work on but running in the rain was really useful experience. Tomorrow is probably going to be different yet again as it will probably be sunny, but I will do my best.”
The GRT team will have more time to finetune the two R1s during tomorrow morning’s FP3 at 9 AM, after which the going will start to get tough in the Tissot Superpole and in Race 1, which will take place at 11:10 AM and at 2 PM local time, respectively.
“Summer break was too long!”: MotoGP™ riders ready to take on the Red Bull Ring
The pre-event Press Conference kicks off the Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria – and the second half of the season
Thursday, 05 August 2021
Did you miss us? Fear not, for the countdown is almost over as the pre-event Press Conference got the Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria in gear at the Red Bull Ring, bringing summer break to an end.
Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was joined Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing); second in the standings, as well as reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), last year’s Styrian GP winner Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and the returning Cal Crutchlow (Petronas Yamaha SRT), the Brit on injury replacement duty.
Here are some key quotes:
Fabio Quartararo. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Fabio Quartararo: “I enjoyed the break. It was a little bit too long! You know when you make your holidays the first week and then you know you have more than four weeks to wait, it was kind of a preseason, you have a month and yeah I had the time to train really well I feel in really great shape. I’m feeling well physically, mentally and ready to start the second part of the season. I’ve looked back at almost all the races of this first part of the Championship, I need to improve a few things so yeah I’m ready to start the second half and I know where I need to work on so I’m happy to be here.”
Johann Zarco. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Johann Zarco: “Feeling happy because the break was long and as a racer, the good place to be is on the racetrack. Here in Austria, happy to be here because on the paper the Ducati is a great bike, some great results here. It doesn’t mean that it will be easy to fight with the top guys but at least you have a bit more of a chance. The great things I got on the first half give me this motivation to believe I can really catch even better for the second half so the mind is great and clearly when you go on the track you still have somewhere in the mind what happened last year, but I’ve been lucky that when it happened the next week I could race again, straight after the operation. I got some feeling; I was quite fast during the practice then I did the race. With the race just the next week it helped out a lot to forget what happened and it’s just that the past even if on the media on the social media we can see again a lot this accident from last year, fortunately, we didn’t get drama and now just look forward.”
Joan Mir. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Joan Mir: “The plan during the beginning of the season was to try to make a strong start to the season. It was not really strong but then to try to improve in the second part of the season to try to get good confidence and then and try to fight for the victory, it’s what I need to fight for the title in the end. At the moment, the first part I was not strong enough to be there but yeah, if we improve the bike a bit more like you said the holeshot device, it can be one thing to start at the same point as the others to try to see where we are. We have it. I think that we will use it so let’s see if it will be enough to get back good feelings and to try to fight the victory!”
Maverick Vinales. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Maverick Viñales: “Summer break has been fantastic as you said five weeks with the family we came from a good result that always is important so I enjoy a lot this summer. At the end of the summer break I start to train with the bikes so I had a good time. I think we come here with a good motivation. I want to take the chance to apologize to the fans because sometimes my attitude is not the best, but you know I’m dealing with a new situation. It’s difficult, I’m very frustrated, so sometimes I’m not good at communication but yeah I’m learning I’m trying to improve, I’m trying to give more information about what is going on and yeah Yamaha is a great team but right now for me. We didn’t have enough capacity to find my best performance and I think right now the most important thing is to be focused. For sure I’m really motivated, I will give my maximum, there is no doubt that I will give my maximum every race, every lap. About my future right now, I cannot tell because I’m concentrated on this race and I just want to take the chance on the summer to enjoy you know to release all the pressure and to keep working and keep improving.”
Miguel Oliveira. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Miguel Oliveira: “Coming in as we finished the last four races on the first half of the season, for sure it is highly motivating for us. We are in a positive moment and we want to start the second half of the season on those high positive results. Last year I wasn’t the fastest, I wasn’t the most consistent, so there’s definitely some work I need to do here to be able to be a protagonist and tomorrow it starts the first practice. From the beginning we want to be there, we want to be competitive and we want to fight with the best so let’s see what the weekend brings for sure we would like to put a good performance for all the KTM and Red Bull fans here in this upcoming weekend.”
Cal Crutchlow. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Cal Crutchlow: “I feel strange because I retired and then suddenly I’m back already! It was a joint decision between me, Yamaha and Petronas SRT team that I would come and race these three races. Unfortunately, Franco has got injured and we hope he comes back soon. There’s no doubt about that I hope he comes back soon, and basically, the situation was they asked me to ride in Assen but I was planning to go to some tests in Japan, unfortunately, they got cancelled, so this means too long off the bike… so I haven’t ridden at all, any bike, since April. I’ll ride here this weekend so if you see me stopped in the pit lane it’s ’cause I’ve stalled the bike! But yeah, I think it’s the best for all parties to be able to be on the grid with a good team and I look forward to being back out there and seeing how the weekend goes.
“Yeah I mean I’ve raced at Silverstone for many years, I’ve had some great results there, I’ve had some bad results there but being in front of the home crowd is always something special and they always support me on the race weekend. I’ve been very lucky that a lot of the times I’ve been the only British rider on the grid but when I wasn’t the support was equal. It was a great atmosphere, it’ll be good to go to Silverstone and see full stands that I think the sport deserves, Silverstone deserves and I’m sure Silverstone are very happy that it landed on there on a weekend that I do the three Grands Prix!”
That’s a wrap on Thursday! Free Practice begins on Friday morning, before MotoGP™ heads back out for battle on Sunday at 14:00 (GMT +2).
Rossi retirement: the riders react
Fabio Quartararo: “It’s difficult to believe because you know he was already two time World Champion and I was still not born, and we are still racing with him and imagine that next year he will not be racing. It is kind of sad you know, he’s really the guy that makes me want to be a MotoGP rider. When I was a kid watching him, waiting hours in front of the hospitality to get the picture and then for me, yes, he’s the legend of the sport, he made an amazing career and I think that he’s a legend, still my idol and yeah I have no words to describe him.”
Johann Zarco: “It will be strange but thanks to Vale for what he gave because I think he changed the vision of the motorbike during the 2000s until now and when you speak about motorbike with someone that doesn’t know anything, he can just tell you Valentino Rossi so it really means something. We were expecting that there will be a day that he will say stop and it’s coming and it came. Just amazing because he stayed such a long time, we could watch him on TV and he became the idol and then we could race with him. I think there are not so many sportsmen like that. So thanks for what he gave, and I think the way he was racing will remain always his way, because it was always with a different approach I would say, more than most of the others.”
Joan Mir: “I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to race with Vale for this for two years, three. I probably was more nervous than him when he was given the news! It’s a difficult moment because it looks like this moment never arrives for a rider. I’m for sure he has everything to go and enjoy a lot the life and I’m so happy for him. There was a question that a journalist was asking him if he feels like Michael Jordan of the basketball and for sure he’s the Michael Jordan of the motorbikes. It will be difficult to repeat another Valentino Rossi in history, so wishing him a lot of luck I would hope to see him in the next seasons around the paddock.”
Maverick Viñales: “He was my point of reference when I was a kid. You know when I started to love that passion of motorcycle was, especially when I start to see Valentino with his celebration the way he win the races, so at the end, as a kid I grew up I had the opportunity to share the team with him, and for sure to be internally sharing the data, sharing comments everything and you know I had the chance to learn, this is the most important. Valentino is more than an icon more than a legend, my idol. He’s the point of reference since I was three years old now and yeah, it’s sad. We need to say thank you to him because he grew MotoGP a lot and also was an inspiration for me so in the end you know as I said I was very lucky to share the team with him for many years and also you know sometimes they fight against him, other times to enjoy the time with him and was a very enjoyable time. I remember Malaysia, Indonesia, these long events where we could talk a little bit more outside of the bikes. For me what it remains also is that outside of the bike he’s always a great person and I think as Joan said, he is the point of the bikes. We need to be very thankful to him.”
Miguel Oliveira: “It’s hard to add anything else but I think like many of us Valentino has been a reference since we were kids. It’s easy when we were kids to relate to Valentino because everyone wants to support the winner or who is winning, and I think really the turning point that makes him a sort of more of a legend was the turning point and after that those many titles 2009, 2010 when he moved to Ducati and when he came back to Yamaha, people still loved him even if it was not winning, even if the results weren’t great and I think only at that time we could see really the greatness of Valentino and the image power he had the influence he had on the MotoGP paddock. It was a privilege to share the race track with him.”
Cal Crutchlow: “I think coming back is a great story to be able to go into the Petronas SRT team as his teammate for the weekend he announces his retirement, but yeah as all of the guys said watching him, since even when I was young and I’m you know, he was racing Grand Prix, I was racing British championship but enjoying watching him. Then when I finally came to Yamaha he was in Yamaha and then went to Ducati and came back to Yamaha. I remember one night going to the motorhome one night he asked me if I was ready to battle next year, and we did. We battled in so many races that year in 2013 and it was good fun. He’s incredible, what he’s done for the sport, as Johann said, no matter where you are in the world, when you say motorbikes they just say Valentino Rossi. He is just one of those great sporting icons. I stopped at 35 years old, I could not go on for another 7 years, his motivation to be fast is incredible. He is going faster than he’s ever been before at a lot of these tracks, now to be able to do that is incredible, it just shows that physically wise he’s in great shape to be able to do it and also the mentality of being able to perform and keep going fast, he never stops learning. To be in the sport with him at the same time, being there at the same manufacturer and now a teammate at one of the races, it’s been good.”
Dani Pedrosa: “It’s sad, it’s something you never want to happen and especially when you’re on a high level like he has been for so long. Like in my case, it’s a sad day but it’s something you can’t stop… sooner or later it happens for everyone, but in his case it’s more special because of so many good memories with him. Personally I can only have huge respect because he was here before me, I tried to catch him, we battled for many years, I’d say in our prime, and then I retired and I see him still going! So huge respect, and I wish him the best in his retirement.”
Pedrosa gears up for his wildcard
Dani Pedrosa. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Only the second MotoGP™ Legend to return to racing, Dani Pedrosa is set to saddle up during a Grand Prix weekend for the first time in a while at the Styrian GP. The Little Samurai is now a test rider for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and will appear as a wildcard, so on Thursday evening he sat down for a special pre-event Press Conference.
Dani Pedrosa: “It’s a pleasure to be here and I’d like to thank KTM for this opportunity. For sure it’s a bit like going back to the old style of training, I didn’t prepare physically like I would for a whole season, but it’s another challenge, more motivation, inside my current role with KTM. So far it’s a bit of a strange feeling today, coming back and doing media… seeing all the changes due to the Covid situation, and some other things different… but some things the same, like preparing with the team the plan for the weekend. Learning the new rules, in the riders’ meeting, to get a bit updated overall.
“Since the beginning, I could see there was a big will to make the bike better and to make up the gap they were facing at the time. So we’ve been working together really hard, I think we made good progress since I started working and I’m feeling happy and rewarded after the last two seasons where the riders have started to feel more in front, and feeling better with the bike. It’s been quite interesting to see the commitment they’ve had these years, and it’s good to see they still want more.
“I’m enjoying testing, because I still get to ride a very good bike, the feelings you get on a MotoGP bike. And at the same time I’m not exposed to that pressure, I have a different kind of pressure. But it’s always good to be back on track one or two times a month to ride the bike because it’s what I love most – to be on a bike. But at the same time you have to be focused, it’s changed a bit from when I was racing. Different meetings to before, but it’s a good thing.
“Expectations for this GP… it’s hard to say. Honestly we are here as a main target to learn about current MotoGP racing, because I sense it’s changing a bit and so far we made good progress but now riders are facing some situations in race conditions where for us, away from the race, it’s hard to replicate. Like they complain it’s hard to overtake in a race, so you have to qualify well, and we’re trying to understand that. So when I’m testing alone again, I can more or less try to face those problems and think a bit how they would think on a race weekend, get updated on that. And we have small parts on the bike to test, but expectations it’s hard to say.”
MotoGP™ remembers Hugo Millán
The MotoGP paddock paid tribute to fallen racer Hugo Millan Thursday in Austria. Photo courtesy Dorna.
On Thursday, the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship paddock came together to observe a minute of silence in memory of European Talent Cup rider Hugo Millán, who sadly passed away at the MotorLand Aragón Round of the FIM CEV Repsol.
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta joined the MotoGP™ riders in pitlane as everyone in the paddock paid their respects.
The Japanese rider pips the reigning Champion in FP1 before rain slows play in the afternoon
Friday, 06 August 2021
Takaaki Nakagami (30). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) got the best start to the Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria, the Japanese rider fastest on a mixed Friday after ending FP1 on top. The weather turned just in time to stop the MotoGP™ class improving in the afternoon, leaving his 0.076 advantage over the field to stand as we head into Saturday.
Reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was the man in second by the flag as his Austria skills proved sharp as ever, and he also said he’ll try the new Suzuki ride height device on Day 2 after Friday proved such a positive first day on track. Third went to Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) after a late lunge from the number 41 in FP1, with his teammate Lorenzo Savadori then fastest in the damp-affected and drying FP2 to make it a good start to Styria for Aprilia.
FP1
Nakagami struck late in the morning, his final push of the session enough to deny reigning World Champion Mir by 0.076. Mir had been fast throughout and led the middle half hour of FP1 too, with Aleix Espargaro making a late lunge to take over in third, 0.378 off the top.
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) made it two Hamamatsu machines in the top five, 0.038 off Aleix Espargaro, with Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) locking out the top five and also within a few hundredths.
The incident sheet was an all-KTM affair in the morning, with the home heroes suffering three issues. Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) crashed at Turn 3, a lowside, before a technical problem saw wildcard and MotoGP™ Legend Dani Pedrosa pull his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine over between Turns 3 and 4. The exit of Turn 3 also saw drama for Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as the Portuguese rider got flicked off his KTM, subsequently heading to the Medical Centre. He was judged fit to continue and initial check ups found no fractures, although as the weather changed in the afternoon he sat the session out.
At the end of FP1, it was Pedrosa – despite being over two years on from retirement – who was the fastest KTM, starting his weekend in P11.
FP2
The afternoon began wet for the MotoGP™ runners, although a drier line had emerged by the last few minutes. And that’s when Savadori struck, the Italian timing it perfectly to top the session by a tenth and a half from Zarco. Mir was third, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) in fourth and Aleix Espargaro locking out the fastest five.
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) had been the fastest man for much of the afternoon, before the final push saw him leapfrogged by Rins, Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), Lecuona and Viñales, the eight-time World Champion ultimately ending the session in P10.
Lecuona suffered the only incident, the Spaniard running on at Turn 1.
Combined timesheets
FP1 times rule the roost on Friday, so Nakagami leads Mir ahead of Aleix Espargaro, with Rins and Pol Espargaro up next. His teammate, Marc Marquez, was a couple more tenths in arrears and only 0.017 ahead of the fastest Yamaha.
That was Maverick Viñales, as the number 12 pipped Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP teammate Fabio Quartararo by just under a tenth… and El Diablo’s closest challenger by the same margin as Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) slotted into ninth with an identical laptime to his compatriot. Jack Miller (Ducato Lenovo Team) completes the top ten.
The rain leaves Pedrosa outside the top ten as he remains P11 but fastest KTM, ahead of Bagnaia, who will also be looking for more in FP3. So too will Oliveira down in P15 just ahead of Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT), and Binder to boot. The South African heads the remaining KTMs from P18 down, and for a track where only Ducati and KTM have won, they’ll all be eager to make up some ground on Saturday morning.
The fight for a place in Q2 picks up again at 9:55 (GMT +2), with FP3 giving the grid a final chance to book a guaranteed place in the qualifying shootout. That starts at 14:10, with the first grid of the second half of the season soon to be decided.
Bezzecchi and Augusto Fernandez split by 0.080 on Day 1
It’s close in Styria, with Bezzecchi leading Fernandez leading Gardner and the three covered by less than a tenth and a half
Marco Bezzecchi (72). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) rules the Day 1 roost at the Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria, the Italian returning to the scene of his first Moto2™ win and edging out Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) by less than a tenth. Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the top three on Friday, with rookie teammate and closest challenger Raul Fernandez down in P9.
FP1
Bezzecchi was fastest out the blocks in the morning, the Italian enjoying a gap of nearly two and a half tenths back to Augusto Fernandez for much of the session. In the last few minutes the Spaniard hit back, but Bezzecchi had more in his pocket and the Italian went back to the top with his final lap of the session, 0.080 ahead. Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2) shot up into third late on, with Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team) ending FP1 in an impressive fourth place.
Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) completed the top five despite earlier having a lap cancelled, with Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) slotting into sixth as the fastest rookie.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s powerhouse pairing of Championship leader Gardner and Raul Fernandez ended the morning in P7 and P8 respectively, split by just four thousandths. Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP 40) and Jorge Navarro (Lightech Speed Up) completed the top ten.
Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) crashed at Turn 4, and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) at Turn 3, riders ok.
FP2
The rain may have put paid to improvements in MotoGP™, but by the end of play for the intermediate class, some of the times were tumbling. Gardner topped the session ahead of Lowes, with Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) in third despite not feeling on full power. Augusto Fernandez was fourth, with Dalla Porta impressing again to complete the top five.
Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) had a noteworthy afternoon session, the Italian rookie taking P6.
There were a good few incidents in Moto2™ FP2. The first was for Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) at Turn 4, before Jorge Navarro at Turn 9. Bezzecchi then at Turn 1, before Canet at Turn 9. Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) then at Turn 1, before Hafizh Syahrin (NTS RW Racing GP) at Turn 9. Beaubier then had a technical issue too.
Combined timesheets
The combined timesheets are a good mix of both sessions, with Bezzecchi and Augusto Fernandez taking a 1-2. Then come FP2’s fastest men as Gardner takes third ahead of Lowes, with Canet’s FP1 time slotting him into fifth.
Lüthi takes sixth ahead of Dalla Porta, the Italian’s best lap set in FP1, with Ogura in P8 as the fastest rookie – denying Championship challenger Raul Fernandez that honour by just 0.020. Vietti completes the rookie run in the top ten in P10.
Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Manzi, rookie Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and his teammate Marcel Schrötter are the final riders currently within the Q2 zone, although FP3 could easily switch it up again. Who will head through? FP3 starts at 10:55 (GMT+2), before qualifying from 15:10!
Binder, McPhee and Garcia end Friday within 0.057
Three riders within half a tenth and the top five within 0.131? Moto3™ must be back from summer break!
Darryn Binder (40). Photo courtesy Dorna.
The Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria is underway and Moto3™ remained close as ever on Day 1 as Petronas Sprinta Racing made it a 1-2 by the end of play, with Darryn Binder heading the timesheets from teammate John McPhee by an apt 0.040. An equally fated 0.017 split the Scotsman from third place, which went to Sergio Garcia (Santander Consumer Bank GASGAS Aspar Team). Second in the standings, the Spaniard was consistently quick on Friday.
FP1
In the morning, Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46) was on a charge and he led for much of the session. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jaume Masia homed in in the latter stages though, the Spaniard getting to within 0.010 before the Spaniard struck back. And then Garcia made his dash for the top, the Championship challenger pulling out a tenth and a half on Antonelli. The Italian tried to fight back and was up again on his next lap before sliding out at Turn 6, rider ok.
Garcia, meanwhile, only got quicker and after McPhee was next to take over on top, the Spaniard still found an answer. The number 11 ended the session 0.046 ahead, and then McPhee’s lap got cancelled. So Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), another putting in a late lunge, moved up to second, with McPhee dropped to third in FP1.
Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), who returns from injury this weekend, impressed immediately to end the session in fourth, ahead of Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) as the 2019 winner locked out a top five split by just 0.155.
FP2
The afternoon belonged to Petronas Sprinta Racing as Binder hit the top and McPhee retained his speed to sit second. Garcia likewise kept his early momentum, and Fenati moved up a place to fourth. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) went from P11 to fifth as he aims to keep his roll of recent frontrunning form going, making gains in the standings over the last few rounds.
Acosta was one name that dropped down the timing screens on Friday afternoon, the points leader and record-breaker taking P11 in the session. There were no incidents to report, making Antonelli’s low drama Turn 6 crash in the morning the only one of the day in the lightweight class.
Combined Timesheets
The top ten correlates to FP2 as they all improved in the afternoon: Binder, McPhee, Garcia, Fenati and Foggia are the top five, with Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) in P6 to pip compatriot Antonelli. Masia was eighth, ahead of Filip Salač as he gets back on track with CarXpert PrüstelGP. Rookie Izan Guevara (Santander Consumer Bank GASGAS Aspar Team) had a good start to the weekend as the 2019 ETC Champion and 2020 FIM Moto3™ Junior World Champion completed the top ten in FP2 and therefore overall.
Acosta just missed out on that top ten by 0.007, slotting in behind his fellow rookie in P11, with Sasaki taking P12. Neither Acosta nor Sasaki improved in the afternoon, but they were both fast enough in FP1 to retain a place in the provisional Q2 graduation zone.
The final two riders currently set to take a place in Q2 are Adrian Fernandez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and Carlos Tatay (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3), but will it shuffle again on Saturday morning in FP3? We’ll find out from 9:00 (GMT +2) before qualifying from 12:35.
More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing Tech3:
Petrucci and Lecuona kick off second half of 2021 in Austria
Day one of the Styrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring saw some mixed weather conditions. While FP1 was dry and sunny, the MotoGP World Championship faced some rain in the second session this afternoon. Thereby, Danilo Petrucci concluded Friday in P19 with his fastest time from the first session, missing out on the top 10 by just half a second.
At the same time, Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Iker Lecuona landed in P20 this morning, just 0.09 seconds behind his teammate. Yet, the Spanish youngster shone with a decent eighth position in FP2, where the track was wet at the start of the practice, but slowly dried out towards the final minutes.
Danilo Petrucci (9). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing Tech3.
Danilo Petrucci
Position: 19th
Time: 1:25.409
Laps: 35
“Today has been half a day for our work in the rain. We had the chance to ride in the wet and we were quite fast, so I’m happy about this, especially as Sunday’s weather forecast says rain as well. In FP1, I felt good as well, but we lost a lot of time on the straight, which is obvious in the standings of the top speed, where I am last. Therefore, our mission is to manage this loss of pace, because here you are on full throttle quite a lot of time. Let’s wait and see what happens tomorrow. Hopefully, we can improve.”
Iker Lecuona (29). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing Tech3.
Iker Lecuona
Position: 20th
Time: 1:25.499
Laps: 40
“In general, it was a difficult day. This morning in dry conditions, I struggled quite a lot with the bike, as I couldn’t stop it properly. We are there, but we also need to continue to work. This afternoon, we couldn’t try our new base for the dry, so we need to wait for tomorrow. The good news is, that we have been able to try the bike in the wet here, as on Sunday it looks like a wet race. I feel very good in the rain. I feel very fast, very good, thanks to the team. Plus, I’m happy to be back again.”
More, from a press release issued by Sky Racing Team VR46:
P14 FOR LUCA MARINI AFTER THE FIRST FREE PRACTICES IN AUSTRIA
The rider of the Sky VR46 Avintia is just four tenths from the direct access into the Q2
Spielberg (Austria), August 6th 2021 – First day of free practices to pick up the pace after the summer break with uncertain weather for the MotoGP circus in Spielberg with Luca Marini in 14th place in the combined standings.
On the dry track in the FP1, the rider of the Sky VR46 Avintia scored a good 1.25.207 which means a gap of just 4 tenths from the P10 and the direct access to tomorrow’s Q2. Positive feelings also on the wet tarmac thanks to a best lap time of 1.33.152 (12th place).
Luca Marini (10). Photo courtesy Sky Racing Team VR46.
Luca Marini:
I had fun today: from the FP1 I found the same feelings as a month ago and I immediately felt at ease on the bike. We did two sessions in different conditions and we were able to collect a lot of info both in the dry and then in the wet. The sensations are good, as always the gaps here in Austria will be minimal, one more reason to take care of all the details. Our ideal time was very good today, a few tenths less than my best lap. Let’s continue like this.
Ruben Xaus:
It’s always nice to get back on the bike after the summer break, even more here in Austria, a track where Ducati is always competitive. We started well, we have some technical updates and this gives us perhaps more motivation. This morning in the dry Luca was not very far from the leaders and in the wet he made another step forward. We are close to the Top10 and if we continue to work well we can improve.
More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:
Styrian GP – Johann Zarco ended the first day of practice P9, Jorge Martin P17
Johann Zarco (5). Photo courtesy Pramac Racing.
Today begins the second part of the MotoGP championship at the Red Bull Ring. Currently, the Pramac Racing riders Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin are in second and eighteenth position respectively in the championship standings.
Both riders made the most of FP1 to regain confidence with the Desmosedici Ducati. Johann ends the first free practice session with a ninth-best time of 1:24.580, whereas the Spanish rookie came in seventeenth with a time of 1:25.316.
FP2 took place for the first part under the rain. The asphalt, however, began to dry towards the end of the session. The French rider performed well and ended in the second position. Jorge had some difficulties on the wet and finished in P19.
Jorge Martín
A good first day although I don’t believe the position I am currently placed in accurately reflects the work done today. I have good sensations and tomorrow my objective is to make it into Q2 and set a good lap-time.
Johann Zarco
A positive day, I am happy because I have immediately found good sensations despite not riding for 5 weeks. In FP2 I had a good feeling on the wet asphalt as well and so I can only be satisfied.
More, from a press release issued by Esponsorama Avintia Racing:
MARINI 14TH AND BASTIANINI 21ST ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE GRAND PRIX OF STYRIA
Red Bull Ring – Spielberg (Austria), 6th August 2021
The Avintia Esponsorama and the Sky VR46 Avintia riders were in action today for the first two free practice sessions of the Styrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg.
Luca Marini and Enea Bastianini set their fastest laps in the morning, as rain made its presence in the afternoon and made it impossible for the riders to improve their times. Marini finished the first day 14th in the combined practice times with a best time of 1:25.207, whilst Enea Bastianini was 21st with a time of 1:25.585.
Tomorrow will take place the third and fourth free practice before the qualifying session of the premier class of the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria.
“It was a positive day and I was able to have fun on the bike. I love this track, but with the MotoGP it’s very physical. This morning went well, unfortunately we didn’t manage to put in a perfect lap, but I didn’t feel too bad. This afternoon in wet I felt quite comfortable, I tried to improve lap by lap and gain confidence and it went better than I expected. It was a good first day.
“I had a good time today. From FP1 I found the same feeling as a month ago and I immediately felt comfortable on the bike. We did two sessions in different conditions and we got a lot of information in both dry and wet conditions. The feeling is good, as always the gaps here in Austria will be minimal, which is another reason to take care of all the details. Our ideal time was really good today, a few tenths less than my best lap. Let’s keep it up.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:
THE APRILIAS CELEBRATE THE ITALIAN TRIUMPHS DURING THIS MAGICAL SUMMER AND GO FAST ON THE FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE IN AUSTRIA
ALEIX ESPARGARÓ BATTLES FOR THE PROVISIONAL POLE ENDING THE DAY WITH THE THIRD-BEST TIME: “INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS HERE TOO; WE ARE ALREADY FASTER THAN LAST YEAR’S QUALIFIERS”
LORENZO SAVADORI FIRST IN FP2 HELD IN THE WET
The Aprilias did exceptionally well on the first day of practice at the Red Bull Ring ahead of the Styria GP scheduled for Sunday.
The RS-GPs took to the track with light blue winglets and badges in the Italian colours to celebrate the victories, from the Euro football cup to the Tokyo Olympics, which are making this summer an unforgettable one for Italian sports. The special livery, dedicated to all Italian athletes, did indeed bode well for an extremely positive first day of practice for the Aprilia riders.
Both with the Austrian track dry in the morning and in wet conditions during the afternoon session, Aleix Espargaró and Lorenzo Savadori were protagonists, riding their RS-GP machines to the top of the standings.
With the sun shining and in ideal asphalt conditions in the morning, Aleix finished with the third-best time (1’24.183), confirming the progress of the RS-GP which was competitive on a track that has traditionally been difficult for it. In the final stint, with new tyres, Aleix turned a series of fast laps that kept him in the running for the top spot all the way until the end, where he finished third, just 37 hundredths from the provisional pole position time.
In the afternoon FP2 session, conditions changed completely due to the rain. In wet conditions, Lorenzo Savadori was the one who shone. The Italian rider took full advantage of his skills in poor grip conditions, taking first place with a time of 1’31.304. Aleix also did well, finishing fifth just 927 thousandths behind his Aprilia Racing Team Gresini teammate.
Aleix Espargaro (41). Photo courtesy Aprilia.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’
“It’s only Friday, but I am particularly pleased with our performance today because this is a track that has traditionally not proven to be our favourite. Despite only one dry session, we are already faster than our qualifiers last year. This demonstrates the undeniable progress the RS-GP has made. Due credit goes to the guys at Aprilia who continued working and testing with Dovi over the summer break, even managing to give us a few interesting developments. It isn’t easy to improve consistently each weekend, but we are giving it our all and it shows.”
Lorenzo Savadori (32). Photo courtesy Aprilia.
LORENZO SAVADORI
“Being first in a session, even if it’s on a wet track, is always great. I’ve always felt good in these conditions because, compared to the dry, the bike and the tyres move around more and that gives me a better feeling, similar in some ways to the bikes I’ve ridden in the past. In any case, even on dry asphalt, my sensations with the RS-GP are getting better and better. This is a new track for me, so I used the FP1 session mainly to find my references. We’ll need to work session by session, because the weather conditions are quite variable and this means that we’ll have to be ready for anything.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:
TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR OFF TO A FLYING START FOR STYRIAN GP
Team Suzuki Press Office – August 6.
Styrian GP Day 1:
Joan Mir: 2nd – 1’23.881 (+ 0.076)
Alex Rins: 4th – 1’24.221 (+ 0.416)
Team Suzuki Ecstar returned to MotoGP™ action on Friday following a five-week summer break. Austria’s Red Bull Ring awaited the eager riders and fans for the first in a double header, the Styrian Grand Prix.
Both Joan Mir and Alex Rins got off to a great start in the morning’s FP1 session, quickly getting to grips with the circuit in Spielberg. They set about putting in lots of laps with their GSX-RRs on the dry track and found themselves with comfortably strong pace. Mir rocketed to the top of the time sheets early on and was able to maintain this number one spot for the vast majority of the session, only slipping to second by +0.076 at the very end of FP1. Rins was firmly in the Top 10 throughout the morning, and a time attack brought him up into fourth.
The Suzuki pair showed their form around the track as Rins clocked the fastest time in Sector 2 and Mir in Sectors 3 and 4.
A heavy rain shower ahead of FP2 left the riders with no choice but to test the track in wet conditions – something which may prove useful if Sunday’s predicted downpours arrive. Mir and Rins were not put off by the slippery conditions and they were determined to continue their good work ahead of tomorrow’s sessions. They managed this very well, closing the session in third and sixth respectively, and completing Friday in second and fourth on combined.
Joan Mir (36). Photo courtesy Team Suzuki ECSTAR.
Joan Mir:
“I’m happy about today, straight away on my first pit exit I felt comfortable on the bike and I was able to push and be quite fast with consistent lap times. So it has been a good starting point, the bike has a solid base set-up. This afternoon in the wet and mixed conditions it was a bit more difficult, but it was important to understand which tyres might work best in the wet because on Sunday there could be rain, so it’s useful to try the feeling in various different conditions. We’ve done a great job today so overall I’m feeling good.”
Alex Rins (42). Photo courtesy Team Suzuki ECSTAR.
Alex Rins:
“Both FP1 and FP2 were good for us. At the beginning of the first session it was a bit tricky to find the speed and get the correct braking points, but in the end it went well, we did some good laps and came up the timesheet. Then FP2 was wet, but in the end it was quite nice because by the end of the session the track was drier and I kept the positive feelings with the bike. If tomorrow we will have the conditions to try it already, it will be exciting to see how it works, but the main goal at the moment is to get into Q2.”
Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager:
“For the moment I think we’ve restarted the season well. This morning was dry and then this afternoon it started out wet and then later on it was damp, and it seems that we are competitive in all conditions at the moment. We’ll continue working on our race set-up and tomorrow in FP3 we’ll hope to go straight to Q2 which will put us in a better position to get the best possible results.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Consistent start for the Repsol Honda Team as MotoGP action resumes
Just a few tenths split the Repsol Honda Team pairing of Pol Espargaro and Marc Marquez during the only dry session of the day at the Styrian Grand Prix, both riders on the pace as racing resumes.
The opening day of the Styrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring proved to be a day of two halves as rain hit the circuit in the afternoon after clear running in the morning. With the weekend’s forecast still looking mixed, the Repsol Honda Team worked to gain the most of both sessions regardless of the weather to prepare for Qualifying and the race.
Pol Espargaro has shown fine form around the 4.3 kilometres of the Red Bull Ring in recent visits and continued that form on Friday morning. Steadily improving throughout Free Practice 1, he ended the first session back in fifth place with a best time of 1’24.254. His personal best time would go unchallenged as rain at the start of Free Practice 2 left the circuit damp and drying. A 1’33.415 Espargaro’s quickest time of the wet afternoon. With a solid foundation found, Espargaro is looking to take further profit from his Honda around the Austrian track.
It was straight back to work for Marc Marquez after the summer break as he was reunited with his Honda RC213V in FP1. Like his Repsol Honda Team teammate, Marquez started Friday with a longer run and worked throughout the opening practice to adapt to the Red Bull Ring. A best time of 1’24.492 left Marquez only 0.221s behind Espargaro on the time sheets and sixth overall. Although only 0.6s off the top, Marquez admitted he was hoping for more after the break. As with the rest of the field, Marquez did not improve his time in FP2 and ended the session in tenth.
The LCR Honda of Takaaki Nakagami ended the day quickest with a 1’23.805.
Current predictions are calling for a return to dry running during Saturday morning’s Free Practice 3 session, a last chance for riders to compete for place inside the combined top ten. This important session is scheduled to begin at 09:55 Local Time with Qualifying starting later in the day at 14:10.
Pol Espargaro (44). Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Pol Espargaro
FIFTH 1’24.254
“The bike was performing well today when I pushed the lap time was coming. It was great to be back out riding after the summer break but for sure there is still some time from all of us to find. This is the kind of circuit where the bike works well, where we can make the most of our advantages. Our final lap time isn’t too bad, there’s room to work and improve but we are feeling positive in the wet and the dry. Let’s see what the weather does for the rest of the weekend.”
Marc Marquez (93). Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Marc Marquez
SIXTH 1’24.475
“Honestly speaking I was expecting a lot more from today but I didn’t feel great today, so I accepted it and we keep working. It’s a little frustrating but we are doing what we can, and our times were quite good even though our level wasn’t what we wanted. We will see what happens over the course of the weekend and if my feeling improves. The bike is working well here and the times are quite close after the summer break. Certainly the weather might complicate things a bit later in the weekend, but it’s the same for everyone.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP STARTS SECOND HALF OF SEASON IN SPIELBERG
Spielberg (Austria), 6th August 2021
GRAND PRIX OF STYRIA
FREE PRACTICE
It was back to school for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales and Fabio Quartararo today after the five-week long summer break. The riders were excited to be reunited with their YZR-M1s, but rain dampened their progress in the afternoon. They ended the day in seventh and eighth position respectively in the combined timesheets.
7th MAVERICK VIÑALES 1’24.492 (FP1) / 25 + 13 LAPS
8th FABIO QUARTARARO 1’24.580 (FP1) / 26 + 18 LAPS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales and Fabio Quartararo were keen to make steps on the first day at the Spielberg track, but mixed conditions in FP2 made the first day back from summer break tricky. The teammates ended the day in seventh and eighth position respectively in the combined free practice results.
With changeable conditions predicted for the Friday, Viñales planned to get as much work done in the morning as possible. He pushed hard in the opening stages of FP1 to take second place just nine minutes into the session. After improving his time once more, he held a top-3 position for a while until the pace quickened with 15 minutes left on the clock. The number-12 rider in turn posted a 1‘24.492s on lap 19/25, for seventh place, 0.687s from first.
In FP2, although Top Gun was looking to get in more laps, rainy conditions precluded any possibilities to make strides in terms of time improvement. The Spaniard waited for the right moment to resume his work. When a dry line was slowly forming with 25 minutes remaining, he sprung back into action. He moved up to fourth place in the final five minutes, clocking a 1‘32.685s on lap 10/13. As the times dropped, he ended the FP2 session in ninth. But thanks to his morning time he secured seventh in the combined free practice times, 0.687s from first.
Quartararo had been eagerly awaiting the start of the second half of the season. He was quick to hop to it and get a feel for the Austrian circuit. The current championship leader made sure to make the most of the available dry track time, focusing fully on race setting preparations. His best time, a 1‘24.580s set on lap 7/26 earned him eighth place.
Following a dry morning session, the weather at the Spielberg track took a turn for the worse with rain falling down right before and during the start of the FP2 session. The Frenchman had predicted that these conditions would be tricky for him, but he bravely soldiered on. With a dry line forming halfway through the session, his best effort of a 1‘33.498s set on lap 16/18 put him in 15th place. However, his 1‘24.580s FP1 time kept him in eighth in today‘s combined rankings, 0.775s from the top.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
Today we didn‘t get quite as much dry laps in as we had hoped for. FP1 was good though. The sunny conditions allowed our riders to get a good feel for the track after five weeks without riding a MotoGP bike. Overall, their first impressions weren‘t too bad, though there‘s definitely work to be done. In a way we are lucky that FP2 was wet, because we were able to see early on where we need to improve in those conditions. It’s good that we already have some wet weather data to work with because the forecasts for Sunday are not that nice. Right now we are inside the top 10 in the combined results without having done a time attack. We will take a good look at today‘s data and work this evening to prepare a step for tomorrow to ensure our riders a place in Q2.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
I felt good in all conditions, wet and dry. It was important to feel good and fast right from FP1, because we had a long break before. I think we have a good potential, but I hope that tomorrow the weather will be more consistent, so we can try more things and push a bit more. Here you never know. One moment it’s raining, but then suddenly the sun comes out and the track dries in five minutes, so you always need to be ready for anything. For sure, if it stays dry tomorrow, the plan is to keep doing laps to better understand the best way of riding at this track. We don’t need to touch the bike’s dry settings too much, they are good. I’m quite happy about the rhythm we had in the morning. Maybe we could have done a time attack in FP1, but we are still inside the provisional top 10 to promote to Q2 anyway, and that’s the most important.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
FABIO QUARTARARO
I felt really good on the dry today and pretty bad in the wet and half-and-half conditions. On the dry I felt much better on the bike than I did last year. In the mixed conditions I wasn’t feeling good, and I don’t know why. But that is why it was good to have these conditions today, so we could try to make a step forward for Sunday in case it rains. So, my aim is to find something this evening and improve for the race.
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:
TAKA TOP OF MOTOGP CLASS ON DAY ONE IN AUSTRIA
6 August 2021 | Styrian GP Practice
Takaaki Nakagami made the best possible start as the MotoGP class resumed after the summer break, topping the timesheets on the opening day of free practice for the Grand Prix of Styria. The LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider was straight back into the groove at the Red Bull Ring as he went fastest in FP1 before rain complicated matters for the riders in Spielberg.
Having qualified on the front row of the corresponding race last year, the Japanese star laid down a marker in the morning session as he eclipsed reigning world champion Joan Mir to secure top spot in FP1. Bursts of rain then ensured that the MotoGP class would not improve their times in the afternoon, leaving Taka (17th in FP2) on top of the pile overnight.
Takaaki Nakagami (30). Photo courtesy LCR Honda.
Takaaki Nakagami – 1st
(1’23.805)
“P1 is the best way to start the second part of the season, so I’m pretty happy with that after the long summer break. I’m feeling pretty good on the bike in dry conditions, in FP2 there were some drops of rain and the conditions were mixed so we couldn’t improve the lap time from this morning. But, overall, P1 is a good first day and we’ll keep working to improve the bike and I’m really looking forward to this weekend and the qualifying session.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:
ÁLEX MÁRQUEZ MAKES ENCOURAGING START IN SPIELBERG
6 August 2021 | Styrian GP Practice
LCR Honda CASTROL rider Álex Márquez was satisfied with his efforts on the first day of free practice for the Grand Prix of Styria as the MotoGP class reconvened after the mid-season break. The Spaniard showed good rhythm as he reacquainted himself with the RC213V and finished narrowly outside the top 10 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.
Álex made encouraging progress in a dry FP1 session dominated by LCR team-mate Takaaki Nakagami and eventually finished in 13th spot, around a tenth of a second behind 10th position. Rain ensured FP2 took place in mixed conditions and, although the riders could not better their times, he demonstrated his confidence on the wet track by taking 7th place in the session.
Alex Marquez (73). Photo courtesy LCR Honda.
Álex Márquez – 13th
(1’24.959)
“First day here in Austria and it was nice to ride the bike again and I was feeling really good this morning in dry conditions. That’s one of things you worry about after a long break, whether you will get the feeling back quickly or whether it will take some time. Unfortunately, FP2 was wet, but it was also our test for Sunday as it looks like there’s a big chance of rain on Sunday. The feeling was also really good on wet. There are still a lot of things to do tomorrow in dry conditions, but I’m happy with the first day and looking forward to making steps tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Grand Prix of Styria. Miller and Bagnaia finished respectively in tenth and twelfth place the first day of free practices as they were hindered by rain in the afternoon
Jack Miller and Pecco Bagnaia took to the track today at the Red Bull Ring in Austria for the first day of free practices of the Grand Prix of Styria, the tenth round of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship.
Back on the Desmosedici GP after a long five-week summer break, the Ducati Lenovo Team riders were able to take advantage of this morning’s entire FP1 session, held in dry conditions, to regain feeling with their bikes. However, in the afternoon, with rain starting to fall shortly before FP2, the premier class riders could not improve on their morning lap times.
The timesheets remained unchanged, with Miller ending his first day in Austria in tenth place. The Australian rider, who has been working on the setup of his Desmosedici GP bike, declared himself satisfied with the behaviour of his bike, both in dry and wet conditions. Bagnaia, fourth this afternoon in the rain, finished in twelfth place overall on Friday, with the fastest time of 1:24.915 set in the morning. With the weather forecasted to be dry tomorrow morning, Miller and Bagnaia aim to improve their best times in FP3 to gain direct access to Q2 in the afternoon.
Jack Miller (43). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 10th (1:24.827)
“I’m pretty satisfied with this first day here in Austria after the summer break. We’ve been very busy today, trying different things on the bike, and unfortunately, the weather conditions weren’t favourable during the afternoon session. Despite this, I felt comfortable with the Desmosedici GP in both dry and wet conditions and the final minutes of FP2, when used slick tyres as a dry line appeared after the rain that fell earlier in the session. Tomorrow, we’ll make a few more small changes, but overall I think I’m ready for any weather conditions.”
Francesco Bagnaia (63). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 12th (1:24.915)
“Despite today’s position, it was a pretty positive start for us. We weren’t expecting rain this afternoon, and after working on several aspects in the morning session, we wanted to try and improve our time in FP2. Unfortunately, the track conditions didn’t allow us to do that, but we could do more tests on the wet asphalt. We know what we need to do to improve and be in the top ten tomorrow morning if FP3 is dry, so I’m positive”.
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will be back on track tomorrow at 9:55 am for FP3 before heading into qualifying for the Styrian GP scheduled to start at 2:10 pm local time, at the end of FP4.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Gerloff tops rain-hit FP2 at Most, Razgatlioglu leads the way overall Friday, 6 August 2021 14:00 GMT
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) was fastest overall in World Superbike free practice Friday at Autodrom Most. Photo courtesy Dorna.
The rain came down hard in the afternoon at Most, with nobody improving in the afternoon, making for a thrilling prospect on Saturday
FP2 for the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Autodrom Most saw the heavens open and the rain lash down right at the start of the session, with a wet weekend in prospect. WorldSBK’s first day of action was blighted by weather from start to finish after an initial delay to the day’s action due to heavy fog. Come the close of business on day one, it was Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) who led the way on the combined times after a dry FP1, with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) completing the top three, with just 14 riders setting a time in the wet afternoon session.
TOPRAK BOUNCES BACK, LOWES IN THE MIX: Yamaha vs Kawasaki?
Razgatlioglu had a rather quiet opening session, never dropping outside of the leading positions before vaulting into top spot with less than ten minutes to go. Setting the fastest ever two-wheeled lap around Most, the Turkish rider only did two laps in FP2 and was second, but overall, it was an inconclusive but positive opening day at Most. Teammate Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) was also in contention and was up the order in fifth place, the Italian building on his prosperous Assen podium from two weeks ago.
Flying the flag for Kawasaki, Alex Lowes elevated himself into second place right at the close of FP1 in the morning. The British rider was exactly six tenths from Toprak’s sensational top time, whilst his teammate Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was a solid sixth as both KRT riders took to the Most circuit for the first time. Rea was 0.840s behind Razgatlioglu and thus heads into Saturday with the Turk as his target, but Rea will be confident in the process and will of course be right in the mix come action on Saturday. Neither rider ventured out in FP2’s rain.
REDDING’S SOLID DAY 1: more to come…
Lying third going into Saturday is Scott Redding, with the 2020 runner-up led the way for most of the session. Being pipped in the closing stages, Redding will be hoping that Most’s unpredictability will bring him back into contention for the Championship. The British rider’s teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), languished in 13th on the combined times and will have work to do to get on the pace on Saturday, and didn’t head out in the wet FP2.
WILDCARD REVELATIONS: Fritz and Hanika amongst the factory teams
Leading the Independent charge and to the surprise of everyone was Marvin Fritz (IXS-YART Yamaha), with the German rider wildcarding and debuting in WorldSBK aboard a bike that is slightly modified in comparison to what he rides in the EWC. He was fourth, whilst the next Independent rider was his fellow wildcarding teammate, Karel Hanika. The Czech rider was ninth as both proved to be revelations on day one at Most as both were inside the top ten in the wet too; he was one place higher than Garrett Gerloff in tenth, who topped the wet FP2 and made it five Yamahas in the top ten overall, whilst Axel Bassani was top Independent Ducati in 12th and third in the afternoon.
Flying the flag for BMW and right in the mix is Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). He took seventh in FP1 and thus on the combined times and stayed in his box for the wet weather in the afternoon. Teammate Michael van der Mark was 11th overall but did two laps in FP2 to finish eighth, but during the heavier rain, opted to stay inside his garage.
Making it five manufacturers inside the top eight places was Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), with the Spaniard back at Most for the first time since 2002. He managed to get an early lap in during FP2 and was fourth then, whilst teammate Leon Haslam was one of the first riders to get out on the track in the soaking wet conditions. The ‘Pocket Rocket’ headed out with less than 20 minutes to go and did nine laps. He was 14th on the combined times with his dry time being the representative one, so it was a mixed bag for Honda after day one.
COMPLETING THE ORDER: rookies, debutants and established names
In 16th place was Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) as the Spanish rookie heads to Most for the first time, with him rising to tenth in the afternoon’s rain. Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) was next up ahead of Japan’s Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who was 12th in the wet running. Isaac Viñales (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) was next up ahead of Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport – Yamaha), Alessandro Delbianco (MIE Racing Honda Team), Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and his new teammate Jayson Uribe from America.
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
#CZEWorldSBK Day-1. Scott Redding and Michael Rinaldi respectively 3rd and 13th as rain hampers free practices
Bad weather conditions influence the first day of free practice at the Tissot Czech round, sixth event of the 2021 WorldSBK season.
After the FP1 held in dry conditions, the rain starts to fall heavily at the beginning of FP2 and the two Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team riders (as well as other colleagues) decide not to take to the track. For Scott Redding and Michael Ruben Rinaldi, the appointment is for tomorrow morning’s FP3 (at 9.00 CEST) when the weather seems to exclude the risk of new storms.
FP1
Scott Redding is immediately at ease on the new circuit and is the fastest for most of the session, closing in third place using the same rear tire (20 laps in total).
Some more difficulties for Michael Rinaldi who after a good start is not able to make progress. The Italian rider tries the softer rear tire but the effects are not the desired ones.
Scott Redding (45). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #45)
“The day started quite well. The feeling with the bike was positive this morning and I was able to ride consistently with a convincing race pace. In the afternoon, then, there were no conditions to get on track. I really hope to be able to race tomorrow on a dry track”.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“The start of FP1 was quite positive. Unfortunately, though, when I tried to get back on track with the soft tire I couldn’t make a significant step. The goal for FP2 was to continue and improve the work done in FP1. For this reason, we decided not to go on track in wet conditions”.
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
Team HRC explores the Most Circuit with promising sensations despite mixed conditions
The sixth Superbike World Championship round officially opened today at the Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic, with Team HRC taking part in the first timed practice sessions with riders Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam.
This morning saw the Superbike field head out for its first practice at what is a new circuit for almost everyone, Most having never featured on the WorldSBK calendar before now. Conditions remained ideal this morning, the weather dry and not too hot. Bautista and Haslam used the opening session to familiarise themselves with the layout of the Czech track and start to make modifications to the set-up of their CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADES. By the end of this phase, Bautista was lying eighth with a time of 1’34.085, just over four tenths off a provisional front row spot, while Haslam was a further half a second back (1’34.548), in fourteenth place.
A light rain unfortunately affected the afternoon’s second session, the majority of the riders opting to remain in the garage before heading out with around 15 minutes left to run. Despite having lost out on a good part of the practice, Team HRC attempted to make the most of the remaining track time, but it was of course the morning’s lap times, recorded in dry conditions, that remained the quickest of this opening day. Bautista and Haslam therefore held eighth and fourteenth place respectively at the end of day one, the pair determined to make the most of tomorrow morning’s third and final free practice.
Alvaro Bautista (19). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Alvaro Bautista 19
P8
“Today was spent discovering a new track and I must say I really like it. Even though I raced here twenty years ago, I had no clear memories of the layout and I didn’t expect it to be so enjoyable. It’s quite fast except for the first chicane, which is the only part I don’t like because it’s very tight and the asphalt is quite bumpy and worn. That sector is nothing like the rest of the track. So this morning we worked to try and find good feeling. We were lacking something in terms of our turning and rear grip but we had clear ideas to try in the afternoon. Unfortunately, as soon as we went out for the first run in FP2, the rain began and disrupted our plans. I eventually made a few laps in the wet but with those conditions the track has no grip at all and the bike was spinning a lot. Anyway, the weather forecast looks better for tomorrow so we will use the third free practice to work to improve before the Superpole and Race 1”.
Leon Haslam (91). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Leon Haslam 91
P14
“This first day at Most hasn’t been so bad. This morning we kept the same harder tyre for the whole session, so the actual lap time wasn’t great if we look at the final results, but we were quite competitive compared to others on the same solution. We still have things to learn and change but I was quite happy this morning. In the afternoon it was raining from the very first lap. We made a small change to head out towards the end of the session, still in the wet. I think I was the fastest in those conditions, but we still have things to improve upon of course. Anyway, we will see what the weather brings tomorrow and keep trying.”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:
BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team complete day one at Most in mixed conditions.
• BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team launch 2021 clothing range
• Rain stops play in FP2
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team today entered new territory with the FIM Superbike World Championship as they completed the opening day of practice at the Czech circuit Most. Tom Sykes was the fastest of the BMW’s in this mornings FP1 session as he finished in P7 (1’34.006). Teammate Michael van der Mark finished just outside the top 10 with lap time of (1’34.267).
The afternoons session was hampered by mixed conditions with minimal riders opting to go out for FP2. Both Michael and Tom decided not to take part in the second session with the view of better weather for tomorrows free practice 3 session.
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team today have also launched their 2021 clothing range to the public, which is available to purchase at the online shop. The new range features 9 items such as Men T-shirts, Anoraks, Gilets and Kids T-shirts, Bespoke Jumpers, Sweatshirts, Woman’s T-shirts, Zip polos and Softshell jackets. The new official teamwear is only available to purchase from the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Shop.
Shaun Muir, Team Principal
“From what we can see the circuit is nice track and a good layout. Everyone seems to be happy, although a few concerns on the amount of run off. This morning’s FP1 went reasonably ok. Tom ran a full session with the same tyres and secured a solid seventh position. I think there was 10 riders around him that used the SCX tyre which gave him an advantage, so he had a good start to the day. Michael made a couple of changes to gearing and a quick change of tyre at the end of the session, so generally happy with him as well. It’s a shame this afternoon we were not able to try those settings again in dry conditions. Unfortunately, in FP2 it was not dry enough, yet it was also not wet enough to do any significant testing, so we made a decision to wait and look forward to tomorrow’s sessions.”
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
“Looking at the weather forecast for the next days and for safety concerns it made absolutely no sense to go out this afternoon. It’s a shame, as we could have definitely used the time to get some more information about the set up. We had a fairly good morning but there was not much data to pull from this. But now we have more time analyse overnight and we will go for it tomorrow.”
Tom Sykes
“We came here with a clear plan of a base set up for the BMW M 1000 RR, and It seems it has been the strongest and most consistent in quite some time, which I am happy about. This morning I was able to go out with the harder tyres and really learn and understand the circuit and even from that we had a good plan for the bike going into this afternoon. Unfortunately, this afternoon we didn’t go out on track to try these things due to the weather. But tomorrow is another day and hopefully the sun will come back, and we all can have a safe weekends racing.”
Michael van der Mark
“It was nice to learn a new track again. To be honest its quite a fun circuit as there are some fast corners, some slow corners so it’s quite difficult, but I had fun. This morning we didn’t do that bad, but we stayed out on the harder tyre and we struggled a little bit with changing direction. We had some ideas to try for this afternoon but unfortunately it was wet, so we have a lot of things to try tomorrow morning.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:
Resurgent Razgatlıoğlu Fastest in Most Free Practice
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK’s Toprak Razgatlıoğlu was the fastest rider on track in Free Practice, while teammate Andrea Locatelli was fifth-quickest, at the opening day of the Czech Round of the 2021 FIM Superbike World Championship held at Autodrom Most today.
Razgatlıoğlu bounced back after the disappointment of Race 2 in Assen to draw a clear line in the sand in Free Practice 1, with an impressive lap time 0.6s clear of the next closest rider at the new WorldSBK venue.
On the other side of the pit box, Locatelli continued in positive form following his career-first WorldSBK podium in Holland to complete his best Friday performance of the season so far, finishing fifth fastest and less than 0.3s from second place.
Rain dampened proceedings in the afternoon with only 14 of the 23-strong WorldSBK field choosing to venture out on track in anger. Both Razgatlıoğlu and Locatelli completed a handful of laps each in order to test wet settings on their respective Yamaha R1 WorldSBKs, and gain further experience of the circuit in different conditions.
The Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK team and its riders are keeping their fingers crossed that the weather forecast continues to improve in order to provide the Czech fans with two days of thrilling racing this weekend. One final Free Practice session of 30 minutes at 09:00 (CEST) tomorrow will allow any final set-up tweaks required before Superpole qualifying at 11:10 and the 22-lap, full-length Race 1 at 14:00.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P1 – 1’33.022
“Today was the first time I ride at Most circuit, but I like it! It’s like “my style” track because of the mix of slow and very fast corners. I’m happy because today for me was a good day. The plan was for a race simulation in the second session but then it started to rain, so we ride some laps in the wet conditions. We are happy with this though, it was the first time I was a little bit faster and also the confidence in these conditions is growing. I am feeling now that I am ready for a race! So we will see tomorrow what we can do.”
Andrea Locatelli (55). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Andrea Locatelli: P5 – 1’33.861
“It was a strange day because in the second Free Practice we rode in wet conditions, but also the feeling is quite good even in the wet. This was interesting because maybe the weather during the weekend could be a bit crazy. I’m so happy about this morning because we worked very well, put in the laps to learn the track and the bike felt so good in the dry. We hope for the good weather tomorrow morning to be able to continue to work to prepare for qualifying and the race. I feel confident and with P5 it was the best Friday for us for sure, it is a new track for everybody and so maybe tomorrow we can do very well.”
Paul Denning, Team Principal – Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
“It’s nice to be back in the Czech Republic and at a new circuit for the WorldSBK Championship. The first day here in Most has gone pretty smoothly. Both Toprak and Andrea are enjoying the track and the base settings of the R1 WorldSBK seem, at least for now, to be working well. The weather forecast looks a little more settled for the next two days, so we’re hoping to translate today’s positive performance into good races and put on a very good show for the enthusiastic Czech fans!”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Lowes Second After First Day At Most
Alex Lowes finished second fastest and his KRT team-mate Jonathan Rea sixth after the first day of WorldSBK track action at Most in the Czech Republic. Only the FP1 lap times counted towards the riders’ overall day one classification after heavy rains arrived early in FP2, effectively halting progress for the day.
On the new Ninja ZX-10RR both Lowes and Rea made their early race preparations at a track layout neither had ever seen before.
Both official Kawasaki riders got up to speed early at the 4.212km long circuit but plans to improve set-up and pace even more in the afternoon were held back by first light and then heavy rainfall.
Neither KRT rider rode in FP2, preferring to sit it out and prepare for what is expected to be a dry weekend to come.
The Most track itself has been almost entirely resurfaced but in one key area, Turn One and the approach towards it, the old asphalt remains, delivering different feel and grip characteristics compared to the rest of the winding layout.
After losing all their potential track time in FP2 to the weather conditions both KRT riders and the whole team hope for a dry FP3 to make final pre-race evaluations before Tissot Superpole qualifying and then Race One take place on Saturday 7 August.
The weekend’s action will be completed on Sunday by the ten-lap Tissot Superpole Race in the morning, and then Race Two, a full distance event like Saturday’s opening race.
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “It was a shame not to get a dry session in FP2 to get more laps in because the rest of the weekend looks like it might be dry. The first experience of the track this morning was quite good. I enjoyed the layout as this track has some real nice corners. In the first section the tarmac is different compared to the other sectors, which makes it feel quite different too, but apart from that it is a quite interesting circuit. It looks like it will be a lot about changing direction in the races and many corners lead into the next ones, so you need the bike to be really agile. We tried to make a set-up change this afternoon but we did not get the chance because of the rain. I think the best plan is to start again in the morning in FP3, hopefully it will be dry and we will get to try what we wanted to this afternoon.”
Jonathan Rea (1). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “The bike was pretty good today. I had zero expectation coming here because there is no real footage or TV coverage to look at. I did a track walk with the guys from the team on Thursday and the biggest decision we have to take now is about the final gearing. There are a lot of second and third gear corners and I feel quite ‘in between’ corners sometimes. I learned the track quite well and there are a few little tricks that I can use where you can slide the tyre early to gain metres on the exit; use less or more kerb. We got lucky because FP1 was uninterrupted so I was able to do a lot of laps with no problems. We made a small change and went back out to finish the session so I took a lot of info from that. Unfortunately the second session, when we planned to confirm what we needed to do, was wet. A positive first day and pleasantly surprised at the feeling with the track.”
With Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) unable to ride at Most as he recuperates from surgery to his injured wrist Isaac Vinales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) finished the first two practice sessions in 19th overall.
American Jayson Uribe (14). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Loris Cresson (TPR Outdo Kawasaki) was 22nd today and new WorldSBK rider Jayson Uribe (TPR Outdo Kawasaki) was 23rd.
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
FRIDAY AT “SCHOOL”, BUT JUST TILL THE RAIN CAME!
Finally Most! Finally the first laps of WorldSBK on the “new entry” circuit, after the long wait created in the previous days! Unfortunately, the day was not exploited to the maximum, but at least it was possible to understand the layout of the track and what is needed for the set-up of the bike.
The first practice starts at 10.30 under the sun, which heats the asphalt around 27°C. Chaz takes to the track with the aim of understanding the lines to interpret the Czech track in the best possible way, without taking too many risks. His approach to new circuits is like this: he takes his time to evaluate the track, then improves lap after lap, session after session.
In FP 2 the Welsh rider was ready to hit the track with new tyres, to complete what he had learned in the morning. Unfortunately, a few moments before the session it starts to rain, completely changing the teams’ plans. It is not the first time, this year, that the weather gets in the way, and always in an uncertain way; even today until the last minutes the track was neither in Rain nor Slick conditions. No time set, therefore, by Chaz and the light-blue Ducati V4-RS. Solution? Riders standing in the pits chatting to each other, demonstrating the relaxed atmosphere in perfect WorldSBK style!
All postponed until tomorrow, where the weather seems to be quite nice. The WorldSBK protagonist will have a few minutes in the morning to get ready for Superpole and Race 1, with little data available. It will be an enjoyable weekend!
Chaz Davies (Rider):
“It was interesting to discover this new circuit, and I enjoy the layout. It’s completely different, uncomparable to anything we have got on the calendar at the moment, but I have to say that it’s quite an enjoyable track. I need to get my head around a little bit, normally I like to sleep on a new circuit, and then come out with better ideas on what I need to do on the following day and that would be the case for tomorrow. Unfortunately this afternoon with the rain we loose quite a lot of track time, and that was something I was not hoping for. I just hope we will find dry tomorrow and Sunday and try to make some steps forward!”
More, from a press release issued by Barni Racing Team:
Bad weather affected the first day in Most, Rabat ended in P16 the FP1
Most (CZE), 6th August 2021. Bad weather was the protagonist of the first day at the Most circuit in the Czech Republic, which makes its debut on the WorldSBK calendar. After the first free practice, held in dry conditions, a few seconds after the start of FP2 it started to rain and many riders chose not to take to the track on the wet asphalt.
After running two laps Rabat shared the choice of his colleagues who stayed in the pits. So the indications came only from the first free practice session, the one in which the riders got to know the new track.
Tito finished the FP1 in P16, putting together 23 laps with the best time of 1’35.267. Superbike will be back on track tomorrow for FP3 when the weather forecast excludes further rain.
Tito Rabat (53). Photo courtesy Barni Racing Team.
Tito Rabat, #53
“We would have needed to ride in FP2 to verify the changes we decided to make after the first session, but – like other riders – I preferred not to go out on the track. Tomorrow morning’s session will be very important.”
Marco Barnabò – Team Principal
“In the first session, we realised that we would have to make quite important set-up changes to allow the rider to ride at his best. The bike was ready for FP2, but the rain prevented us from understanding if our choices are going in the right direction. Lapping in the water would have been pointless, so hopefully we can try the new set-up in tomorrow morning’s FP3.”
More, from a press release issued by GRT Yamaha:
Mixed conditions hamper GRT’s Day 1 at Most
The first day at the Circuit Most was difficult for the FIM Superbike World Championship teams to fully exploit. Free Practice 1 was indeed used by the riders to learn the track, at its first appearance on the WorldSBK schedule, whereas the afternoon session was heavily affected by the arrival of the rain.
The GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team’s work plan was affected by the mixed conditions as much as everybody else’s, but the team’s two riders were happy to at least be able to learn the circuit in the dry FP1. Garrett Gerloff, despite being fastest in FP2 with a 1’35.301, did most of his work in the morning, in which he was 10th (1’34.155) after running 19 laps. His position at the top of the standings in the afternoon’s session shows his ease at immediately managing a quick lap, but, overall, it is not particularly representative, as the rain immediately started falling and his fastest lap was also his only one.
Kohta Nozane, on the other hand, had a tough time finding the pace he wanted in FP1 and only managed the 18th fastest time (1’35.408). Eager to become better acquainted with both the R1 in wet conditions and the Czech track, he was then among the riders who decided to go back out when the rain arrived in FP2. He ran 8 laps in the rain and found a good feeling with his bike, improving every lap and ending the session in 12th place with a 1’52.427. He expects to continue making progress tomorrow.
Garrett Gerloff (31). Photo courtesy GRT Yamaha.
Garrett Gerloff: 10th / 1st
“This circuit is brand new, it feels very nice and I think there are several different areas on the track where the Yamahas will shine. We just need to work on the setup a bit more, but we are headed in the right direction and it was nice to have at least the first session totally dry. Unfortunately the second session was rained out so we did not learn very much, but in that single lap I did the bike felt solid. Hopefully tomorrow we will get out on track again and the lap times will come a little more easily.”
Kohta Nozane (3). Photo courtesy GRT Yamaha.
Kohta Nozane: 18th / 12th
“In FP1 I went out with the dry setting to try to learn the track, like most other riders. I thought the track was a bit difficult and I could not keep the pace I thought I would be able to. But in FP2 I could run two dry laps with a different setting and the bike felt better, so I think we took the right direction. Then it immediately started raining and I took advantage of it to also test the R1 and the track in wet conditions. There are several areas that I have to work on but running in the rain was really useful experience. Tomorrow is probably going to be different yet again as it will probably be sunny, but I will do my best.”
The GRT team will have more time to finetune the two R1s during tomorrow morning’s FP3 at 9 AM, after which the going will start to get tough in the Tissot Superpole and in Race 1, which will take place at 11:10 AM and at 2 PM local time, respectively.
MotoGP racers (from left): Miguel Oliveira, Johann Zarco, Maverick Vinales, Fabio Quartararo, Cal Crutchlow, and Joan Mir at the pre-event press conference in Austria. Photo courtesy Dorna.
“Summer break was too long!”: MotoGP™ riders ready to take on the Red Bull Ring
The pre-event Press Conference kicks off the Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria – and the second half of the season
Thursday, 05 August 2021
Did you miss us? Fear not, for the countdown is almost over as the pre-event Press Conference got the Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria in gear at the Red Bull Ring, bringing summer break to an end.
Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was joined Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing); second in the standings, as well as reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), last year’s Styrian GP winner Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and the returning Cal Crutchlow (Petronas Yamaha SRT), the Brit on injury replacement duty.
Here are some key quotes:
Fabio Quartararo. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Fabio Quartararo: “I enjoyed the break. It was a little bit too long! You know when you make your holidays the first week and then you know you have more than four weeks to wait, it was kind of a preseason, you have a month and yeah I had the time to train really well I feel in really great shape. I’m feeling well physically, mentally and ready to start the second part of the season. I’ve looked back at almost all the races of this first part of the Championship, I need to improve a few things so yeah I’m ready to start the second half and I know where I need to work on so I’m happy to be here.”
Johann Zarco. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Johann Zarco: “Feeling happy because the break was long and as a racer, the good place to be is on the racetrack. Here in Austria, happy to be here because on the paper the Ducati is a great bike, some great results here. It doesn’t mean that it will be easy to fight with the top guys but at least you have a bit more of a chance. The great things I got on the first half give me this motivation to believe I can really catch even better for the second half so the mind is great and clearly when you go on the track you still have somewhere in the mind what happened last year, but I’ve been lucky that when it happened the next week I could race again, straight after the operation. I got some feeling; I was quite fast during the practice then I did the race. With the race just the next week it helped out a lot to forget what happened and it’s just that the past even if on the media on the social media we can see again a lot this accident from last year, fortunately, we didn’t get drama and now just look forward.”
Joan Mir. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Joan Mir: “The plan during the beginning of the season was to try to make a strong start to the season. It was not really strong but then to try to improve in the second part of the season to try to get good confidence and then and try to fight for the victory, it’s what I need to fight for the title in the end. At the moment, the first part I was not strong enough to be there but yeah, if we improve the bike a bit more like you said the holeshot device, it can be one thing to start at the same point as the others to try to see where we are. We have it. I think that we will use it so let’s see if it will be enough to get back good feelings and to try to fight the victory!”
Maverick Vinales. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Maverick Viñales: “Summer break has been fantastic as you said five weeks with the family we came from a good result that always is important so I enjoy a lot this summer. At the end of the summer break I start to train with the bikes so I had a good time. I think we come here with a good motivation. I want to take the chance to apologize to the fans because sometimes my attitude is not the best, but you know I’m dealing with a new situation. It’s difficult, I’m very frustrated, so sometimes I’m not good at communication but yeah I’m learning I’m trying to improve, I’m trying to give more information about what is going on and yeah Yamaha is a great team but right now for me. We didn’t have enough capacity to find my best performance and I think right now the most important thing is to be focused. For sure I’m really motivated, I will give my maximum, there is no doubt that I will give my maximum every race, every lap. About my future right now, I cannot tell because I’m concentrated on this race and I just want to take the chance on the summer to enjoy you know to release all the pressure and to keep working and keep improving.”
Miguel Oliveira. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Miguel Oliveira: “Coming in as we finished the last four races on the first half of the season, for sure it is highly motivating for us. We are in a positive moment and we want to start the second half of the season on those high positive results. Last year I wasn’t the fastest, I wasn’t the most consistent, so there’s definitely some work I need to do here to be able to be a protagonist and tomorrow it starts the first practice. From the beginning we want to be there, we want to be competitive and we want to fight with the best so let’s see what the weekend brings for sure we would like to put a good performance for all the KTM and Red Bull fans here in this upcoming weekend.”
Cal Crutchlow. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Cal Crutchlow: “I feel strange because I retired and then suddenly I’m back already! It was a joint decision between me, Yamaha and Petronas SRT team that I would come and race these three races. Unfortunately, Franco has got injured and we hope he comes back soon. There’s no doubt about that I hope he comes back soon, and basically, the situation was they asked me to ride in Assen but I was planning to go to some tests in Japan, unfortunately, they got cancelled, so this means too long off the bike… so I haven’t ridden at all, any bike, since April. I’ll ride here this weekend so if you see me stopped in the pit lane it’s ’cause I’ve stalled the bike! But yeah, I think it’s the best for all parties to be able to be on the grid with a good team and I look forward to being back out there and seeing how the weekend goes.
“Yeah I mean I’ve raced at Silverstone for many years, I’ve had some great results there, I’ve had some bad results there but being in front of the home crowd is always something special and they always support me on the race weekend. I’ve been very lucky that a lot of the times I’ve been the only British rider on the grid but when I wasn’t the support was equal. It was a great atmosphere, it’ll be good to go to Silverstone and see full stands that I think the sport deserves, Silverstone deserves and I’m sure Silverstone are very happy that it landed on there on a weekend that I do the three Grands Prix!”
That’s a wrap on Thursday! Free Practice begins on Friday morning, before MotoGP™ heads back out for battle on Sunday at 14:00 (GMT +2).
Rossi retirement: the riders react
Fabio Quartararo: “It’s difficult to believe because you know he was already two time World Champion and I was still not born, and we are still racing with him and imagine that next year he will not be racing. It is kind of sad you know, he’s really the guy that makes me want to be a MotoGP rider. When I was a kid watching him, waiting hours in front of the hospitality to get the picture and then for me, yes, he’s the legend of the sport, he made an amazing career and I think that he’s a legend, still my idol and yeah I have no words to describe him.”
Johann Zarco: “It will be strange but thanks to Vale for what he gave because I think he changed the vision of the motorbike during the 2000s until now and when you speak about motorbike with someone that doesn’t know anything, he can just tell you Valentino Rossi so it really means something. We were expecting that there will be a day that he will say stop and it’s coming and it came. Just amazing because he stayed such a long time, we could watch him on TV and he became the idol and then we could race with him. I think there are not so many sportsmen like that. So thanks for what he gave, and I think the way he was racing will remain always his way, because it was always with a different approach I would say, more than most of the others.”
Joan Mir: “I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to race with Vale for this for two years, three. I probably was more nervous than him when he was given the news! It’s a difficult moment because it looks like this moment never arrives for a rider. I’m for sure he has everything to go and enjoy a lot the life and I’m so happy for him. There was a question that a journalist was asking him if he feels like Michael Jordan of the basketball and for sure he’s the Michael Jordan of the motorbikes. It will be difficult to repeat another Valentino Rossi in history, so wishing him a lot of luck I would hope to see him in the next seasons around the paddock.”
Maverick Viñales: “He was my point of reference when I was a kid. You know when I started to love that passion of motorcycle was, especially when I start to see Valentino with his celebration the way he win the races, so at the end, as a kid I grew up I had the opportunity to share the team with him, and for sure to be internally sharing the data, sharing comments everything and you know I had the chance to learn, this is the most important. Valentino is more than an icon more than a legend, my idol. He’s the point of reference since I was three years old now and yeah, it’s sad. We need to say thank you to him because he grew MotoGP a lot and also was an inspiration for me so in the end you know as I said I was very lucky to share the team with him for many years and also you know sometimes they fight against him, other times to enjoy the time with him and was a very enjoyable time. I remember Malaysia, Indonesia, these long events where we could talk a little bit more outside of the bikes. For me what it remains also is that outside of the bike he’s always a great person and I think as Joan said, he is the point of the bikes. We need to be very thankful to him.”
Miguel Oliveira: “It’s hard to add anything else but I think like many of us Valentino has been a reference since we were kids. It’s easy when we were kids to relate to Valentino because everyone wants to support the winner or who is winning, and I think really the turning point that makes him a sort of more of a legend was the turning point and after that those many titles 2009, 2010 when he moved to Ducati and when he came back to Yamaha, people still loved him even if it was not winning, even if the results weren’t great and I think only at that time we could see really the greatness of Valentino and the image power he had the influence he had on the MotoGP paddock. It was a privilege to share the race track with him.”
Cal Crutchlow: “I think coming back is a great story to be able to go into the Petronas SRT team as his teammate for the weekend he announces his retirement, but yeah as all of the guys said watching him, since even when I was young and I’m you know, he was racing Grand Prix, I was racing British championship but enjoying watching him. Then when I finally came to Yamaha he was in Yamaha and then went to Ducati and came back to Yamaha. I remember one night going to the motorhome one night he asked me if I was ready to battle next year, and we did. We battled in so many races that year in 2013 and it was good fun. He’s incredible, what he’s done for the sport, as Johann said, no matter where you are in the world, when you say motorbikes they just say Valentino Rossi. He is just one of those great sporting icons. I stopped at 35 years old, I could not go on for another 7 years, his motivation to be fast is incredible. He is going faster than he’s ever been before at a lot of these tracks, now to be able to do that is incredible, it just shows that physically wise he’s in great shape to be able to do it and also the mentality of being able to perform and keep going fast, he never stops learning. To be in the sport with him at the same time, being there at the same manufacturer and now a teammate at one of the races, it’s been good.”
Dani Pedrosa: “It’s sad, it’s something you never want to happen and especially when you’re on a high level like he has been for so long. Like in my case, it’s a sad day but it’s something you can’t stop… sooner or later it happens for everyone, but in his case it’s more special because of so many good memories with him. Personally I can only have huge respect because he was here before me, I tried to catch him, we battled for many years, I’d say in our prime, and then I retired and I see him still going! So huge respect, and I wish him the best in his retirement.”
Pedrosa gears up for his wildcard
Dani Pedrosa. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Only the second MotoGP™ Legend to return to racing, Dani Pedrosa is set to saddle up during a Grand Prix weekend for the first time in a while at the Styrian GP. The Little Samurai is now a test rider for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and will appear as a wildcard, so on Thursday evening he sat down for a special pre-event Press Conference.
Dani Pedrosa: “It’s a pleasure to be here and I’d like to thank KTM for this opportunity. For sure it’s a bit like going back to the old style of training, I didn’t prepare physically like I would for a whole season, but it’s another challenge, more motivation, inside my current role with KTM. So far it’s a bit of a strange feeling today, coming back and doing media… seeing all the changes due to the Covid situation, and some other things different… but some things the same, like preparing with the team the plan for the weekend. Learning the new rules, in the riders’ meeting, to get a bit updated overall.
“Since the beginning, I could see there was a big will to make the bike better and to make up the gap they were facing at the time. So we’ve been working together really hard, I think we made good progress since I started working and I’m feeling happy and rewarded after the last two seasons where the riders have started to feel more in front, and feeling better with the bike. It’s been quite interesting to see the commitment they’ve had these years, and it’s good to see they still want more.
“I’m enjoying testing, because I still get to ride a very good bike, the feelings you get on a MotoGP bike. And at the same time I’m not exposed to that pressure, I have a different kind of pressure. But it’s always good to be back on track one or two times a month to ride the bike because it’s what I love most – to be on a bike. But at the same time you have to be focused, it’s changed a bit from when I was racing. Different meetings to before, but it’s a good thing.
“Expectations for this GP… it’s hard to say. Honestly we are here as a main target to learn about current MotoGP racing, because I sense it’s changing a bit and so far we made good progress but now riders are facing some situations in race conditions where for us, away from the race, it’s hard to replicate. Like they complain it’s hard to overtake in a race, so you have to qualify well, and we’re trying to understand that. So when I’m testing alone again, I can more or less try to face those problems and think a bit how they would think on a race weekend, get updated on that. And we have small parts on the bike to test, but expectations it’s hard to say.”
MotoGP™ remembers Hugo Millán
The MotoGP paddock paid tribute to fallen racer Hugo Millan Thursday in Austria. Photo courtesy Dorna.
On Thursday, the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship paddock came together to observe a minute of silence in memory of European Talent Cup rider Hugo Millán, who sadly passed away at the MotorLand Aragón Round of the FIM CEV Repsol.
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta joined the MotoGP™ riders in pitlane as everyone in the paddock paid their respects.
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www.roadracingworld.com
April 26, 2026
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