Moto3: Austria

The lightweight, junior class of world championship motorcycle racing, Moto3, now has their turn to tackle the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria.

We visit Austria, for the first time since 1997, on a gorgeous day, with lovely scenery around the speedway.  Weather conditions at post time, look like this.  24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature.  33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit), track temperature.  This is the fastest track on the MotoGP calendar.  We are running out of superlatives to describe this fabulous speedway.  Brad Binder starts second, leading in points by 47 over Jorge Navarro, who starts down the order.  Joan Mir has pole.  Romano Fenati has been suspended by the Sky VR46 team for disciplinary reasons.  Serious doubts of Fenati's future.  There is a Moto2 project for him set up in 2017.  But, he breached the team's rules.  So, we have 34 bikes and riders starting this race.

Brad Binder will roll off second.  Enea Bastianini is on the outside of row one.  Brad Binder may get away from the field once this race starts.  But, he says there are about 20 riders who could compete for a podium.  Aron Canet rolls off fourth on the grid.  Canet needs a good finish.  Fabio Quartararo completes the top five, equaling his best effort since Qatar.  This is a massive race for Red Bull and for KTM.  There is a dedicated grandstand because this is obviously, the Red Bull Ring.  Jorge Navarro rolls of 17th and he's second in points coming in.  With a decent result, Navarro could put himself on the map for a bright future in Grand Prix motorcycle racing.  Navarro is also riding injured in this race.

Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia rolls off sixth.  He won in Holland.  Pecco Bagnaia could move to Moto2 next year.  Niccolo Bulega is seventh.  Phillipp Oettl rolls off eighth.  Ninth will be Fabio di Giannantonio.  Completing the top ten is the rapid Dutchman Bo Bendsneyder.  The BMW M2 safety car rolls away from the grid.  Everyone is on the same tires.  Medium front and medium rear tires.  Jules Danilo is 11th.  Again, Jorge Navarro is 17th.  Niccolo Antonelli is back racing, and rolls off 12th.  It looks like Antonelli could ride for Red Bull KTM Ajo in 2017 when Brad Binder moves up to Moto2.  Again, we look at the front row.  In third, Enea Bastianini.  Second, is Brad Binder.  On the pole, Spaniard Joan Mir.'

We have a couple of Italian wildcard riders in this event.  23 laps scheduled for Moto3. We have four races in the next five weeks.  Stay injury free.  Brad Binder has not won since Mugello in Italy.  With Romano Fenati being suspended by Sky Racing VR46, it is now a two man race for the 2016 Moto3 title.  Fenati is 66 points behind.  But, the two contenders are only 47 points apart.  Brad Binder leads, with Jorge Navarro second.  Can Joan Mir change the records and become the first Moto3 rider in 14 races to win from pole?  We're set for a 23 lap shootout, Moto3 style, in Austria.

Red lights, on.  Red lights, out!  Away we go!  Brad Binder and Aron Canet both start well.  Enea Bastianini wants by Brad Binder and Joan Mir won't have the hole shot he wanted.  Binder leads.  Now, the other riders didn't want this, because he could easily whistle off into the distance.  All 34 riders safely through the first turn without incident.  Aron Canet is fourth.  Fabio Quartararo is losing ground though.  Mir and Bastianini fight back past Binder.  They exit turn three, plunging down into turn four for the first time.

Mir wants to make a move and so does Binder.  There is a freight train of bikes beginning already.  Francesco Bagnaia has gained a place.  Bastianini is the race leader right now.  Bagnaia passes Canet.  They sweep through turns six, seven, and eight.  Mir is slipstreaming Bastianini.  Fabio Di Giantonio is now fourth.  Bastianini tries to outbrake Mir into the turn.  Mir, slams the door in his face.  Binder closes on Bastianini.  Binder runs wide through turn four.  Fabio Quartararo runs behind Pecco Bagnaia right now.  Aron Canet has dropped from fourth to tenth.  Mir opens a gap.  Binder passes Bastianini, chasing Mir for the lead.  Fabio Quartararo sets fastest lap so far at 1:37.305.Jorge Navarro, placed second in the standings, runs 14th on the road presently.  Binder now leads from Joan Mir.  Binder runs wide, missing a shift, and Enea Bastianini goes to second.  Gabriel Rodrigo passes Aron Canet.  We look at the top 15.

1. Brad Binder

2. Enea Bastianini
3. Joan Mir
4. Fabio Quartarar
5. Francesco Bagnaia
6. Fabio Di Giantonio

7. Phillip Oettl
8. Niccolo Bulega  

9. Andrea Locatelli

10. Jorge Martin
11. Jules Danilo

12. Gabriel Rodrigo

13. Aron Canet

14. Bo Bendsneyder

15. Jorge Navarro

Bastianini passes Binder.  He wants his first win since Misano 2015.  Mir takes second.  New fastest lap.  Bastianini runs a 1:37 flat.  1:37.042.  Mir fights back against Binder, and they almost touch!  Brad Binder takes the lead from Bastianini.  We are in for a humdinger of a race here, ladies and gentlemen!  There are 15-20 bikes that could be in contention for a win before this one's done and dusted.  Oettl resets fast lap at 1:36.928.  Mir tries inside on Bastianini and can't brake late enough.  Jorge Navarro has moved up from 15th to 12th.  He passes both Livio Loi and Jules Danilo.  2.4 seconds is the spread from first to tenth.

Jorge Martin is running very well and was the fastest rider on track last time around.  Bastianini goes inside Brad Binder for the lead!  Both Leopard (Leo-pard), bikes nearly crashed into each other!  Brad Binder leads, but has a whole pack chasing him down.  Wildcard Italian rider Marco Bezzecchi has crashed out.  Jorge Martin is the only rider in the lead group cutting laps in the 1:36 range.  Phillip Oettl and Fabio Di Giantonio both almost crash!  Yikes!  Japan's Tatsuki Suzuki has also crashed out.  Mir wants by Bastianini who runs wide.  Mir and Quartararo pass, or try to.  Phillip Oettl tries to pick off Enea Bastianini.  Jorge Navarro is running the exact lap times Brad Binder is, but can't make any headway.

Bastianini has dropped back as Jorge Martin looks to get his first top six finish.  The top ten are covered by two seconds.  Fabio Quartararo goes past Brad Binder.  Joan Mir wanted to move by Phillip Oettl.  No dice.  15 laps left.  We have a long way to go yet.  Gabriel Rodrigo has fastest lap at 1:36.848 way down in 14th place, trying to pass Bo Bendsneyder.  Oettl passes Mir for third.  Niccolo Antonelli runs 22nd.  Winner in the rain in Germany, Khairul Idham Pawi, is having a horrid race, languishing in 29th spot.  Jorge Navarro and Livio Loi have been battling.  Navarro is now up to 11th.  Navarro has clear track, even though he's under pressure from Loi and Bendsneyder.

Maria Herrera is in the points.  She broke her left wrist in Germany.  But she is performing well.  Navarro is starting to have issues.  Brad Binder has a tiny window between himself and Fabio Quartararo, after making an inside move.  A new record fast lap from Bastianini as he hits the traps with a 1:36.763.  The pursuers of Binder are squabbling for second, third, and fourth.  All this does is help Binder get away.  Binder will definitely push the bye bye button now.  Pecco Bagnaia is struggling in tenth.  Enea Bastianini brings fast lap down to 1:36.650 as Phillip Oettl is now second.

Quartararo goes inside both Bastianini and Mir in one fell swoop.  The third Leopard (Leo-Pard) KTM racer, Andrea Locatelli is sixth.  Mir tries to pass Bastianini back.  These two could take each other out if they're not careful.  Navarro passes Bagnaia, Di Giantonio, and Bulega!  Wow.  Not all at once of course.  But, Jorge Navarro is a man on a mission.  Eleven laps remain, with Brad Binder leading.  Navarro is now lapping quicker than both Oettl and Binder, and is in good shape if he hasn't trashed his tires.  Binder is running away as his rivals fight.  Oettl tries again to pass Bastianini.  Ten laps remain here in Austria.  Points as they run shows Binder ahead of Navarro by 64 markers.  Someone has fallen off their motorcycle in turn three.  Gabriel Rodrigo has ditched his bike.

Andrea Locatelli has sixth place.  Jorge Navarro wants it.  Ah.  That was easy.  Binder still leads, but Quartararo is on the move.  Oettl resets fast lap at 1:36.557.  Oettl takes the lead of this race!  Whoa!  Quartararo slipstreams past Binder, and catches Oettl!  So now, Fabio Quartararo is in P1.  Enea Bastianini moves to second and Binder retakes the lead.  Navarro is 2.9 seconds out of the top five.  Quartararo goes up inside Binder for the lead.  Bastianini is second, and Binder is third.  Binder is coming back.  Brilliantly done!  But, he runs wide, and here comes Quartararo!  Bastianini is going to lose places, as Phillip Oettl is going for it.  Binder leads with six laps to go.

       

Binder takes the defensive line, getting past both Leopard bikes.  Bastianini overcooks it in the braking zone for turn three.  Binder runs way wide into the turn!  This is going to change the game.  Mir leads Quartararo.  Three riders in the top four have never won a motorcycle Grand Prix at any level.  Brad Binder's overshooting turn three cost him 1.2 seconds.  Navarro has crashed at turn three.  This is where Navarro will kiss the championship goodbye.  Binder is fifth and with Navarro out, his points lead will extend to 58.  170-112.  Binder, is coming back, and he's going to spoil the party of the leaders here!

 

Quartararo gets shuffled down to fifth.  Oettl passes Mir for the lead!  Four laps remain.  Joan Mir is right in the hunt.  Mir goes back past Oettl with three laps to go.  Bastianini is almost on the grass, chasing Brad Binder.  Mir is losing spots.  Binder runs wide, and Bastianini now leads!  Oettl is fifth!  Binder is wide again!  Oh dear!  Is Binder having tire trouble on this abrasive track here at Red Bull Ring?  Five riders could have a chance to win.  Niccolo Antonelli has a penalty of some kind.  Bastianini passes for the lead.  Binder is fourth.  Oettl is fifth.  Bastianini, Mir, Quartararo, the top three.  Binder now comes back to third.  A lap and a half to go.  Who will win in Austria?  Quartararo wants by Binder.  No dice.  Mir leads under pressure from Bastianini.  One lap left.

 

Mir holds the lead over Bastianini.  Binder is third.  Bastianini wants to make a move on Mir!  Binder launches his attack, now!  Here he comes, past both Bastianini and Mir!  Binder takes the lead when it counts.  Bastianini is still in front.  Quartararo wants a piece of this.  Mir and Bastianini are really pushing.  But Binder, goes outside, and takes the lead back!  Mir, back inside of Binder.  Mir now has the lead back, pushing Binder wide!  Wow!  Binder slides past Quartararo like he was tied to a post.  Binder is closing in, lining up a final attack on Joan Mir.  Into turn ten, Mir has the lead.  This is for the race!  All the marbles in Moto3 in Austria!

 

Into the last turn.  Joan Mir wins from pole, winning his first motorcycle Grand Prix victory! 

What a finish!

#36 Joan Mir     ESP.    Honda

Next up for Moto3, the Brno Autodrom in the Czech Republic.