We are ready, for the Moto2 race in Austria. The middleweight MotoGP steppingstone class, if you will. We are at the halfway mark of the season, at the Red Bull Ring, in Spielberg. Can anyone chase Johann Zarco? He leads Alex Rins by 25 points. Anything can happen in motorcycle racing. The weather is lovely in Austria. Tom Luthi is the man who could challenge Johann Zarco. Sam Lowes and Alex Rins are up there. But, they'll have to charge to get by Zarco. It's a game of catch me if you can. Zarco has his second 2016 pole position. 25 laps scheduled for the Moto2 race. Zarco has won three of the last four races. History beckons, too. If he finishes on the podium, he'll be the most successful French MotoGP rider, since Christian Sarron, a legend of the sport himself.
Franco Morbidelli qualifies second on the grid. He too, wants to have a podium, after falling twice in Germany, last time out. Tom Luthi rounds out the front row, but has not had a podium since France, at Le Mans. He tested the KTM MotoGP bike during the summer break, here at Red Bull Ring. Marcel Schrotter is fourth. Jonas Folger has chosen to run the harder option Michelin tire. Alex Marquez completes the top five. It is his best career Moto2 start. Jonas Folger starts tenth. He can roll the dice. Axel Pons is sixth. Sam Lowes is seventh, having had issues in sector two on the track. He wants a podium for the first time since Mugello.
Takaaki Nakagami rolls off eighth. Alex Rins is ninth. He is determined to get to the front. He has had two races, since he scored a podium. Again, Jonas Folger rounds out the top ten. He wants to put in decent performances before being a part of the MotoGP grid in 2017. Dominique Aegerter rolls off 11th. Next up, is Lorenzo Baldassari in 12th. Sadly, it equals his season worst start of 2016. Sandro Cortese is 13th, and has also had his season worst qualifying effort. Alex Rins' team mate, Edgar Pons, rolls off 14th, which is his best career starting position. So, we look again at the front row before sending the riders and their machines out on the warmup lap.
Tom Luthi is third. Franco Morbidelli is second, and Johann Zarco has pole. 28 bikes and riders are set to go. Johann Zarco leads the championship by 25 points over Alex Rins, and 30 points over Sam Lowes. Can Johann Zarco dominate this race? Here are the weather conditions. 26 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature. 41 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit), track temperature. A slight breeze is blowing. 25 laps await us, in Austria. The 600cc bikes are ready to race. Zarco on pole. It's lights out! Away we go! Franco Morbidelli gets a beautiful start as Sam Lowes bogs down slightly.
Morbidelli leads, as Zarco runs wide into turn one! This promotes Alex Marquez to second spot. Takaaki Nakagami has a good start. But poor old Sam Lowes, man, he got swamped and is all the way down in tenth place. Tight squeeze into turn three as Jonas Folger makes his way past Dominique Aegerter. Franco Morbidelli has a perfect first lap and has stretched his lead over everyone else. Marcel Schrotter tries the inside of Alex Marquez. Can't quite make it. Johann Zarco is running fifth at the moment. Alex Rins sweeps past Takaaki Nakagami into sixth. Tom Luthi makes a move on Marcel Schrotter, but they are side by side down the hill to turn four. Schrotter makes his move. Rins passes Nakagami, too.
Sam Lowes is having a rough go of it. He is down in 12th, having been passed by Danny Kent. Both Marc VDS motorcycles are at the sharp end of the order at the moment. Johann Zarco runs the fastest lap of the race so far at 1:30.479. Marcel Schrotter makes a move inside of Alex Marquez. Zarco nudges his way past Tom Luthi. A bit of argy bargy between the two, it seems. Alex Rins is a second behind Luthi in sixth spot. Zarco again, brings fast lap down. This time, still in the minute and a half range. 1:30.315. Sandro Cortese, so far, is not having the race he wanted at all. He languishes down in 19th spot. Morbidelli has opened his lead to 8/10ths of a second over Marcel Schrotter.
Jonas Folger has ditched his bike. He gambled on the hard option rear tire, and has wrecked in turn four. Can he get the bike upright and get going again? He definitely overcooked the corner there, and plows through the gravel trap. Zarco makes a move on Marquez, and should make it stick. Franco Morbidelli clicks off another fast lap at 1:29.951. He's the first bloke in the 1:29 bracket. Folger is back in action. But, Sam Lowes has crashed somewhere on the circuit. As we speak, Zarco nearly wipes out Marquez through turn four! Tom Luthi capitalizes on that bobble. Alex Rins makes a pass on Alex Marquez into turn five. Sam Lowes is back in action, but well down the order.
Lowes was way too hot into turn ten, as we see in replay. Fausto Gresini, team boss, can't be happy. Keep an eye on Johann Zarco. He's fourth now, but could be in contention as this race draws to an end. Nothing has changed up front, in case you needed to run to the fridge. Morbidelli and Schrotter run 1-2. Our top ten so far is:
1. Franco Morbidelli
2. Marcel Schrotter
3. Tom Luthi
4. Johann Zarco
5. Alex Rins
6. Alex Marquez
7. Takaaki Nakagami
8. Axel Pons
9. Lorenzo Baldassari
10. Dominique Aegerter
Zarco takes fast lap down again, to 1:29.891. Marquez needs a decent result and is back into a rhythm. That's the key in motorcycle road racing. Points as they run sees Johann Zarco on 164 markers, leading by 27 over Alex Rins on 137. Sam Lowes is 43 points behind in third on 121. Alex Rins is in hot pursuit of his closest rival, one J. Zarco. Marcel Schrotter, meanwhile, is closing up on Franco Morbidelli. New fast lap. This time, Tom Luthi is through the traps at 1:29.666. Australian Remy Gardner (son of 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing champion, Wayne Gardner), is moving up the order. He's 16th right now. We watch a battle for seventh between Takaaki Nakagami and Axel Pons.
Alex Rins is losing time to his rivals at the moment. Alex Rins dives inside Alex Marquez. No love lost between these two, going back to their Moto3 days. These two are former team mates. Rins slams the door in Marquez's face. Johann Zarco is on fire right now, lowering fast lap to 1:29.497. 17 laps remain. Franco Morbidelli has led since the red lights went out. He's still in P1. Tom Luthi is hanging on to third, but has Johann Zarco still in hot pursuit behind him. Morbidelli leads Schrotter by a few tenths of a second right now. Marcel Schrotter looks to make a move in turn four, on Franco Morbidelli. No dice. Morbidelli stays in front.
Sam Lowes has another crash, in turn nine. It's very well game over for the Federal Oil Gresini rider today in Austria. Marcel Schrotter, while we were paying attention to Lowes' mishap, takes the lead away from Morbidelli. Johann Zarco pushes his way to third, past Tom Luthi. Now, down the front straight, Schrotter allows Morbidelli back by. That's a bizarre move. Schrotter had just taken the lead away. Perhaps he exceeded track limits and would have had to give way, to avoid being penalized by the stewards. These two are still swapping the lead. Yikes! Wait a minute. There was a local yellow flag at the corner. That's why Schrotter slowed up.
Simone Corsi has crashed out of this race. Corsi tried to make a banzai move around Hafizh Syahrin, and to say the least, it didn't work. Corsi is on the deck, and Syahrin is caught up as an innocent bystander for someone else's foolishness. Syahrin is back in the race, on his merry way. Corsi is one of those blokes who seems to get involved in too many kerfuffles. Morbidelli leads Schrotter who has Zarco breathing down his neck. Zarco flies inside Schrotter like he was tied to fence post! Schrotter powers back by Zarco, this time on the outside. Zarco isn't done yet, as Schrotter slams the door in his face.
Schrotter brakes late, knowing Zarco is going to nip him up the hill. Luthi capitalizes and pushes Zarco down to fourth. Luthi is hot into turn three and runs wide. Game over for Simone Corsi. Zarco dives outside Schrotter. All this fighting has opened an advantage for Franco Morbidelli. Zarco moves to second, but the gap is over a second. Morbidelli cannot cut mid 1:29 laps, while Zarco can do so with ease. Alex Rins is also coming on the scene, and fast. 11 laps remain in Austria as Franco Morbidelli has a gap on Johann Zarco. Luthi tries for third, and can't do it. Schrotter comes back.
Rins is steaming right along and is one second behind the tussle between Luthi and Schrotter. We watch in replay, the second wreck for Sam Lowes. The rear wheel of the motorcycle comes up off the racing surface. The handlebar broke off the bike, and he has no chance of saving this one. Down he goes, sliding on his back, right next to the bike. Ugh! Game over for Sam Lowes to say the least. Zarco ran a half second quicker on the previous lap than did Morbidelli in the lead. The gap is down to half a second, and Zarco is on the move. He'll be on Morbidelli's rear wheel in no time. Morbidelli is going to have his hands full here. Zarco is the shark, smelling blood in the water.
They're on the front straight now. Zarco is in the slipstream of the Marc VDS bike. Zarco is up the inside, and goes into the lead here at the Red Bull Ring. Morbidelli will try the same move to get the lead back. No dice, as they go uphill through turns two and three. Alex Rins, meanwhile, is having a tough old time getting by Marcel Schrotter. But, on the straight, he might have a shot. Let's find out., folks. No dice this time. Schrotter runs wide. Tom Luthi is gaining ground, too. Tom Luthi does indeed take away second from Franco Morbidelli. Can Luthi chase down Zarco in these last few laps here in Austria?
Alex Rins is now fourth. But, Schrotter retaliates and takes fourth back. The last quarter of the race, Morbidelli's tires fade. Seven laps remain as we watch Zarco leading, with Luthi and Morbidelli battling. Zarco is over a second ahead. Rins passes Schrotter again. Not this time. Zarco leads by 1.3 seconds. Alex Rins could go for second, because it seems Luthi's and Morbidelli's tires, are totally knackered by now. Even if the tires are fading, the top five riders are still consistently lapping in the 1:29 range. If the race ended now, Zarco would have a 37 point lead over Rins in the championship standings. With his wrecks, Sam Lowes will be 55 points adrift and not be able to make up that deficit.
Sandro Cortese could score his best finish of the year in 11th place. Alex Marquez is solidly in sixth. Rins has taken a half a second out of the gap between he and the second and third place duo of Morbidelli and Luthi. Sam Lowes is fine after his crashes. But, the motorcycle itself is junk. Two laps remain. Zarco is clear of Luthi by 2.6 seconds. Luthi is still having the blowtorch applied by Morbidelli. Rins' fight for second has run it's course. Morbidelli is on his way to a career best finish. Morbidelli moves into the slipstream of Tom Luthi. It is the final lap of the race. Zarco crosses the line turning in a 1:29.7. Luthi matches that lap time.
Zarco could become the most successful French rider in Grand Prix motorcycle racing history. Tom Luthi is right alongside Franco Morbidelli. Luthi runs wide, Morbidelli has the grip on the outside. Morbidelli runs wide, and Luthi returns the favor. Alex Rins is right in view now, so if these two crash, he can sail through. Morbidelli fights back on Luthi to go into second. Oh dear! Luthi is going to lose a podium place! Like sand slipping through his fingers, Luthi gets passed by Rins! Luthi is out wide. Rins takes third! Zarco wins it! Morbidelli is second. Rins is third. Luthi is robbed of a podium spot!
#5 Johann Zarco FRA. Kalex
The next Moto2 race is at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic. Stay tuned for that event, coming soon.
Friday, December 30, 2016
Thursday, December 29, 2016
MotoGP Round 10: Austria
We rewind to August 14th, and a return of MotoGP to Austria, at the Red Bull Ring. Hard, medium, and soft tires are available. New hard and medium tires will meet the demands of the Red Bull Ring. This is the fastest circuit these blokes will race on all year, besides Phillip Island in Australia. Ducati's have horsepower to burn, but fuel mileage may be critical. It's nice to see sunshine. No rain in Austria. The location and the circuit, are both incredible. Five-time World Champion, Mick Doohan is here. He won the last time the bikes raced here, in the 500cc days, in 1997. Lots of car and motorcycle racing legends are in attendance to watch MotoGP including Mark Webber (ex F1 and sports car ace), Gerhard Berger (the native Austrian who was successful in F1), and also, a great racer on both two wheels and four, Venezuela's Johnny Cecotto.
Casey Stoner is also here. Ducati hopes for their first win in six years. There's no way you can predict a MotoGP race, especially here in Austria. Andrea Ianonne is on pole. Valentino Rossi will roll off in second. Ducati has done a last second tire compound switch. Check that. The hard tire is the least risk for everyone to take on this circuit. No discussion about going to the medium Michelin tire. Jack Miller had a big wreck in the morning warmup, to compound two other wrecks he had earlier in the weekend. So, he will not start, and will be a spectator rather than a competitor. In the crash, he fractured a vertebrae in his back, and also, his right wrist.
Marc Marquez is fifth. Jorge Lorenzo is also starting well. Maverick Vinales rolls off sixth. Lorenzo, mentioned earlier, is fourth, on the Yamaha. Lorenzo trails Marc Marquez by 48 points. Cal Crutchlow rolls off seventh. Scott Redding is eighth on the Octo Pramac Ducati. Andrea Dovizioso is third on the grid. Andrea Iannone has the softer front tire, while Dovizioso is on the harder Michelin front tire. Aleix Espargaro is ninth, and he has a fractured bone in his left hand. Iannone changes to the medium rear tire. Hector Barbera rounds out the top ten.
Eugene Laverty is 11th. 12th is Dani Pedrosa. Danilo Petrucci is 13th. 28 laps scheduled for this race in Austria. Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro round out the top 15. Smith has had a bad time this weekend. Both of these blokes will race for KTM in 2017. So, stand by for drama, as we prepare to race at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. This is the fastest track on the MotoGP calendar. This is the first all Italian front row in MotoGP in a decade, since Motegi, Japan, in 2006. Andrea Iannone has made a huge gamble. Will it pay off? We are set to race in Austria.
Marc Marquez has no painkillers in his shoulder. It is taped up. He should be good to go for this race. Here are our post time weather conditions. 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature. 46 degrees Celsius (114 degrees Fahrenheit), track temperature. No threat of rain whatsoever, thankfully! It'll be hot for the tires. 95,000 fans are ready to watch a great race. 48 points Marc Marquez is ahead of Lorenzo in the championship. It is time, to race, in Austria, for the first time for MotoGP, and the first time for world championship motorcycle racing in 19 years!
Red lights, on. Red lights, out! Away we go! Andrea Iannone gets a good start, but a couple riders do jump the start. Hector Barbera was for sure one of them. Andrea Iannone leads, ahead of Andrea Dovizioso. It's a Ducati 1-2 as they head up the hill through turns one and two and into the treacherous turn three. Ianonne leads. Valentino Rossi is desperate to get past both of the Ducati's. Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo nearly made contact in turn one. Rossi makes a move up inside Dovizioso. Rossi splits the Ducati's as they barrel towards turn nine for the first time, coming up to complete the first lap here in Austria. Rossi sweeps inside Andrea Iannone for the lead!
Rossi leads, but the Ducati wants to take the spot back! 300 kilometers an hour towards turn three, up the hill. That's almost 188 miles an hour! Andrea Dovizioso goes inside Valentino Rossi! Rossi makes a mistake, and here comes Jorge Lorenzo to second! Ianonne has not yet broken away from the rest of the field. Will his tires be knackered at the end of the race? They plunge downhill to the final turn and Marc Marquez is right behind Valentino Rossi now. Rossi makes a pass on Andrea Dovizioso. Dovizioso and Ducati have the horsepower, even if Jorge Lorenzo manages to set fast lap so far at 1:25.646. Lorenzo is alongside Iannone as they race to turn four. Lorenzo tries Iannone and just barely gets held back! This is the closest race we've seen so far in 2016. Amazing stuff!
Rossi fights his way back past Marquez. Dovizioso resets fast lap at 1:25.403. Jorge Lorenzo takes the lead away from the Ducati into turn three! A number of riders did in fact jump the start. Hector Barbera and Stefan Bradl were some of them. Alvaro Bautista and Yonny Hernandez did so as well. Andrea Iannone continues to lead as Rossi sets new fast lap at 1:25.129. Maverick Vinales and Suzuki are having a great run in sixth place. Cal Crutchlow is another rider to jump the start. Yonny Hernandez is entering pit lane. Stefan Bradl is too. Clearly, it is to serve their penalties for jumping the start.
Andrea Dovizioso goes past Jorge Lorenzo. Alvaro Bautista serves his ride through penalty as well. Mechanical woes are evident for Stefan Bradl on the Aprilia. Game over. Well, no. He's still in the race. Rossi lowers fastest lap to 1:24.925 and is the first man in the 1:24 range. Working lap seven, as Cal Crutchlow is now in the lane. Bradl's stop was a miscommunication. Marc Marquez and Maverick Vinales haven't got the pace of the lead quartet. The gap has closed up. The top four are Ducati, Ducati, Yamaha, Yamaha. Your top fifteen right now are:
1. Andrea Ianonne
2. Andrea Dovizioso
3. Jorge Lorenzo
4. Valentino Rossi
5. Marc Marquez
6. Maverick Vinales
7. Hector Barbera
8. Eugene Laverty
9. Dani Pedrosa
10. Scott Redding
11. Aleix Espargaro
12. Bradley Smith
13. Danilo Petrucci
14. Pol Espargaro
15. Tito Rabat
Eugene Laverty does not have a secure future in MotoGP for next season. The race is now beginning to settle down. The Ducati's can't open too big a gap on everyone else. Hector Barbera just signed a new contract with Avintia Ducati. But he needs to serve his ride through penalty. Dovizioso is closing up on Andrea Ianonne. The riders chasing Ianonne have harder compound tires on their motorcycles. Stefan Bradl has to come back in for a second ride through penalty. He's had a fraught race so far. Dovizioso has taken over the race lead with 18 laps left now. He's had a good, long look at Ianonne and made the pass.
Barbera needs to pit. Fatigue is setting in for Marc Marquez, as Maverick Vinales wants to pass Marquez. Honda vs. Suzuki. Stefan Bradl goes back on track. Andrea Ianonne is also playing hurt. He damaged his ribs in a motocross wreck during the summer break, and has to be feeling sore. Andrea Dovizioso has now lowered fastest lap down to a 1:24.728. Marc Marquez ran horridly wide at turn one. Hector Barbera is given the black flag. He hasn't obeyed his penalty and will score nil points. Eugene Laverty will now be the top independent rider. A gap emerges between the Ducati's and the Yamaha's.
Marquez is dropping in pace and his shoulder is surely bothering him. Rossi and Lorenzo battle as Dovizioso continues to lead. If Rossi is going to challenge the Ducati's, he'll have to make a move ASAP. Hector Barbera is black flagged and headed to the garage. He's going to be furious. Dovizioso is chasing only his second MotoGP win in 250 starts. He is a world champion in the old 125cc class. Hector Barbera has finished in the last 19 races. But the streak is now over. We are on lap 14, half distance here in Austria. Rossi is struggling to run on par with Lorenzo.
Marc Marquez fends off the challenge from Maverick Vinales. Andrea Ianonne now lowers fastest lap to a 1:24.697. Ianonne is closing on Dovizioso. These two took each other out in Argentina. 12 laps left. This race is far from over. Rossi runs his personal best lap. Scott Redding passes Eugene Laverty, and Bradley Smith is also back there. Ducati leads, and Yamaha is coming. Both Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi are going for it. Paolo Ciabatti and Gigi Dall'Igna look on. Those two are the brain trust of the Ducati MotoGP team. Dovizioso now lowers fast lap down again, to a 1:24.686.
We have ten laps left in this race. This is a classic! Ducati has dominated this whole weekend. Can they hold on for a victory? The gap is now 4/10ths of a second. Dani Pedrosa is within a half a second of the race leaders, but is still far behind. The amazing part about a MotoGP bike, is some riders use only one finger to pull on the brake lever, to stop a monster, that has 260 horsepower, and can achieve a top speed of 220 miles an hour. Simply mind boggling. It is now a mano e mano fight between the Ducati riders. It's Bologna vs. Bologna. Ianonne resets fast lap at 1:24.628 and thinks about looking inside Dovizioso. No dice.
We could be watching a battle for third between the two Yamaha riders. It's been exactly 100 Grand Prix races since Ducati's last win in MotoGP at Phillip Island in Australia with Casey Stoner in 2010. Iannone leads Dovizioso by a tenth of a second. Dovizioso waits to try and pass "The Maniac" as Andrea Ianonne is called. This is personal. No love lost after the crash in Argentina. These two do not like each other. This will go all the way to the checkered flag. Ianonne leads by 3/10ths of a second now. Just six laps now remain. Make that five.
The gap between the Ducati's is 2/10ths of a second. Lorenzo is a second behind Ianonne. Lorenzo has been keeping Rossi at bay. Ducati chases their first win in six years. Four laps left. Ianonne has put in a new fast lap at 1:24.561. Ianonne is pulling away. Dovizioso is not letting him get away. Ianonne is under immense pressure. Aleix Espargaro brings his Suzuki to pit lane. Game over for Aleix Espargaro. Espargaro is in pain due to a broken finger. Lorenzo is now 1.7 seconds behind Dovizioso. Two laps remain at the Red Bull Ring. Will it be Iannone or Dovizioso taking the win for Ducati?
Your top fifteen as we come to the finish.
1. Andrea Iannone
2. Andrea Dovizioso
3. Jorge Lorenzo
4. Valentino Rossi
5. Marc Marquez
6. Maverick Vinales
7. Dani Pedrosa
8. Scott Redding
9. Bradley Smith
10. Aleix Espargaro
11. Eugene Laverty
12. Danilo Petrucci
13. Michele Pirro
14. Tito Rabat
15. Loris Baz
Marc Marquez does not lose an advantage in points, 43 points ahead of Jorge Lorenzo. It is the last lap. Ducati will get their first win in six years, if they hold on for one lap more. Which Andrea will do it? Half a lap to go now. Andrea Iannone is going to win in Austria! Ducati wins in MotoGP again! Andrea Iannone's first ever MotoGP win!
#29 Andrea Iannone ITA. Ducati
Eugene Laverty sadly, crashes out of the race at the final corner, from 11th spot! Oh dear! Cruel luck. Andrea Iannone, celebrates! 2,128 days since Ducati last won a race. Wow! Eugene Laverty will finish 18th. Riders who have won for Ducati in MotoGP in recent years include Casey Stoner, Loris Capirossi, Troy Bayliss, and now, Andrea Iannone. Andrea Dovizioso will not be happy with second place. The two Andrea's do not see eye to eye. What a great return of MotoGP to Austria. Next up for MotoGP, will be the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic. Stay tuned for that race report.
Casey Stoner is also here. Ducati hopes for their first win in six years. There's no way you can predict a MotoGP race, especially here in Austria. Andrea Ianonne is on pole. Valentino Rossi will roll off in second. Ducati has done a last second tire compound switch. Check that. The hard tire is the least risk for everyone to take on this circuit. No discussion about going to the medium Michelin tire. Jack Miller had a big wreck in the morning warmup, to compound two other wrecks he had earlier in the weekend. So, he will not start, and will be a spectator rather than a competitor. In the crash, he fractured a vertebrae in his back, and also, his right wrist.
Marc Marquez is fifth. Jorge Lorenzo is also starting well. Maverick Vinales rolls off sixth. Lorenzo, mentioned earlier, is fourth, on the Yamaha. Lorenzo trails Marc Marquez by 48 points. Cal Crutchlow rolls off seventh. Scott Redding is eighth on the Octo Pramac Ducati. Andrea Dovizioso is third on the grid. Andrea Iannone has the softer front tire, while Dovizioso is on the harder Michelin front tire. Aleix Espargaro is ninth, and he has a fractured bone in his left hand. Iannone changes to the medium rear tire. Hector Barbera rounds out the top ten.
Eugene Laverty is 11th. 12th is Dani Pedrosa. Danilo Petrucci is 13th. 28 laps scheduled for this race in Austria. Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro round out the top 15. Smith has had a bad time this weekend. Both of these blokes will race for KTM in 2017. So, stand by for drama, as we prepare to race at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. This is the fastest track on the MotoGP calendar. This is the first all Italian front row in MotoGP in a decade, since Motegi, Japan, in 2006. Andrea Iannone has made a huge gamble. Will it pay off? We are set to race in Austria.
Marc Marquez has no painkillers in his shoulder. It is taped up. He should be good to go for this race. Here are our post time weather conditions. 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature. 46 degrees Celsius (114 degrees Fahrenheit), track temperature. No threat of rain whatsoever, thankfully! It'll be hot for the tires. 95,000 fans are ready to watch a great race. 48 points Marc Marquez is ahead of Lorenzo in the championship. It is time, to race, in Austria, for the first time for MotoGP, and the first time for world championship motorcycle racing in 19 years!
Red lights, on. Red lights, out! Away we go! Andrea Iannone gets a good start, but a couple riders do jump the start. Hector Barbera was for sure one of them. Andrea Iannone leads, ahead of Andrea Dovizioso. It's a Ducati 1-2 as they head up the hill through turns one and two and into the treacherous turn three. Ianonne leads. Valentino Rossi is desperate to get past both of the Ducati's. Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo nearly made contact in turn one. Rossi makes a move up inside Dovizioso. Rossi splits the Ducati's as they barrel towards turn nine for the first time, coming up to complete the first lap here in Austria. Rossi sweeps inside Andrea Iannone for the lead!
Rossi leads, but the Ducati wants to take the spot back! 300 kilometers an hour towards turn three, up the hill. That's almost 188 miles an hour! Andrea Dovizioso goes inside Valentino Rossi! Rossi makes a mistake, and here comes Jorge Lorenzo to second! Ianonne has not yet broken away from the rest of the field. Will his tires be knackered at the end of the race? They plunge downhill to the final turn and Marc Marquez is right behind Valentino Rossi now. Rossi makes a pass on Andrea Dovizioso. Dovizioso and Ducati have the horsepower, even if Jorge Lorenzo manages to set fast lap so far at 1:25.646. Lorenzo is alongside Iannone as they race to turn four. Lorenzo tries Iannone and just barely gets held back! This is the closest race we've seen so far in 2016. Amazing stuff!
Rossi fights his way back past Marquez. Dovizioso resets fast lap at 1:25.403. Jorge Lorenzo takes the lead away from the Ducati into turn three! A number of riders did in fact jump the start. Hector Barbera and Stefan Bradl were some of them. Alvaro Bautista and Yonny Hernandez did so as well. Andrea Iannone continues to lead as Rossi sets new fast lap at 1:25.129. Maverick Vinales and Suzuki are having a great run in sixth place. Cal Crutchlow is another rider to jump the start. Yonny Hernandez is entering pit lane. Stefan Bradl is too. Clearly, it is to serve their penalties for jumping the start.
Andrea Dovizioso goes past Jorge Lorenzo. Alvaro Bautista serves his ride through penalty as well. Mechanical woes are evident for Stefan Bradl on the Aprilia. Game over. Well, no. He's still in the race. Rossi lowers fastest lap to 1:24.925 and is the first man in the 1:24 range. Working lap seven, as Cal Crutchlow is now in the lane. Bradl's stop was a miscommunication. Marc Marquez and Maverick Vinales haven't got the pace of the lead quartet. The gap has closed up. The top four are Ducati, Ducati, Yamaha, Yamaha. Your top fifteen right now are:
1. Andrea Ianonne
2. Andrea Dovizioso
3. Jorge Lorenzo
4. Valentino Rossi
5. Marc Marquez
6. Maverick Vinales
7. Hector Barbera
8. Eugene Laverty
9. Dani Pedrosa
10. Scott Redding
11. Aleix Espargaro
12. Bradley Smith
13. Danilo Petrucci
14. Pol Espargaro
15. Tito Rabat
Eugene Laverty does not have a secure future in MotoGP for next season. The race is now beginning to settle down. The Ducati's can't open too big a gap on everyone else. Hector Barbera just signed a new contract with Avintia Ducati. But he needs to serve his ride through penalty. Dovizioso is closing up on Andrea Ianonne. The riders chasing Ianonne have harder compound tires on their motorcycles. Stefan Bradl has to come back in for a second ride through penalty. He's had a fraught race so far. Dovizioso has taken over the race lead with 18 laps left now. He's had a good, long look at Ianonne and made the pass.
Barbera needs to pit. Fatigue is setting in for Marc Marquez, as Maverick Vinales wants to pass Marquez. Honda vs. Suzuki. Stefan Bradl goes back on track. Andrea Ianonne is also playing hurt. He damaged his ribs in a motocross wreck during the summer break, and has to be feeling sore. Andrea Dovizioso has now lowered fastest lap down to a 1:24.728. Marc Marquez ran horridly wide at turn one. Hector Barbera is given the black flag. He hasn't obeyed his penalty and will score nil points. Eugene Laverty will now be the top independent rider. A gap emerges between the Ducati's and the Yamaha's.
Marquez is dropping in pace and his shoulder is surely bothering him. Rossi and Lorenzo battle as Dovizioso continues to lead. If Rossi is going to challenge the Ducati's, he'll have to make a move ASAP. Hector Barbera is black flagged and headed to the garage. He's going to be furious. Dovizioso is chasing only his second MotoGP win in 250 starts. He is a world champion in the old 125cc class. Hector Barbera has finished in the last 19 races. But the streak is now over. We are on lap 14, half distance here in Austria. Rossi is struggling to run on par with Lorenzo.
Marc Marquez fends off the challenge from Maverick Vinales. Andrea Ianonne now lowers fastest lap to a 1:24.697. Ianonne is closing on Dovizioso. These two took each other out in Argentina. 12 laps left. This race is far from over. Rossi runs his personal best lap. Scott Redding passes Eugene Laverty, and Bradley Smith is also back there. Ducati leads, and Yamaha is coming. Both Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi are going for it. Paolo Ciabatti and Gigi Dall'Igna look on. Those two are the brain trust of the Ducati MotoGP team. Dovizioso now lowers fast lap down again, to a 1:24.686.
We have ten laps left in this race. This is a classic! Ducati has dominated this whole weekend. Can they hold on for a victory? The gap is now 4/10ths of a second. Dani Pedrosa is within a half a second of the race leaders, but is still far behind. The amazing part about a MotoGP bike, is some riders use only one finger to pull on the brake lever, to stop a monster, that has 260 horsepower, and can achieve a top speed of 220 miles an hour. Simply mind boggling. It is now a mano e mano fight between the Ducati riders. It's Bologna vs. Bologna. Ianonne resets fast lap at 1:24.628 and thinks about looking inside Dovizioso. No dice.
We could be watching a battle for third between the two Yamaha riders. It's been exactly 100 Grand Prix races since Ducati's last win in MotoGP at Phillip Island in Australia with Casey Stoner in 2010. Iannone leads Dovizioso by a tenth of a second. Dovizioso waits to try and pass "The Maniac" as Andrea Ianonne is called. This is personal. No love lost after the crash in Argentina. These two do not like each other. This will go all the way to the checkered flag. Ianonne leads by 3/10ths of a second now. Just six laps now remain. Make that five.
The gap between the Ducati's is 2/10ths of a second. Lorenzo is a second behind Ianonne. Lorenzo has been keeping Rossi at bay. Ducati chases their first win in six years. Four laps left. Ianonne has put in a new fast lap at 1:24.561. Ianonne is pulling away. Dovizioso is not letting him get away. Ianonne is under immense pressure. Aleix Espargaro brings his Suzuki to pit lane. Game over for Aleix Espargaro. Espargaro is in pain due to a broken finger. Lorenzo is now 1.7 seconds behind Dovizioso. Two laps remain at the Red Bull Ring. Will it be Iannone or Dovizioso taking the win for Ducati?
Your top fifteen as we come to the finish.
1. Andrea Iannone
2. Andrea Dovizioso
3. Jorge Lorenzo
4. Valentino Rossi
5. Marc Marquez
6. Maverick Vinales
7. Dani Pedrosa
8. Scott Redding
9. Bradley Smith
10. Aleix Espargaro
11. Eugene Laverty
12. Danilo Petrucci
13. Michele Pirro
14. Tito Rabat
15. Loris Baz
Marc Marquez does not lose an advantage in points, 43 points ahead of Jorge Lorenzo. It is the last lap. Ducati will get their first win in six years, if they hold on for one lap more. Which Andrea will do it? Half a lap to go now. Andrea Iannone is going to win in Austria! Ducati wins in MotoGP again! Andrea Iannone's first ever MotoGP win!
#29 Andrea Iannone ITA. Ducati
Eugene Laverty sadly, crashes out of the race at the final corner, from 11th spot! Oh dear! Cruel luck. Andrea Iannone, celebrates! 2,128 days since Ducati last won a race. Wow! Eugene Laverty will finish 18th. Riders who have won for Ducati in MotoGP in recent years include Casey Stoner, Loris Capirossi, Troy Bayliss, and now, Andrea Iannone. Andrea Dovizioso will not be happy with second place. The two Andrea's do not see eye to eye. What a great return of MotoGP to Austria. Next up for MotoGP, will be the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic. Stay tuned for that race report.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
MotoGP news after Germany and before Austria
More news from MotoGP heading to the Red Bull Ring in
Spielberg, Austria.
http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/rossi-lorenzo-buoyed-by-smaller-gap-to-ducati-807054/?s=1
Injured Miller ruled out of Red Bull Ring race
Marquez took "a lot of risks" on way to German GP
victory
Crutchlow: "I didn't care if I crashed" in closing
stages
Redding "really frustrated" with costly
intermediate tyre call
Rossi admits he was "very slow" after bike switch
Lorenzo insists: "The championship is not
finished"
Marquez's winning MotoGP bike rebuilt in under two hours
Vinales urges Suzuki to solve wet-weather woes
Dovizioso knew he "screwed up" with wet weather
pit timing
Telemetry confirms Marquez's bike swap was legal
Rossi would support F1-style team radio in MotoGP
Bike issue stopped Pedrosa from following Marquez's strategy
Dovizioso leads first day of Austria test as Ducati
dominates
Yamaha MotoGP duo admit they're struggling in Red Bull Ring
test
KTM to make MotoGP debut in wild-card at Valencia
Stoner to decide on wild-card after Austria test - Ducati
How did Marc Marquez win in Germany? MotoGP Editor for motorsport.com, Oriol
Puigdemont has the answer.
Analysis: How Marquez outplanned his rivals to salvage
Germany win
Iannone leads Ducati 1-2-3-4 on final day of Austria test
Lorenzo hails "impressive" and
"unbelievable" Stoner
Bradl to leave MotoGP after Avinita talks fall through
Ducati says Lorenzo knows its bike is competitive
Espargaro: "I'm far from the level I should be on"
Dovizioso "not obsessed" with breaking MotoGP
losing streak
Lorenzo says Red Bull Ring's turn 2 "very
dangerous"
http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/lorenzo-says-red-bull-ring-s-turn-2-very-dangerous-802915/?s=1
Analysis: Alberto Puig's mid-season MotoGP review
Stoner says modern electronics have robbed MotoGP of
"finesse"
Espargaro: Aprilia has given me the love Suzuki didn't
Analysis: Why Ducati's Austria hopes hinge on tyre choice
Stat analysis: Can Lorenzo still win MotoGP title?
Ducati admits first half of 2016 hasn't met expectations
MotoGP to use modified last corner at Red Bull Ring
Stoner's former crew chief set to join Lorenzo in 2017
MotoGP extends Sachsenring deal until 2021
Redding blasts "tracks designed for cars" amid Red
Bull Ring concerns
The Ducati Team gears up for new challenge at Zeltweg
Rossi highlights "very dangerous" Turn 8 as safety
concern
Ducati riders set to dominate Austria race, says Petrucci
Iannone to take crew chief to Suzuki in 2017
MotoGP working on pit to rider communication system
Espargaro fractures finger in FP2 crash
Laverty accuses Iannone of having "no respect for
anybody"
Marquez: Ducati is far, but we can fight Yamaha
Rossi insists Ducati victory in Austria not foregone
conclusion
Lorenzo: Ducati advantage as big as Mercedes in F1
After dislocating his shoulder in Practice 3, Marc Marquez has
been cleared for qualifying.
Marquez fit to compete in qualifying after hospital checks
KTM officially launches 2017 MotoGP challenger
Rossi thrilled with “fantastic” lap to split Ducati’s in
Austria
Vinales’ frustration at Suzuki acceleration deficit mounts
Crutchlow: Ducati should’ve locked out first three rows
Marquez shrugs off shoulder injury in practice crash
Dovizioso bullish about Ducati’s pace on worn tyres
http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/dovizioso-bullish-about-ducatis-pace-on-worn-tyres-807034/?s=1
Rossi, Lorenzo buoyed by smaller gap to Ducati
Avintia confirms unchanged lineup of Barbera, Baz for 2017
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