Austria MotoGP: Race Statistic and Full Schedule this Weekend
- Jan Woitas/dpa via AP
VIVA – The 13th MotoGP race in the 2022 season will take place at the Red Bull Ring Circuit in Spielberg, Austria this weekend.
The MotoGP Grand Prix was held again in Austria in 2016 after an 18-year hiatus. The first Austria MotoGP was held in 1971 at the Salzburg ring which has hosted the Grand Prix 22 times.
In the inaugural Austrian GP, ??Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) won the 500cc race after finishing the race with a distance of more than one lap compared to Keith Turner who finished as runner-up. Agostini also won in the 350cc class.
The Red Bull Ring had held two GPs before 2016, in 1996 and 1997, when the circuit was still called the A1-Ring. For 2022, the circuit layout at Spielberg has undergone a slight modification with the addition of a chicane after Turn 1.
Ducati has won the Red Bull Ring six times since 2016 through Andrea Iannone after starting from pole position, Andrea Dovizioso in 2017, 2019, and 2020/2021, Jorge Lorenzo in 2018, and Jorge Martin in 2021 from pole position.
Pembalap Yamaha RNF, Andrea Dovizioso
- AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim
In 2016, Lannone tasted his first win since moving up to the MotoGP class and presented Ducati with his first win since Casey Stoner finished first in the Austria GP in 2010.
With Dovizioso finishing second, it was Ducati's first 1-2 finish in MotoGP for the first time since the 2007 Australian GP win by Stoner from Loris Capirossi.
The 2016 Austrian GP was also the first time Italian riders on an Italian motorcycle finished 1-2 in the premier class since the 1972 Finnish 500cc GP at Imatra won by Giacomo Agostini and team-mate Alberto Pagani. These two riders raced for MV Agusta.
Meanwhile, KTM collected two wins on their home circuit as Miguel Oliveira won the 2020 Styria MotoGP which was the first victory for the rider in the class and Brad Binder at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix.
While Honda secured the top podium at the Austrian circuit in the 500cc race in 1996 and 1997 through Alex Criville and Mick Doohan. Honda's most recent best result at the Red Bull Ring was P2 for Marc Marquez from 2017 to 2019.
Pembalap Repsol Honda, Marc Marquez.
- AP Photo/Antonio Calanni
The Red Bull Ring includes three tracks in the current calendar where Marc Marquez has raced but never won in the premier class. The other two are Portimao and Mandalika.
Yamaha's best results at the Red Bull Ring were Jorge Lorenzo's P3 in 2016 and Fabio Quartararo in 2019 and 2021. Norick Abe and Luca Cadalora also finished P3 in 1996 and 1997 in 500cc racing at the A1 Ring.
Suzuki have also never tasted Spielberg's top podium when their best result was Joan Mir's P2 at the 2020 and 2021 Styria GP.
Aprilia, who has thrived this season, achieved her best result in Austria when Aleix Espargaro finished P10 at the 2021 Austrian GP. Aprilia is the only one manufacturers who have not tasted the sweetness of the MotoGP podium at the track.
Honda controlled pole position from 2017 to 2019 at the Red Bull Ring, all of which were won by Marc Marquez. Then in the first race in Austria in 2020, Maverick Vinales offered pole for Yamaha, then in the second race (GP Styria) Pol Espargaro took pole for KTM.
After Miguel Oliveira, Jack Miller and Pol Espargaro on the podium at the 2020 Styria GP, for the first time the premier class podium has not been filled by a Japanese manufacturer since the 1973 Swedish GP when Phil Read (MV Agusta), Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) and Kim Newcombe ( König) went up to the pulpit.
The 2016 Austrian GP recorded a top average speed of 182.4 km/h. At the 2021 Styria GP, the average speed is 183.4 km/hour, although the race has to be restarted.
Heading to Austria, standings leader Fabio Quartararo of Yamaha is under pressure as he sits just 22 points clear of nearest rival Aleix Espargaro of the Aprilia team who is the only rider to always finish with a point so far in 2022.
Pembalap Ducati, Francesco Bagnaia.
- Instagram/@ducaticorse
Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia is slowly moving forward. The land crawled to third place in the standings armed with four wins in the last seven races.
Bagnaia's victory was complemented by Jack Miller on the podium at the British Grand Prix two weeks ago, thus becoming a new milestone for Ducati, which is now on its 200th podium in MotoGP.
Marquez, who has decided to take a break from the race to continue recovering his injured arm, will visit the Repsol Honda team's garage in Austria, not to take to the track but to help develop the RC213V bike.
Well, here’s the complete schedule for the Austria MotoGP, August 19 to 21, 2022:
Friday, August 19, 2022
FP1: 2.55 PM to 3.40 PM
FP2: 7.10 PM to 7.55 PM
Saturday, August 20, 2022
FP3: 2.55 PM to 3.40 PM
FP4: 6.30 PM to 7 PM
Qualifying: 7.10 PM to 7.50 PM
Sunday, August 22, 2022
Warm Up: 2.40 PM to 3 PM
Race: 7 PM
