Austria Red Bull Ring Ready For Pecco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo & Aleix Espargaro To Go Head-To-Head!
Author: Myanna Wedes
The 2022 Austrian Grand Prix is ready to welcome fans and riders with plenty up for grabs: the title lead, honours of winning on KTM home soil and of course the exhilaration of having Marc Marquez back in the paddock to provide an update on his current health, condition and return date to the premier class. The Spanish Ant was seen in the paddock working with his team, discussing the arm surgery undertaken, rehabilitation exercises and to reacquaint himself with the team in particular his engineer Santi Hernández. We are still not aware of when M Marquez will come back to race, however, we know he is on the right path to achieve the goal of getting back on board his Honda machine and we know Honda need him more than ever due to their current performance levels. The bone and arm itself is feeling better which is great news for M Marquez who has been super patient with the healing process. This time around, the multi–World Champion has not rushed back and instead is going about the rehabilitation program with a clear pathway to regain an opportunity to fight for a title once again. Everyone must remember that M Marquez is not able to have another surgery after this one, so this is the last opportunity to race like a warrior and go for the glory. In addition to the analysis of his injury, we have managed to gain some further insight from the Repsol Honda rider which is reflected below for those who follow his journey closely.
Marc Marquez #93:
“Step by step I am feeling better, and the bone is healing in a good way, which is the best news of all. We are still in rehabilitation mode; I am working very hard on the cardio side to try and be ready. At the end of August, I have another medical check, from there we can make another step with the rehabilitation and really start pushing and building muscles. Some days are better than others, but this is all part of the journey. I’m optimistic, but I don’t want to say too much about timings until we have this check – it’s not the time to push too much. I have waited a long time for these kinds of feelings,”.
“It has been a struggle, it’s not two days or two months I have been struggling, it’s two years,” he continued. “I won some races last year like this, but I was struggling a lot. In Jerez I realised something had to change. It was hard and is hard now mentally – not because I am not racing, but because you always have this doubt about the arm. I can’t have another operation. I am convinced this one will be good, but these thoughts are always there in the back of your mind.”
“Honda is in a critical moment. I am speaking a lot with my team and trying to understand the 2022 bike, the situation and what is happening. This is why I will go to Austria, to speak to everyone and to meet with the HRC staff from Japan to work for the future. We are all working together, we win together, we lose together, and we will come back together. I’m speaking a lot with Stefan Bradl as well, us and Santi are working together and testing things – both know how I ride. I said in Mugello that I will be at home, but I want to stay connected. With the previous operation I disconnected too much, and I want to be involved so that when I come back, I will have everything fresh.”
The dedication of riders like M Marquez demonstrates how important it is to be involved in the team in more ways than just being a rider. You must be “a team” literally rather than just the rider who shows up for the team. You must lead. This is what sets apart the Champions from the contenders. As we watch M Marquez continue his exercise regime, the Honda brand will be watching Aprilia closely to see how their bike stacks up circuit by circuit even in the mixed conditions. They are the team to follow considering their rise to performance in 2022.
This weekend we are expecting a battle royale between Fabio Quartararo, Pecco Bagnaia and Aleix Espargaro. All three riders are closely following one another and with the last two victories going Bagnaia’s way, every point thereon is vital. The circuit itself has been changed due to safety concerns discussed previously and the riders will need to adapt to determine the fastest lines, their comfort levels and what tyres are going to be essential this weekend. We say tyres because last race, so many riders made errors on the grid with last minute changes and no doubt this impacted their overall result. Quartararo is aware that Yamaha has brought as much as they can to the table and it is on him to continue developing, learning, and adapting. He is doing everything he possibly can to always remain competitive as sometimes a solo Yamaha rider in the top ten. Whereas A Espargaro must work hard to be on top of his goals this weekend with the news of a fractured heel. The Aprilia rider feels good, though no doubt walking is not a comfortable exercise, and he prefers to be riding as there is less direct impact on the area. The 2022 RS-GP has improved and the key areas where A Espargaro notes its growth is with the aerodynamics side and pure performance of the engine as the engine revs more. The wings also help with the wheelie of the bike and to stop the bike. It is the all-round package and one to beat. The pressure is mounting from Ducati and Aprilia on Yamaha. Therefore, Bagnaia is the man to watch this weekend if you look at the momentum demonstrated in the past two race events. The Ducati itself is a competitive bike and the Austrian circuit does throw a spanner into the works with the Italian bike as the new fairing does produce less top speed. As with every Ducati bike, we know they can find ways to improve even if its during warm up on race day, so we expect Bagnaia to be fighting at the front.
Fabio Quartararo #20:
“After Silverstone I was a bit disappointed, but I used that energy in a productive way. I’ve been doing a lot of training, and I feel focused and ready for the weekend. With no penalties pending, this GP will feel more ‘normal’. Our only goal is to do the best job we possibly can here. We know Spielberg is not our strongest track, but I got third here in 2019 and 2021. If we keep the right attitude and work hard, we can get good results.”
Pecco Bagnaia #63:
"At Silverstone, we recovered several points in the overall standings, but for the moment, I don't want to think about the Championship. I must stay focused, race by race, trying to get the best possible result. In the last GP, I got an unexpected victory, and I think it was one of the best of my career. Now we come to Austria, on a track that historically has always been favourable to Ducati. We'll have to see what it will be like now with the new chicane, but I'm convinced that the conditions are there for us to do well. I'm ready and excited to race at the Red Bull Ring again!"
Alex Espargaro #41:
"My physical situation is improving day by day. The edema in my left foot has practically disappeared while my right foot, the one that was fractured at Silverstone, is still causing me some pain. However, I think I won't have any problems this weekend and I'm aiming for a good race. I am curious to see how the RS-GP will perform at the Austrian track, our goal remains to be fast at every opportunity."
The other riders to watch this weekend are Maverick Vinales, Jack Miller, Pol Espargaro and Brad Binder. As we have seen in 2022, varying manufacturers can win races. The leading rider for KTM is Binder who is looking forward to testing out the new circuit upgrades and relying on his test team’s data who were at the circuit a couple of weeks prior. The South African rider has doubt about the qualifying performance though wants to get out on circuit to see how it feels with the track changes and where the other teams are finding pace to analyse how the KTM machine can improve for this second half of 2022. The pressure is on for KTM because they do have Jack Miller arriving at the squad in 2023 and the Australian rider wants the glory, the title and wins on the board. Miller will be watching the KTM factory closely to see how their second half of the season pans out. The KTM factory has news being announced this weekend and with that wants more out of the sport. Their goal is to be Championship winning manufacturer. The same decision to make a change was carried out by Vinales and the gamble has certainly paid off. The Aprilia MotoGP rider has achieved podium finishes with the Italian factory and is continuing to find form alongside fellow teammate A Espargaro. On the other hand, it will be the last season for P Espargaro with Honda as he departs back to KTM. The new turn 2 chicane is bound to challenge the riders and especially with more than two riders entering the corner. We have no doubt, there will be tumbles!
Brad Binder #33:
"Of course, this is a huge weekend for Red Bull and KTM, with it being their home race, and the closest one I have to a home race, I suppose. It’s been a big week for us, a lot of hype coming here, and of course, a lot of build-up. So, it’s exciting to get back on the bike here.”
Maverick Vinales #12:
"We come from two podiums in a row, our morale is definitely positive. I learnt a lot in the race at Silverstone and I will use the information gathered to continue to improve. Spielberg is a track I like and it could be the right opportunity to show the progress we have made over the last twelve months."
Jack Miller #43:
"I'm happy to be racing in Austria again this weekend. The Red Bull Ring is a track I like and where I have already finished on the podium in the past. Last year we were unlucky with a crash in the first race and rain that caught us in the second. My goal is to be able to redeem myself this year: we're going through a positive moment, and my sensations on the Desmosedici GP are really good. I'm confident and determined to do well in this race as well."
Pol Espargaro #44:
“Races in Austria always seem to be very dramatic but it is always a nice weekend. It’s a very particular lay out with a lot of very heavy braking, very stop and go and only a few corners. Let’s see how we perform this weekend, the Repsol Honda Team and HRC are working a lot to improve our situation. I am interested to see how the new chicane feels, the run to the top of the hill was very fast so I think this will be quite different. Our objective is to put together a smooth weekend and qualifying better, that’s key.”
In breaking news this weekend, the GasGas team is jumping in MotoGP. Hubert Trunkenpolz is very excited considering there has been 25,000 GasGas bikes sold and more e-bicycles. The successful engagement in Moto3, Moto2 and now transitioning in MotoGP is very exciting for the brand. It is in line with the GasGas overall strategy to go with Tech3 and KTM. The GasGas brand has success in Moto2 and Moto3 as well as off-track racing including the Dakar. Pit Beirer smiles as the positive steps in the paddock are being undertaken. It is an incredible journey for GasGas as they have grown from 2020 and continued to be stronger year upon year. Hervé Poncharal will be a part of this adventure and the winning brand is wanting to cement itself as a contender for the future. The motorcycle industry is evolving and as a European manufacturer, the goal is to grow and become more prominent as a choice for consumers and of course fans. It will be a full factory GasGas team. Racing is about challenges and Poncharal is looking forward to the challenges that will present themselves whilst seeing how MotoGP and its format shifts. The rider line up in 2023 will include Pol Espargaro. #GetOnTheGas is the slogan currently, in the motor range, there are no road bikes. It is a five-year project at least to stay in MotoGP and develop road bikes over the next few years with a launch of a bike as early as 2023. In terms of MotoGP, KTM will have two factory teams: identical bikes, the best they can deliver. The second rider in the team, they are not able to confirm yet. Nothing has been decided yet. There are talks of Miguel Oliveira, Remy Gardner, and others whilst building the young riders up from the junior classes to eventually step up to the premier class. As the news unfolds with riders deciding on their futures for 2023, we are excited to watch the Austrian race play out in live time to see who stands on top of the podium!
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