Jorge Lorenzo Wins Austrian Grand Prix after Epic Battle with Marquez
The 2018 Austrian Grand Prix was superb with a classic battle between Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo and Honda rider Marc Marquez. The race started with Lorenzo, Marquez, Andrea Dovizioso, Cal Crutchlow and Alex Rins chasing one another as the tyres began to increase to their optimum levels. Marquez adopted the tactic of going out fast and strong to build a gap as he selected a medium front and hard rear tyre whilst Lorenzo selected soft front and soft rear to which was more advantageous than Dovizioso’s selection of medium front and medium rear. However, it was a battle of machinery that also came in to play with the Ducati GP18 and RC213V 2018 Honda going head to head.
So let us analyse the two different machines. The Desmosedici GP’s acceleration worked perfectly around the circuit to enable Lorenzo to fight with confidence, strength and calmness. The Ducati achieves at least 5km/h more on the straight than the Honda and this is where Marquez is trying to improve because it is making a difference. The corner exit speeds are where the Ducati excels and Lorenzo has showcased his ability to ride the Italian beast going from 13th in the World Championship at one stage to now 3rd and only 71 points away from the Spanish Ant “Marquez”. The key difference with the tyre strategy is the fact that Lorenzo is smooth like butter when it comes to management of the rubber. Lorenzo: “Winning with Ducati on this circuit, where I had never won before, after a close quarters battle with Marquez, has a really special taste. Before the race I had thought about which strategy to use, and I decided to do like Brno, administering the tyre wear well and then attacking in the final part of the race, especially because I was one of the few riders who had chosen ‘soft’ tyres and my riding style allowed me to conserve them until the end.” The JL99 style is one to be admired and his new found sense of late braking a really strong point in line with the Desmosedici bike structure. Once the Ducati gets into fourth gear on the straights the wheelie pops and if you can manage it perfectly, the acceleration is incredible. In comparison, when Marquez goes in to fourth, fifth and sixth he can feel the increase though would love it to be more impactful. He is well aware that once the fourth gear is engaged by Lorenzo and DesmoDovi, they take off and are very hard to catch.
In looking at the RC213V 2018 Honda, it has improved tenfold. The tyre selection for the race was a tough one for Marquez who was undecided as to whether the medium or hard would be best. It was a combination of pushing straight away, braking hard and making use of the left hand corners which is where Marquez feels at home. In 2017, the Repsol Honda rider had a different setting but this year he felt a lot stronger in the first and second sectors whereas the Ducati riders improved in the third sector over the weekend. It was a lack of traction in turns four and five that had Marquez scratching his head on how to get passed Lorenzo. However, it was not meant to be as the Mallorcan rider sealed victory over Marquez an epic showdown that was truly special. Austria is a track where the GP18 is fast on the straights and the power disadvantage is still clearly an issue that Honda need to work on. The next few races are going to be challenging for both manufacturers as there are many positive and negative points. Marquez: “For sure we will use those strengths and have our say at other tracks.” Right now it is a battle between Honda and Ducati as Yamaha struggles to find race pace, confidence with the tyres and overall power dilemmas. Project leader Kouji Tsuya apologised to Valentino Rossi and Vinales during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend after the lack of performance and acceleration. Vinales in particular has a problem at the start of the race where the bike does not have any power and the issue is beyond frustrating. The two upcoming tests are vital for Yamaha!
Overall, the race was one to remember and Lorenzo considers it one of his greatest victories to date. For others like Cal Crutchlow it was a great race though unfortunate as he was not able to get anywhere near the front of the pack. Austria is Cal’s least favourite circuit. Crutchlow: “We weren’t able to compete for the podium here today, but before the weekend I said we’d be happy with a top six finish and that’s what we have come away with. I rode well, but I couldn’t go away with the front guys at the start. It was impossible with the hard front tyre as I needed to build heat into it, as I almost found out at turn four on the first lap when I nearly went down. I am obviously happy with the result today. I finished 15th here over the last couple of years, so to finish fourth today is a big step forward. To go away from here with valuable points and a couple of races of strong finishes it means that I can throw the chips all in at Silverstone in two weeks. A top-five finish won’t be out of the question, and I will aim to get onto that podium in front of the home fans.” There is no doubt that the British rider wears his heart on his sleeve and will always go out at 110%. Australian rider Jack Miller and close friend of Crutchlow had a superb start and then eventually had to settle for eighteenth place after overcooking his tyres. It was a real shame to see Miller go backwards when he is capable of finishing in the top ten. Miller: "It's a shame because the first part of the race was very good. I was pushing hard then the front wheel temperature rose too high and I was unable to keep the pace. It was a very difficult weekend. I can't wait to be in Silverstone”.
In the Moto2 and Moto3 categories, the races were incredible with Jorge Martin finishing second and racing after breaking his wrist only nine days ago. He pushed the limits and cried tears of happiness and pain when being interviewed in Parc fermé. Talk about never giving up. In the Moto2 series, Pecco Bagnaia and Miguel Oliveira were like cat and mouse exchanging positions and running their own race like Marquez and Lorenzo. Austria turned out to be a memorable race and Silverstone is only just around the corner!
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