Jorge Martin wins as MotoGP resumes in Austria

In just his sixth premier-class race, from pole position and still recovering from a crash that sidelined him for six weeks, Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) celebrated his maiden victory in a restarted Styrian Grand Prix.

With Valentino Rossi finally announcing his retirement on the Thursday before the race, the 23-year-old rookie’s maiden celebration represents a changing of the guard for the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, sharing the podium with reigning world champ Joan Mir (Ecstar Suzuki) and championship-leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Yamaha) in third.

It was also the first-ever win for an independent Ducati squad, a celebration many expected to go to Martin’s teammate Johann Zarco who was fourth for most of the race before being picked off on the last lap first by Taka Nakagami (LCR Honda) and then Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM), who leapfrogged them both for fourth place, relegating Zarco to sixth at the finish line.

It initially started quite differently, however, with Pecco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) getting the holeshot and leading in the early stages of the first start before wildcard Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM) crashed exiting the notorious turn three. Lorenzo Savadori struck his fallen machine and his Gresini Aprilia RS-GP exploded into a fireball which bought out the red flags on just the third lap.

Bagnaia was the biggest loser in the restarted 26-lap race, crossing the line in 10th but penalised three seconds for not taking his long-lap penalty issued for exceeding track limits. That relegated him one spot and promoted Pedrosa, who was able to line up in the restarted event on his spare bike, to 10th.

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Alex Rins (Ecstar Suzuki) finished seventh – Mir making better use of the firm’s new rear-squatting device than his teammate – with brothers Marc (Repsol Honda) and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda) finishing eighth and ninth respectively. In the first start, Marc clattered into the side of Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Gresini Team) in the first turn, leaving the Spaniard very unhappy and the pair came together in the first turn once again in the restart, though his emotions would amount to nought as he was forced to retire six laps into the restarted race with mechanical woes.

Miguel Oliveira also retired, but not due to the pain caused by a highside in practice which landed him in hospital on Friday night. Rather, it was a chunking rear tyre which ended the newly married Portuguese rider’s Styrian Grand Prix. There was just one crash in the restarted 26-lapper, and it was Australian Jack Miller (Lenovo Ducati) who was stalking Fabio Quartararo for the last podium spot with 10 laps to go when his front end washed out leaving him with two consecutive DNFs.

Maverick Vinales had a trademark up-and-down weekend as we still await news of where he’ll be in 2022. The Monster Yamaha rider was fast all weekend in dry conditions and got off to a decent start in the first race up to fifth place, before stalling on the line in the restart, starting the race from pit lane, taking a long-lap penalty and crossing the line dead last for the second time this year.

Right from the beginning of the race, nothing separated Martin and Mir, with the more experienced Suzuki rider, who traditionally is strongest in the latter stages of races, piling the pressure on the Spaniard. But it was in the final stages that Jorge Martin showed his immense depth of talent. When he should have fallen into the clutches of the reigning world champ, the rookie held his nerve and it was Mir who was forced into a mistake trying to stay with the Ducati man. Jorge Martin crossed the line over one and a half seconds clear of his rivals to chalk his name as the 115th different premier-class winner. In just six races, Jorge Martin has tallied two pole positions and two podiums including one victory.

“I can’t believe it,” Martin beamed in Parc Ferme. “I was super focused .It’s one big step towards my big dream of [becoming MotoGP World] champion.”

The result means Quartararo extends his lead in the points out to 40 over Johann Zarco on 132 points. Mir moves up one spot into third on 121 points while Bagnaia drops to fourth (114) and Miller (100) stays in fifth despite his non-scoring finish.

With three MotoGP seats yet to be filled for the 2022 season, Marco Bezzechi (Sky Team VR46) put in a performance that would pique the interest of a future boss as he celebrated his first victory of the 2021 Moto2 season. From the outside of the front row, the Italian was first to turn one as he scrapped with pole man Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Aron Canet (Aspar team Moto2) during the opening few laps before settling in at the front where Gardner was content to sit on his back wheel as the race unfolded.

Gardner’s teammate Raul Fernandez was further down the field fighting for sixth place as confirmation of his MotoGP switch next year seemed to distract the Spanish talent. And just as it looked as if Gardner was lining up a move on Bezzechi at the front with six laps to go, he ran hot into Turn Four and into the gravel, rejoining the race in fifth place.

It left Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) in second and poised for his first podium, with Canet in a comfortable third, before Ogura was slapped with a long-lap penalty with five laps to go. Bezzechi held on for the win, followed by Canet and Augusto Fernandez (Estrella Galicia MarcVDS). Gardner held on for fourth ahead of Ogura and, crucially, two spots ahead of teammate and title rival Raul Fernandez.

The Aussie still leads the way with 197 points to Fernandez’ 162, while Bezzechi stays in third with 153, points with Sam Lowes (MarcVDS) and Fabio di Giannantonio fourth and fifth on 101 and 76 points respectively.

The Moto3 race was nothing shy of thrilling with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) claiming the spoils after a race-long battle with title rival Sergio Garcia (Santander GasGas).

Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) got the holeshot but it was Sergio Garcia who led over the line the first time with Pedro Acosta on their tails, the trio putting a two second gap between them and the rest of the field by the end of lap two.

In tricky conditions where 11 of the 25 starters opted for slick tyres, Acosta took the lead for the first time on lap three. The top three on wets, Garcia and Acosta switched positions as they put daylight between themselves and Fenati. With 14 laps to go, the pair were nearly six seconds clear as Acosta played the waiting game sitting on Garcia’s rear wheel as they reeled off the laps. In a class of their own, they battled all the way to a last-lap showdown.

Acosta popped out of the slipstream to lead into turn one to start the last lap, then there was contact into turn three as Sergio pushed the Spaniard out wide to retake the lead. Garcia was in front with two corners remaining as Acosta shoved it up the inside on the penultimate corner just as Garcia lost the front and crashed.

Such was their superior speed, Garcia remounted and still finished second ahead of Remano Fenati and Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) rounding out the top five.

Acosta (183 points) extends his lead over Garcia (130) to 53 points, Fenati is on this on 96 ahead of Leopard Honda’s Dennis Foggia (86) and Masia (85).

The series stays put in Austria for the 11th round kicking off this Friday.