The Italian Enea Bastianini clinched a pole for the first time on Saturday, the only non-Ducati rider on the first two rows of the grid is fifth world champion Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha). As the best KTM rider, Brad Binder only starts from the fourth row after twelfth place in qualifying.
This is Spielberg’s 32nd consecutive MotoGP race with at least one Ducati on the front row. At the Red Bull Ring they even form the entire front row with Bastianini, Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller. Jorge Martin (4th) and Johann Zarco (6th) also take Quartararo in the second row into the Ducati dilemma.
The fact that there is one straight less this year because of the new chicane does not change the superiority of the Italian bikes on the hilly power track in Styria. Ducati has won six of the eight Spielberg races on this track since 2016. Statistically, there is also a lot to be said for another Ducati triumph, because the Spielberg winner has always come from the first two rows of the grid.
Binder is the most recent Austrian winner, having taken the full risk last year and “swimmed” to a dramatic victory on slicks despite the rain. This year, however, another “big ball move” by the South African will probably not be enough even for a podium finish. Binder managed the direct qualification for the twelve-man Q2 in eighth place, but as feared in the fight for a top time over one lap, he once again had no chance. The quality weakness of the KTMs is blatant. Teammate Miguel Oliveira, winner here in 2020, was only 17th and starts from row six.
“It can only get better”
“I gave everything. But it is what it is,” said Binder, not really surprised by the deficit. Now it’s about believing in the race pace and getting off to a good start. “It can only get better,” Binder hopes for Sunday. The new chicane could be dangerous, especially on the first lap. “If someone goes far, everyone goes with them. There is no way out, no place.”
Quartararo managed to at least limit the damage in the fight against the Ducati Armada. The “devil” (El Diablo) with start number 20 was the only one who stood up to the Ducatis from the first day of practice. But Ducati is putting pressure on the French world champion with an armada of eight and increasingly spectacular aerodynamic wings on the bikes and desperately wants the riders’ title. The last and so far only one came in 2007 by the Australian Casey Stoner.
Quartararo’s neck is Aleix Espargaro, another Aprilia driver. The Spaniard is the only one who has scored points in all twelve races so far, and he also achieved his first triumph for Aprilia in Argentina in his 200th GP and in the 350th MotoGP race.
Most recently, Espargaro was only ninth after a training crash at Silverstone. Quartarao could not capitalize on it as eighth. Espargaro also crashed in Spielberg FP3 on Saturday, had to get on pole via Q1 and couldn’t get past ninth place and the third row.
Before the 13th of 20 races of the season, the best Ducati rider in the World Championship is Bagnaia, who is 49 points behind after four wins in the last seven races. Bagnaia is the pole king of the season in itself. On Saturday in Spielberg, however, “Pecco” had to bend by 24 thousandths.
In the subclasses, poles went to Spaniard Daniel Holgado (KTM) in Moto3 and to Japanese rider Ai Ogura (Kalex) in Moto2. Around 170,000 visitors are expected this year at Austria’s second largest sporting event after Formula 1 (303,000 fans).
Source: Nachrichten
