Marc Marquez got through riders to win MotoGP race in Austrian GP, as Fermin Aldeguer was second from Marco Bezzecchi.
It was a clean start from Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi in MotoGP race in Austrain GP at Red Bull Ring to deny Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia a chance to take the lead at Turn 1. The Italian was second from teammate Marc Marquez but the Spaniard got through him for second after Lap 1.
Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez was fourth, but a Long Gap Penalty dropped him outside the Top 10. KTM’s Pedro Acosta was fifth from Tech 3 KTM’s Enea Bastianini, with Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez in seventh ahead of Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer.
The Top 10 was rounded out by Aprilia’s Jorge Martin and Honda’s Joan Mir, with KTM’s Brad Binder just outside in 11th. He was a big mover in the first few laps, making up several places to fifth behind teammate Acosta. It was Bastianini to lose places to eighth, as Martin dropped outside the Top 10.
A Marquez was 11th after his penalty behind LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco, where the Gresini rider led the pair of VR46 Ducati riders’ Franco Morbidelli and Fabio di Giannantonio in 12th and 13th. Martin was 14th from Honda’s Luca Marini, as all four Yamaha riders ran outside the points places.
At the front, Bezzecchi managed to hold off M Marquez, where both left off Bagnaia at a distance. Acosta was fourth from Aldeguer, who made a fantastic move to gain two places. Fernandez was sixth from Bastianini, Mir and Binder, as A Marquez passed Zarco to get back in the Top 10.
A fall for Martin at Turn 7 helped Marini to be 14th, as Trackhouse’s Ai Ogura moves up to 15th in the points. The Spaniard was attended by circuit doctors after his fall. Aldeguer, meanwhile, tried a move on Acosta but ran wide, while Bastianini went aggressive on Fernandez to take sixth.
It allowed Mir through to seventh, as Fernandez dropped to eighth. The battle at the front started to steam-up when M Marquez started to hustle Bezzecchi for the lead. He got it initially on Lap 19, but the Italian came back soon to retake the lead which he maintained for the lap.
But by the start of Lap 20, M Marquez finally took the Austrian GP lead and made it stick against Bezzecchi. Behind them, Baganaia not only lost to Acosta but also Aldeguer on Lap 18 after an aggressive move from the KTM rider at the right-hander.
Acosta was on the receiving end on Lap 19 when Aldeguer made his own aggressive move on the KTM rider to take third and close in on Bezzecchi. The bad run for Bagnaia continued after he lost fifth to Bastianini. At the same time, di Giannantonio retired after his bike caught fire.
Mir ran seventh from Binder after he passed Fernandez, as A Marquez was 10th from Morbidelli, who passed Zarco. He was followed by Marini, Ogura and Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo in the Top 15 points places. The fight for the lead, meanwhile, started to heat-up, thanks to Aldeguer.
He cut down the gap to Bezzecchi in couple of laps to eventually take second on Lap 23. Bagnaia came under pressure from Binder and Mir. He lost the places but went wide and got ahead of the two. That move cost Binder a place to Mir as well, whom he had passed earlier.
But the stewards asked Bagnaia to give up the place to Mir. He duly obliged as Mir moved up to sixth from Binder, who passed Bagnaia eventually. At the front, Marquez had it under control to win the MotoGP race in Austrian GP from Aldeguer and Bezzecchi in the Top 3.
Acosta was fourth from Bastianini, Mir and Binder, as Bagnaia had to settle for eighth from Fernandez, who held off A Marquez on the final lap for ninth. Morbidelli was 11th from Zarco, Marini, Ogura and Quartararo in the Top 15 points places, with teammate Alex Rins 16th ahead of Pramac Yamaha’s Miguel Oliveira and Jack Miller.
Here’s how MotoGP sprint panned out
