What. A. Race.
Overtakes galore. Unpredictable weather. Sheer drama. The Austrian GP had it all.
So how did those that finished the race perform?
1st. Brad Binder – 10
In the words of second place man Pecco Bagnaia, “Brad did something incredible today.”
At the time, the decision to stay out on dry tyres as the rain got heavier, the only rider of the leading six to do so, was motivated by either sheer bravery or sheer stupidity. As it turned out, it was the former.
Binder somehow made it work, holding off those that pitted for wet tyres to win by almost ten seconds. Appearing as though he was riding on ice, spinning his wheels at 150mph down the main straight and having virtually no lean angle in the corners, the skill he showed in keeping the bike upright was incredible.
The South African was in a class of his own this weekend purely because his performance in those final few laps.
2nd. Pecco Bagnaia – 9.5
Pecco Bagnaia must wonder if he is ever going to win a MotoGP race.
If the rain had not got heavier, he would have had a great chance in Austria. The Italian had led for most of the race, looking comfortable when doing so.
Of the other frontrunners he pitted with, he then got his wet tyres working best, overtaking seven riders on the final lap as he recovered to finish in second place, his fourth podium of the season.
That elusive first win is surely coming for the man who has moved up to second place in the Championship.
Embed from Getty Images
3rd. Jorge Martin – 9
In his post-race interview, Martin said he was “so happy” with his third-place finish, “even more that last week” when he won.
In his first flag-to-flag race, the Spaniard started the final lap in P11, replicating Bagnaia’s feat by overtaking seven riders on the final lap to secure a spot on the podium.
Prior to the bike change, Martin had been competing at the front for most of the race, enjoying a good battle with Marc Marquez in particular. He fell away slightly before increased pace as the rain started to fall brought him back into contention.
Third place and some good battles after last week’s win therefore represents another great result for the rookie.
4th. Joan Mir – 8.5
Joan Mir struggled with the pace in the first half of the race, competing with Binder and Miller for sixth.
His pace picked up thereafter as he and Binder closed the gap to those leading. The rain and the bike change helped him climb to fourth, overtaking those that failed to switch on their wet tyres.
Overall, it was a decent result for Mir as he beat Quartararo for the second week running. This should give him the impetus to kickstart his title defence in the second half of the season.
5th. Luca Marini – 9.5
After Binder, Luca Marini was the best finisher of the riders still on slicks.
It looked as though he would secure a podium at one point, overtaking Aleix Espargaro to move himself into third before Bagnaia, Martin and Mir emerged on their wet tyres to demote Marini to fifth.
Nonetheless, comfortably the best result of the rookie’s season, it was still a remarkable performance.
6th. Iker Lecuona – 9.5
Just like Marini, Iker Lecuona looked as though he would secure his first ever podium finish, being in second place on the final lap before the wet tyre runners overtook him.
Sixth place is still Lecuona’s best finish in his year-and-a-half in MotoGP, and one that does him no harm as he attempts to secure a ride for next season.
The Spaniard also showed great pace at the beginning of the race, running as high as eighth after starting sixteenth.
7th. Fabio Quartararo – 8
Fabio Quartararo was having his own overtake of the season competition around the Spielberg track. The move round the outside of Martin and Marquez at turn 3 on lap 7 was simply stunning. The Frenchman then outdid himself on lap 25, coming from miles back to send it up the inside of Bagnaia and Martin, again at turn 3.
Unfortunately for the Frenchman, he could not get his wet tyres up to temperature after the bike change, running wide at turn 3 after leaving the pitlane and again at turn 1 on the penultimate lap.
Still, seventh-place returned him another good haul of points as he continues his charge towards the championship title.
8th. Valentino Rossi – 8.5
Who thought The Doctor was going to get his 200th MotoGP podium?
Running in third place with three laps to go, every fan at the track (and probably every fan watching at home) was cheering and hoping that Valentino Rossi would stay there until the end of the race. Sadly for him, Lecuona and Marini both overtook him, before those on wet tyres also passed the Italian on the final lap.
Eighth place in Austria is still Rossi’s best result of the season, and more than he could have hoped for after gambling and staying out on slick tyres.
9th. Alex Marquez – 7.5
A second consecutive ninth-place finish was a decent return for Alex Marquez.
Another to gamble by staying out on dry tyres, the LCR Honda rider had been battling for the minor points placings for most of the race. The decision to stay out on dry tyres was therefore the right one, and hopefully one that will give him the confidence to secure more top-10 finishes in the second half of the season.
10th. Aleix Espargaro – 6.5
An incredible last lap, but for all the wrong reasons for Aleix Espargaro.
The Spaniard was in second place and looking as though he would secure Aprilia’s first ever podium finish as he crossed the line to begin his final lap. Still on slicks, however, Espargaro had even less pace than those around him, really struggling to keep his bike on two wheels as eight riders overtook him.
The fact he did keep his bike upright in such treacherous conditions means he deserves some credit simply because of the skill required. Nonetheless, it was still a disappointing result.
11th. Jack Miller – 6
Had he pitted a lap earlier, who knows where Jack Miller could have finished.
Along with Suzuki rider Alex Rins, Miller was the first rider to change his bike, pitting for wet tyres with five laps to go. The decision was the right one but, with the track not yet at optimal conditions for wet tyres, it came a lap too early, costing Miller time that he could not make up.
Prior to the change in weather, the Australian had been in eighth, well off the pace of those in front of him.
It was another disappointing race in Austria, then, to go along with last weekend’s crash. Indeed, a 5-point return across two races at a track Ducati usually dominate means any chances Miller harboured for a late Championship push are probably over.
12th. Danilo Petrucci – 6.5
A second consecutive twelfth-place finish was a decent return for a man who is struggling towards the back of the grid.
Another of the riders to gamble and stay out on the slicks, Petrucci could do nothing as those on wet tyres streamed past him, including Jack Miller who overtook the Italian on the line.
13th. Takaaki Nakagami – 5.5
The story of his time in MotoGP thus far, Taki Nakagami made yet another mistake that ruined his race when running in the podium positions.
He probably would not have finished there anyway had he not made the error. However, ahead of Marini and Lecuona at the time, he would have been favourite to finish in fifth.
The Japanese rider therefore failed to maximise his result because of his error.
14th. Alex Rins – 5.5
What has happened to Alex Rins this season?
The decision to pit for a change of bikes was the right one but, as he followed Miller, was one that came a lap too early.
Yet even before that, Rins had been nowhere near the pace of his teammate, battling down in tenth after running wide at turn 4 on the opening lap.
15th. Marc Marquez – 5.5
Despite crashing on the penultimate lap, Marc Marquez was keen to emphasise in his post-race interviews that the race in Austria was a positive one for the Spaniard and his team.
To some extent, he is right: it is the first time since the German GP that Marquez had competed at the front for the whole race. Indeed, doing so in Austria was arguably more impressive than in Germany because of the greater stress the Spielberg track placed on his right arm.
Nonetheless, a podium finish would have been a certainty had Marquez not lost the front at turn 1, meaning it was still a frustrating result.
16th. Pol Espargaro – 5.5
Even with Marquez crashing, Pol Espargaro somehow managed to finish behind his teammate.
The Spaniard pitted for a bike change on the penultimate lap, meaning he lost time riding in the rain on slicks and then lost more time in the pitlane.
Even then, it was another weekend where he was competing for the minor points places.
Having secured a podium finish at this track last year and seeing his former teammate winning the race this time around, perhaps the Spaniard is starting to regret his move to Honda.
17th. Cal Crutchlow – 6
It is hard to expect too much more from Cal Crutchlow in only his second race since filling in for the injured Franco Morbidelli.
Instead of pitting for wets, perhaps the Brit could have risked it on dry tyres. Maybe then he would have got into the points.
He still has another chance to do exactly that at the British GP in two weeks’ time. The situation with Maverick Vinales means Crutchlow may even be riding for the factory Yamaha team by that time.
