This weekend, the MotoGP Championship returns to action with the 2024 Austrian GP, at the Red Bull Ring-Spielberg circuit, for the Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, the eleventh round of the season.
This Grand Prix promises to be a thrilling one, as the gap between first and second in the world standings is just 3 points. Jorge Martin, the current leader, will be looking to redeem himself from the ghosts that have haunted him since his controversial performance last year on this same circuit, while Pecco will be eager to take his place at the top of the championship once again.
Last year’s Austrian Grand Prix was particularly eventful. Jorge Martín was given a long-lap penalty for Sunday’s race, four hours after the Sprint Race had finished. In that race, the driver with the number 89 was involved in a melee on the way to the first corner, where up to seven drivers were affected, some of them unable to get back on track.
Later, Martín also had a collision with Luca Marini when he overtook him at the chicane, which allowed him to take third place and get onto the podium of the Sprint. However, the late penalty imposed by the stewards’ panel prevented the Spaniard from achieving anything better than a seventh place in the feature race.
Pecco, on the other hand, had an impeccable weekend, taking pole position, the Sprint Race and Sunday’s race, victories which the Italian achieved with a comfortable lead over his rivals. With this background, we can only expect a thrilling duel between the two main contenders for this year’s title.
Brad, pressure at home during the Austrian GP
Another of last year’s stars was KTM’s flagship rider Brad Binder, who finished second in both races at the home of the Austrian brand.
However, this year we see the South African rider somewhat blurred since the arrival in MotoGP of the ‘Mazarron shark‘. Pedro Acosta has been looking to steal Brad’s stripes, standing out above the other KTM riders in almost all of the Grand Prix contested to date.
It is not hard to imagine how keen the Murcia-born driver will be to make another statement at his bosses’ house. It is known that they have had intense talks recently, due to Pedro’s discontent with how things have been developing within the team during the last few races.
Duel between Bastianini and Marc Marquez
Another of the battles expected this weekend is the one that began at the last British Grand Prix, when, after a brilliant double by Enea Bastianini, the Italian managed to usurp third place in the general classification from Marc Márquez. Currently, 13 points separate the two riders.
If we compare what they did at last year’s Austrian Grand Prix, both had very similar results in the two races. But with one huge and obvious difference: Marc was still riding a Honda. The 93 managed a tenth place in the Sprint and a twelfth in Sunday’s race, while the Lenovo Ducati rider crossed the finish line in thirteenth position in the short race and tenth in the long one. Very modest positions compared to what we really know they are both capable of achieving.
Let’s hope that Bastianini’s sweet moment, and the new weapon Marc is fighting with this year, will offer us an exciting battle on the track between them this weekend.
With all this context and the championship at its halfway point, we are facing a weekend that promises exciting races and disputes for the most important positions in the general classification.
