Moto GP

AUSTRIAN M O T O G P

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) played his cards and his race to perfection in the myWorld Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, overhauling an early lead for Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) to take over at the front and then pull the pin for Ducati's 50 th premier class win – keeping the marque's 100% record at the Red Bull Ring intact on August 16. Miller looked set to take second until the last two corners, with the Australian then heading ever-so-slightly wide and having his pocket picked by Team Suzuki Ecstar's Joan Mir. The Spaniard therefore took second and was on the premier class podium for the first time.

The headlines were dominated, however, by an earlier incident that brought out the Red Flag. On the initial start, Miller got a great launch from P2 and it was the Ducati rider who grabbed the holeshot, with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) also getting away well to slot into P2 from pole. Dovizioso was a fast starter from P4, with Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) dropping back. Then Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) chipped away and got himself to the front, before Quartararo then ran off track at Turn 4 to drop to the back of the pack on Lap 6. Espargaro, Dovizioso, Mir, Miller and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) were leaving the rest behind, but the incident for which the race will also likely be remembered then

Dovizioso delivers Ducati's 50 th premier class win Miller misses out at the fag-end running wide as Mir takes 2 nd

unfolded at the Turn 3 braking zone, bringing out the red flags. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) were almost side by side on the straight, and as they got on the anchors into Turn 3, the duo came into contact and both went down. What unfolded next was terrible luck followed by incredible luck. Zarco and Morbidelli's bikes careered towards Turn 4 and both bikes hit the airfence, thankfully slowing them down, but the speed of the crash was such that the machines headed into the path of the riders that were coming into and out of Turn 3. Viñales and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) were the two in the firing line and somehow, the two errant bikes missed the two factory Yamaha riders. Morbidelli's bike shot through the gap between Viñales and Rossi, missing the nine-time World Champion by a matter of inches, with Zarco's bike narrowly avoiding Viñales. The debris and aftermath brought out the Red Flag, with Zarco on his feet immediately and going to check on the stricken Morbidelli. The Italian was up initially but then taken away on a stretcher to be checked over. Ultimately, both headed for the Medical Centre and incredibly, both were declared fit and were not injured. A crash the scale of which will ensure it's remembered forever, and thankfully everyone walking away unscathed.

As the dust settled, the track was cleared and race restart prepared. This time it would be Pol Espargaro on pole, leading as he had been just before the Red Flag incident happened. With seven laps to go, there was nothing between the leading three, and Rossi and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) were chasing Binder, as Championship leaders Quartararo and Viñales remained down in 8th and 13th, although Viñales was the fastest man on track. With five to go, Dovi then really started edging clear of Miller, and with four to go, the Italian had pulled almost a second out. The Australian held firm in second, but Mir was climbing all over the back of the Desmosedici… Coming onto the last lap, barring a mistake, the race was Dovi's. But who would take second? Miller was defending as hard as he could to make it a Ducati 1- 2 and it looked like he was going to be able to do it. Heading into the

penultimate Turn 9 though, Miller's defensive line took him wide on the exit and Mir swept through to steal that second place, denying the Australian as he took his first MotoGP™ podium on the second step. Dovi took the chequered flag just ahead of them to claim his third Red Bull Ring victory, th and Ducati's 50 MotoGP™ win. .

STYRIAN M O T O G P

The BMW M Grand Prix of Styria was already a guaranteed history maker as it hosted the 900 th premier class race, but what a race it was. Another Red Flag and shortened sprint to the line gave us a dash of early drama, but more milestones were achieved once again in 2020 as Red Bull KTM Tech 3's Miguel Oliveira took his first-ever premier class victory in serious style on August 23.

It's the first premier class win for the Tech 3 squad, the first for Portugal, and the first KTM win on home turf for the factory and for Red Bull. It all went down to the final corner too as the Portuguese rider sliced past the duelling Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and kept it inch-perfect to beat both to the line. On the first start, Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) took the holeshot from the front row – kind of – but the Suzuki headed wide and was then told to give the place back up. Espargaro was second before a scrappy few corners that saw the Spaniard demoted before Miller took over at the front from Mir. A few laps later, Vinales appeared to have an issue and put his arm up once, but then disaster would strike not long after he'd managed to tuck back in and carry on. At Turn 1, the number 12 was forced to do a high-speed bail out and he jumped off his machine just in time, the stricken Yamaha then hurtling towards the air fence and catching fire. That caused

Miguel Oliveira takes his maiden premier-class victory

The first win for Portugal, and the first KTM win on home turf and for Red Bull

the Red Flag to come out to do repairs, but Viñales was immediately on his feet – rider ok and seemingly pretty mad about the incident. Mir, Miller and Nakagami's advantage was gone in a sudden puff of drama, and we were heading back to the grid for the quick restart procedure not long after. After the restart, Mir got the perfect start from pole, with Miller getting bogged down from third. With eight laps to go, Pol Espargaro set the fastest lap of the race. The KTM rider then made his move on Mir at Turn 3, before the number 44 was then clambering all over the back of Miller. Pol then attempted a pass up into Turn 1 but he was in deep and wide, allowing Miller to blast straight past and Oliveira and Mir to close in, the Portuguese rider now up

into third. Heading onto that last lap, it all came down to two KTMs vs a Ducati: Pol Espargaro vs Miller vs Oliveira. It was Pol Espargaro who begun the lap in the lead and got a good run out of the first corner, but coming into the braking zone, the KTM went very defensive and that compromised his exit and Miller was all over him before managing to get alongside the number 44 and make the move stick into the tricky, downhill right-hander. Miller held firm through the left-handers, but coming up was where the KTM rider was strongest. Pol Espargaro got the run up the hill and managed to slice back up the inside of Miller, meaning everything was going down – once again – to the final corner in Styria. Getting a better run down into Turn 10, Miller braked late and the Aussie, of course, went for it. And he

technically got it done as he got past the KTM – but both headed so wide, the door was wide open behind them. Enter wily Oliveira, who had been calmly stalking the pair, as the Portuguese rider blasted past the two errant machines and straight to the line for his first historic victory, in a historic race. Miller held onto second to pick up his second Red Bull Ring rostrum of 2020, with Pol Espargaro forced to settle for P3, although it's his first dry podium in MotoGP after an impressive ride at the front. .