Austrian MotoGP, Red Bull Ring – Race Results

* Rookie

Francesco Bagnaia sweeps to his third double of the season with a lights-to-flag victory in the 2023 Austrian MotoGP at Red Bull Ring.

As on Saturday, Brad Binder was the only rider able to (briefly) trouble Bagnaia on his way to handing the KTM team another home podium, with Marco Bezzecchi mounting a late charge in third.

But the dull, spaced-out nature of the race will no doubt prompt questions about whether possible tyre pressure issues were keeping riders apart.

• Jorge Martin penalised for ‘irresponsible riding’, keeps podium
• “I did a front flip”: Riders talk Turn 1 chaos in Austria
• Martin: “It wasn’t my fault”, Quartararo “lost a bit of control” after outside contact

Bagnaia and Binder were the class of the field from the start of the grand prix.

Soon stretching away, Binder – perhaps aware of the risk of soaring tyre pressures – looked eager to try and make an early pass for the lead.

But Bagnaia kept the orange machine at bay for lap after lap, with the Italian’s advantage then creeping up to one-second by half distance.

Thoughts that Binder may have been strategically cooling his tyres before a late charge soon proved optimistic, with the South African helpless to prevent Bagnaia pulling every further away.

• Austrian MotoGP: New World Championship standings

The fight for third was more interesting, Marco Bezzecchi making several unsuccessful attempts to pass the sister satellite Ducati of Alex Marquez.

The Italian, among those taken out at turn one on Saturday, finally levered the Gresini machine aside with a Turn 8 pass with 6 laps to go.

Luca Marini immediately continued the VR46 attack on Marquez but found it equally difficult to pass and the pair traded places several times before the Italian finally claimed fourth.

Binder’s team-mate Jack Miller held an early third but was soon swamped by the likes of Alex Marquez, Bezzecchi and Marini, then the factory Aprilias of Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro.

The Australian continued to shed places, to his obvious frustration, and slipped outside the points (until Pol Espargaro’s post-race penalty).

After Saturday’s shocking start, front-row qualifier Vinales had got a better launch in the Grand Prix but again suffered at turn one and dropped down to eleventh before another comeback.

Jorge Martin, given a long lap penalty for triggering Saturday’s Turn 1 Sprint accident, had fallen while practicing the penalty loop in warm-up.

Starting twelfth, Saturday’s podium finisher served the sanction without issue in the race, dropping from 7th to 13th on lap 4 of 28. The Spaniard eventually recovered to where he had been before the penalty.

“4

Hot and sunny conditions meant the new, stricter, tyre pressure monitoring system was a concern for the race, with some riders already complaining of soaring tyre pressures during the 14-lap Sprint.

The hard front and medium rear tyres, which also feature a stiffer-than-usual carcass, were chosen by all riders…. Except Marc Marquez, who rolled the dice, not for the first time, by fitting the soft rear.

It didn’t provide a breakthrough, for a rider starting just 18th on the grid, but Marquez did at least score his first Sunday points of the season in 12th.

Repsol Honda team-mate Joan Mir ed out yet again, meaning he hasn’t seen the chequered flag since Portimao.

Riding in a special pink-and-blue Barbie livery, Miguel Oliveira pitted with a technical issue on lap 7. Team-mate Raul Fernandez pitted on the last lap.

“5

Pol Espargaro, an excellent sixth in the Sprint during his second comeback event, started the race from 16th after a three-place grid penalty for holding up Marc Marquez in Friday practice.

The GASGAS rider, facing a major physical challenge to go the distance, crossed the line in 14th – but, like Iker Lecuona, was then given a 3sec penalty for failing to serve a late long lap for exceeding track limits.

That dropped Espargaro to 16th with Lecuona 20th and last.

• Austrian Moto2: Latest Results
• Austrian Moto3: Latest Results

Ahead of today’s race, Desmosedicis had only been beaten twice at the Austrian circuit in the ten races since it returned to the calendar in 2016: Miguel Oliveira snatched Tech3 KTM’s first-ever MotoGP victory at the final corner of a restarted 2020 race, before Brad Binder gave the home factory a memorable 2021 win after staying on slicks in the rain.

LCR Honda’s Alex Rins remained absent due to his Mugello leg injuries and was again replaced by WorldSBK rider Iker Lecuona. Lorenzo Savadori was making his latest wild-card appearance for Aprilia.

The Catalunya round takes place at Barcelona from September 1-3.