MotoGP returns to the track this weekend at the Austrian Red Bull Ring, located just a few kilometres from the city of Zeltweg. The Grand Prix of Austria marks the halfway point of the 2023 Championship, which will have two more rounds to contest in Europe on the calendar and seven more in Asia and Oceania before returning to Europe at the end of November for the usual season finale at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain.
After the first ten rounds of 2023, Francesco Bagnaia leads the standings with four wins in the Grands Prix of Portugal, Spain, Italy, and the Dutch GP, three Sprint victories and six podiums overall, including the second-place in Great Britain at Silverstone, two weeks ago. The reigning World Champion currently has a 41-point advantage over fellow Ducati rider Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) in second and 47 over third-placed Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Racing Team).
After a difficult weekend at Silverstone, Enea Bastianini arrives in Austria, motivated to regain his feeling with the Desmosedici GP. At the track in Zeltweg, the rider from Rimini took pole position last year by setting the current circuit record in 1:28.772.
Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st (214 points)
“I am thrilled to be back racing in Austria, a track I like a lot and on which I took a nice win last year. It is historically a track favourable to the characteristics of our bike, but there will likely be many riders who can fight for a good result here this year. Now, our goal is to be consistent and try to do our best always. I am confident and looking forward to the weekend.”
Enea Bastianini (#23, Ducati Lenovo Team) – 18th (18 points)
“The last Grand Prix at Silverstone didn’t go as we hoped, but it was my first real weekend where I could work at 100% without physical issues. We gathered important data that we will need to make further progress. At the moment, I still haven’t been able to find the right feeling with my Desmosedici GP; therefore, the main goal now is to regain the feeling that will allow me to be competitive.”
The weekend in Austria will start on Friday at 10:45am local time with the first free practice session, while the Sprint will get underway on Saturday at 3pm on a 14-lap distance. The Austrian GP, on the other hand, will be run over a 28-lap distance on Sunday, 20th August, at 2pm CEST.
Circuit Information
Country: Austria
Name: Red Bull Ring – Spielberg
Best lap: Martín (Ducati), 1:29.854 (174,2 km/h) – 2022
Circuit Record: Bastianini (Ducati), 1:28.772 (176,3 km/h) – 2022
Top Speed: Binder (KTM), 315,7 km/h – 2022
Track Length: 4,32 km
Sprint Distance: 14 giri (60,48 km)
Race Distance: 28 giri (120,96 km)
Corners: 11 (3 left, 8 right)
- From Ducati Media House
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