until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Last weekend at the Czech Grand Prix, KTM rider Brad Binder made history when he became the first rider since Kim Newcombe in 1973 to win a premier class Grand Prix on a motorbike not built in Italy or Japan.
With back-to-back races this weekend at KTM’s home track as the series heads to the Red Bull Ring, there’s a chance to write a whole new chapter in the history books never mind just a new page, by making it two wins in eight days.
But on paper it looks not to be Binder but his teammate Pol Espargaro who will be the orange bike at the front. Blisteringly fast on race pace in the all-important FP4 session yesterday, he’s the rider that many of his rivals are tipping to be the man to beat.
The only thing that could perhaps disrupt his chances is Pol himself. He is sometimes erratic, as witnessed last weekend when he crashed out of race-winning contention while dicing with Johann Zarco, or yesterday, when he trashed his number one bike only minutes before qualifying.
That’s something he acknowledged yesterday too, admitting that he needs a controlled race to take the win he was denied last time out.
“If no one takes us off we can do a good race. We have a good rhythm and the set-up of the bike is amazing. I just need to be calm at the beginning and push at the end. We’re set up for a good result but as we saw in the Czech Republic anything can happen.”
It’s unlikely that he’ll have as clear a track as last weekend, though, with Ducati back in the mix. Both the departing Andrea Dovizioso and Brno podium finisher Johann Zarco demonstrated rapid pace yesterday, and both are clearly fancying themselves for the win.
Tipping Suzuki to be involved in the battle as well, Dovi is adamant that it won’t be as easy as it has been in the past for Ducati at a track where they remain unbeaten since it returned to the calendar in 2016.
“I think we have our chance for sure, but the situation is a bit different from the past because our competitors are stronger. To win I need to find a good strategy and I don’t know if I have a chance. Pol is very strong and for sure [Suzuki rider Alex] Rins can be a race contender.
“In the middle there are a lot of very fast riders, and I don’t know if they can fight to the end but they can be a big problem for us.”
One person who has ruled himself out of the race win is championship leader Fabio Quartararo, however. The Red Bull Ring is seen as an anti-Yamaha circuit thanks to its long fast straights and the M1’s focus on turning rather than power, and Quartararo says he’s happy to settle for safe points.
“I won’t say there can be a win because it’s so difficult with the Ducatis and the KTM. I’ll comfort myself by being the first Yamaha and on the podium! We have quite a good pace, especially compared to the other Yamahas, and let’s see if we can fight for a really good position.”
However, there’s a worry hanging (quite literally) over the entire day’s race action: the weather. With heavy thunderstorms forecast to hit the Red Bull Ring at any point from midday onwards, a wet race would throw a huge spanner in the works.
Despite rain potentially negating Ducati’s power advantage as grip decreases, it’s nonetheless their riders who would start most favoured, with Jack Miller (already on the front row) and Danilo Petrucci two of MotoGP’s rain masters.
