The Red Bull Ring will receive major safety modifications ahead of next year’s MotoGP race, The Race understands, in a bid to prevent a repeat of this year’s high-speed Turn 2 crash between Franco Morbidelli and Johann Zarco.
Morbidelli and Zarco collided at the ultra-fast left kink known as Turn 2, meaning they were out of control at speed heading into the right Turn 3 right-hander.
Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales were lucky to escape the incident (below) unscathed as they were almost hit by the out of control bikes.
The Austrian Grand Prix was the first race of a back-to-back double-header at the Red Bull Ring. The organiser managed to extend the air fence at Turn 3 among other changes before the Styrian Grand Prix.
Proof that miracles can happen…
Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales had the racing Gods looking down on them 🙏#AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/lOWmbZsOqx
— BT Sport (@btsport) August 16, 2020
Since then speculation has continued over track alterations and a number of solutions have been proposed for changing the corner.
The addition of a chicane to replace Turn 2 or to straighten out the kink and extend the run-off on the entry of Turn 3 have been discussed.
But this has been complicated further by the Red Bull Ring’s dual status as a Formula 1 venue as well, so any modifications need approval from both the FIA and FIM.
Austrian billionaire and Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz – who owns the circuit personally rather than through his company – has pledged to do whatever is needed, according to Red Bull KTM Tech3 boss Herve Poncharal.
Speaking to The Race after his rider Miguel Oliveira took victory in the Styrian Grand Prix, Poncharal says MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta and his team are already in talks about what to do next.
“Turn 2 might be changed next year because for sure there’ll be talk again with the riders and they’ll have told Carmelo and everyone else during the safety commission what they think,” said Poncheral. “The FIA guys will also be talking to the FIM guys and we’ll see what happens.
“Mr. Mateschitz, who is an incredible gentleman, has said that whatever needs to be done, will be done.
“If there is a modification to be done that will cost a certain amount, he’ll make it happen. Instantly he said that whatever is requested will be done, and I know a lot of places that would have said that they couldn’t do it.”
And while some have suggested that the financial clout of Red Bull – not only as an event promoter but as a major backer of MotoGP and title sponsor to two premier class teams – means they would be able to escape without making substantial modifications, Poncheral is sure that Dorna’s commitment to safety means change will come.
“These guys are always putting safety on top of everything,” said Poncheral.
“You can criticise whatever you want about them, but you can’t say this about them. I’ve been here a long time and I saw the races before them. I saw what we were facing, a lot of bad accidents and a lot of death.
“I questioned whether I wanted to continue to do the job and see my friends pass away, but we’ve had so many changes since then.
“The example I always use is Suzuka 2003, when Kato lost his life. At that point, Carmelo said that if we didn’t have more run-off at that chicane we wouldn’t come back, but it’s impossible to do it. A lot of people laughed, said ‘he doesn’t know the power of Honda, you have to bend in front of them’.
“They all thought we would come back, and we never went back. Even in front of Honda on their land he didn’t move. This is a very important and sad example.”
