MotoGP Results – Day 10 of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship

Key:
^X The rider is X positions above free practice 1.
= The cyclist is in the same position as in free practice 1.
X The rider is X positions below free practice 1.
* Rookie

Official MotoGP records at Red Bull Ring:
Best lap:
enea bastianini ITA Ducati 1m 28.772s (2022)
Fastest race lap:
Jorge Martin SPA Ducati 1m 29.854s (2022)

Marco Bezzecchi leads Friday afternoon practice for the Austrian MotoGP at Red Bull Ring, despite a late technical problem, while Marc Márquez and Jack Miller are among the riders forced to participate in Saturday’s Qualifying 1.

Bezzecchi parked his VR46 machine, which appeared to have run out of fuel, alongside team owner Valentino Rossi, who was watching from the track, who scootered Bez back to the pits.

Rain fears prompted some riders to immediately attack on fresh soft tyres, with Marco Bezzecchi leading Brad Binder, Maverick Viñales and Takaaki Nakagami after 15 minutes on the hour.

Bezzecchi remained on top until Viñales (smooth-smooth) pulled a 0.375s lead during the intermediate stages.

Riding on the track where his Yamaha career came to a sudden end in 2021, Vinales was still ahead of Bezzecchi and Binder when the rain flags waved with 25 minutes to go.

The rain has been especially bad news for riders like morning leader Johann Zarco and Marc Márquez, still outside the top ten.

With the new high-downforce Honda aerodynamics, Márquez had trailed Fabio Quartararo (also in the larger M1 fairing) for several laps, the #93 struggling to stop his bike behind the Frenchman.

Márquez then stumbled after following Enea Bastianini, the driver he rear-ended at Assen, out of the pits. When the Ducati rider braked at the first chicane, Márquez was closing in too fast and was forced to get around the red machine and across the gravel.

Worse was to follow for Bastianini, who then crashed alone at the chicane.

But the raindrops cleared during the final ten minutes, when Márquez and then RNF’s Miguel Oliveira fired into the order feature in second place, but the Repsol Honda rider would later be stripped of the lap for exceeding the limits of the clue.

Márquez’s efforts to establish another midfielder were later hampered when he was stopped by former teammate Pol Espargaró. The incident was placed under investigation by the FIM Stewards.

Bagnaia meanwhile briefly took over P1, before Bezzecchi posted a time of 1m 28.533s for a new lap record. Viñales then came within 0.044s of Bezzecchi to split the Ducatis for second.

Brad Binder placed KTM in fourth, followed by Zarco’s Pramac Ducati and Jorge Martin. Silverstone winner Aleix Espargaró was seventh with Alex Márquez, Quartararo and Oliveira also securing direct access to Qualifying 2.

After struggling in the braking zones on his way to 22nd this morning, Miller moved up to 7th, but then dropped to 14th at the checkered flag.

* Rookie

Official MotoGP records at Red Bull Ring:
Best lap:
enea bastianini ITA Ducati 1m 28.772s (2022)
Fastest race lap:
Jorge Martin SPA Ducati1m 29.854s (2022)

Johann Zarco, currently unsigned for 2024, gives a reminder of his talent by headlining the Austrian MotoGP opening practice at the Red Bull Ring.

It was also a promising session for compatriot Fabio Quartararo, who provided a big boost for Yamaha by being quickest for most of the session, using the new, larger M1 fairing.

Aprilia’s early leader Maverick Viñales also held onto second place for much of the 45 minutes before Zarco’s late charge, on a new medium rear tire, pushed him up to third.

Silverstone sprint winner Alex Márquez was forced off the track in the opening minutes by smoke billowing from the front disc of his Gresini Ducati, apparently caused by a fluid leak.

The Spaniard overcame the initial scare to clinch fourth, ahead of VR46 Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi (who ran wide) and Gresini’s Fabio di Giannantonio.

LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami was the top Honda rider in seventh.

Marc Márquez and his Repsol Honda teammate Joan Mir tested the new high-downforce RC213V fairing used by Nakagami at Silverstone.

Later, Márquez went wide and rolled in the gravel of Turn 4, his 16th accident of the season, after reusing the old fairing.

Reigning champion and Ducati title leader Francesco Bagnaia started the weekend in eighth, ahead of Silverstone winner Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia), with Zarco’s Pramac Ducati teammate Jorge Martín completing. top ten.

Brad Binder was the fastest of the local KTM riders, in 14th, with Pol Espargaró 16th for GASGAS, rookie teammate Augusto Fernández 19th after a crash and Jack Miller just 22nd after running wide.

Reigning Ducati champion Francesco Bagnaia takes a 41-point lead over Pramac’s Jorge Martin in this weekend’s Austrian MotoGP, with VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi slipping to third (-47 points) after his crash Silverstone.

Desmosedicis has only been beaten twice at the Austrian circuit in the nine races since he returned to the calendar in 2016: Miguel Oliveira snatched Tech3 KTM’s first MotoGP win at the final corner of a restarted race in 2020, before Brad Binder went around home. a memorable win in 2021 after staying on slicks in the rain.

Binder returns fourth in the standings, with KTM still looking for its first Sunday win of the season after two Sprint wins for the South African.

Johann Zarco is the highest-placed rider so far to officially secure a seat for 2024, with Aleix Espargaro moving up to sixth in the standings after a dramatic last-lap win for Aprilia at Silverstone.

Luca Marini (VR46), Alex Márquez (Gresini), Jack Miller (KTM) and Espargaró’s teammate Maverick Viñales complete the current top ten, followed by Monster Yamaha riders Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli.

Rookie Augusto Fernández is now in 13th place, while his GASGAS Tech3 teammate Pol Espargaró will participate in his second event since returning from serious injuries in Portimao.

KTM have traditionally used their home event to reveal more about their future plans, could you please reveal more about how you intend to solve the conundrum of where to place Moto2 star Pedro Acosta?

LCR Honda’s Alex Rins is still absent due to his Mugello leg injuries and is once again replaced by WorldSBK rider Iker Lecuona.