2021

Vinales has been suspended by Yamaha following the Styrian GP, in which he attempted to deliberately damage his bike’s engine in the closing laps. Yamaha announced on the eve of last weekend’s Austrian GP that Vinales had been suspended and withdrawn from the second Red Bull Ring race. Vinales publicly apologised to Yamaha on Saturday in Austria, admitting his actions in the Styrian GP were driven by frustration at his situation during the race and within Yamaha in general. The relationship between both parties broke down irreparably across the 2021 season, with Vinales requesting his two-year contract to be terminated at the end of the current campaign. Last Monday Aprilia confirmed it had signed Vinales for the 2022 season. Yamaha said last week any decision on Vinales competing in further races this year would be subject to discussion. “At the moment, everything is possible,” Yamaha team manager Massimo Meregalli told BT Sport last weekend in regards to the possibility of Vinales racing again. “The decision [to suspend him] was made here, it was made by us [in Europe]. We had some talks with Japan, but the first step was to suspend in view of this race. “Then we will see what happens.” Vinales will not race at the British GP, with Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow set to take over the second factory M1 alongside Fabio Quartararo for his home event. Crutchlow, who retired at the end of 2020, has been deputising for the injured Franco Morbidelli at Petronas SRT for the Austrian double-header and was due to do the same at Silverstone. His place at SRT for the British GP will be taken by SRT Moto2 rider Jake Dixon, who will make his MotoGP debut in front of his home crowd. SRT will use the British GP outing to evaluate Dixon as one of its options for the 2022 season, with the team’s search for a new line-up in the wake of Morbidelli’s promotion to the factory squad in 2022 in place of Vinales and Valentino Rossi’s retirement becoming complicated in recent weeks. Last Sunday Petronas announced it would be ending its title sponsorship of SRT for 2022, while Yamaha is set to only supply it with ‘B-spec’ machinery next year. With limited options, SRT looks set to promote Darryn Binder straight from Moto3 to MotoGP next year, with the South African testing a Yamaha Superbike at Brno on Tuesday. At this stage, it’s unclear whether Vinales’ suspension will extend only to Silverstone or if his days at Yamaha have come to a premature end.

MotoGP star Miguel Oliveira has married his step-sister and now the pair have announced that they’re expecting a baby. The 26-year-old sportsman kept his relationship a secret for 11 years before announcing that he was going out with the daughter of his dad’s second wife. Oliveira and Andreia Pimenta got engaged and started planning their wedding which had to be postponed due to his racing commitments. In a post on Instagram on 26 July, Oliveira told his fans: “This weekend we made the most important curve of our lives. We sealed our love through marriage and we want to share it with you. “I feel happy and lucky to share my life with my wife who is my other half. Thank you all.” Then five days ago they shared some more news: they’re having a baby. Once again, Oliveira took to Instagram writing: “Our lives will carry out with a special company. A job that will last the rest of our journey. Anxious to meet you my love.” The happy couple were flooded with messages of congratulations with MotoGP’s official page telling them: “We’re so happy for you and can’t wait to have a new member in the paddock.” Fellow MotoGP rider, Maverick Viñales, added: “Congrats Miguel!!! Is the best thing you could experience in the world.” According to SpeedWeek, the Red Bull KTM star and his wife will become parents at the beginning of 2022. As well as sharing a picture of himself and Pimenta on the track, he also posted a picture of a Shark helmet with the words ‘Bebé a Bordo’ which, of course, translates to ‘Baby on Board’. When Oliveira first spoke about his relationship, he told Portugese TV host Manuel Luis Goucha: “Before love there was a great friendship. We grew up together. “At some point we realised that it was more than a friendship, it is a very strong love. “We were going to get married this year, but that weekend I had a race and we had to postpone it until next year.” His dad, Paulo, spoke to a Spanish sports newspaper, saying: “I’m happy that my son is getting married to the woman of his life.”

KTM’s Brad Binder has pulled off victory in the Austrian MotoGP by staying on slicks when rain fell in the final laps at the Red Bull Ring. Binder inherited the lead when he gambled on staying out as the five ahead of him pitted for their wet weather bikes with just three laps remaining. Francesco Bagnaia, who led for the majority of the race, charged back from 10th with a lap remaining to second at the chequered flag on his factory Ducati. Fellow Ducati rider Jorge Martin similarly rode back up to the podium on his Pramac Racing entry, one week after the rookie had opened his account in the premier class by winning at the same circuit. Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) was also among the lead bunch to pit at the end of Lap 25 and he took fourth, ahead of Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Esponsorama Ducati), Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM), and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha). The latter has extended his championship lead to 47 points, with Bagnaia and Mir equal on points in second and third respectively, after Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati) crashed out before the rain set in. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) finished 11th, having dropped back to eighth before the rain shook things up. Ominous skies hung over the Red Bull Ring as the 28-lap race got underway, but it took until Lap 8 before the rain flags started flying. They were soon withdrawn but returned with seven laps to go, and it was then that Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who was leading at the time, made an error at Turn 3. He was bailed out by the power of his Desmosedici as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) attempted to capitalise, but lost first position to #93 when he ran wide at Turn 1 on Lap 25. Quartararo braked extremely deep at the top of the hill to nab second at Turn 3, and Martin emerged third by the time they exited Turn 4, with Bagnaia back to fourth. By then, Miller and Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) had already rolled the dice on a change to their wet bikes from eighth and ninth respectively on Lap 23. The rain only got heavier after their stops, causing the top five to tighten up before Marquez led Bagnaia, Martin, Quartararo, and Mir into the pits on Lap 25. Binder opted against that, as did Aleix Espargaro (Gresini Aprilia) and several others, while Marquez emerged 10th, ahead of Bagnaia, Martin, Quartararo, Mir, and earlier stoppers Miller and Rins. At that point, there appeared three possibilities for Binder: he would go on to win, he would crash his Red Bull KTM, or he would be run down by one of those who had switched to their wet bike. Rain continued to pelt down and while the race-leading South African had several nervous moments, including a near-spill at Turn 3 on the final lap, he was continuing to build the gap over Aleix Espargaro. Binder kept #33 upright to take a second career MotoGP win, at KTM’s home track, even if he would be issued a three-second penalty for exceeding track limits on the last tour of the Red Bull Ring. Bagnaia looked to have made too many mistakes just before and just after his stop, but cut a swathe on the last lap to finish second, ahead of Martin, Mir, and Marini. The latter was among those who stayed out and looked like he might take a podium, as did Lecuona, who ended up sixth. Quartararo finished seventh and Valentino Rossi (Petronas SRT Yamaha) got home in eighth having also run in the top three after the stops. Alex Marquez (Castrol LCR Honda) took ninth and Aleix Espargaro dropped from second to 10th on the last lap, ahead of Miller, Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM), and Rins. Marquez was 10th, first of those to have pitted, when he dropped his Honda at the start of the penultimate lap, but remounted and earned one championship point by finishing 15th. His team-mate Pol Espargaro was 16th and Cal Crutchlow (Petronas SRT Yamaha) last finisher in 17th. Earlier, the race had developed into a three-way battle between Bagnaia, Marquez and Quartararo. Bagnaia had taken the lead when pole-sitter Martin ran wide on the opening lap at Turn 4, and held it when Martin made an unsuccessful raid on Lap 6 at Turn 7. The Pramac rider instead dropped to fourth by the time he exited Turn 9, and soon lost touch with #63, #93, and #20. Quartararo had a brief spell at the head of the field and, while he lacked the power at Bagnaia’s disposal, the Frenchman tried to make up for it under brakes particularly at Turn 3. Despite the Red Bull Ring suiting the Bologna bullets, Bagnaia could not shake Marquez or Quartararo, and it was the Honda pilot who finally made a pass on him stick on Lap 25. Marquez’s spell in the lead was briefer than he would have liked, however, due to the rain which set up a fascinating conclusion to the grand prix. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) did not get that far, crashing out of eighth on Lap 23 at Turn 1. Zarco was running fifth when he lost the front of the #5 Ducati through Turn 9 on Lap 18, while Enea Bastianini pitted after his Avintia Esponsorama Ducati shed its left-hand side bodywork. MotoGP now has a weekend off before the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on August 27-29. Race results: Austrian MotoGP Pos Num Rider Nat Team Bike Time/Gap 1 33 Brad BINDER RSA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 40:46.928 2 63 Francesco BAGNAIA ITA Ducati Lenovo Team Ducati +9.991 3 89 Jorge MARTIN ESP Pramac Racing Ducati +11.570 4 36 Joan MIR ESP Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki +12.623 5 10 Luca MARINI ITA SKY VR46 Avintia Ducati +14.831 6 27 Iker LECUONA ESP Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing KTM +14.952 7 20 Fabio QUARTARARO FRA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP…

Jorge Martin has backed up his maiden MotoGP pole with another at the Red Bull Ring just a week later, in qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix. Martin had put his Pramac Ducati in first position on the grid for the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria, which he went on to win, and will start from the same spot in Round 11 of the season at the Spielberg circuit. The Spanish rookie had a tumble at the end of Free Practice 4, was already going into Qualifying 1, and then also had to break the all time lap record if he was to deny championship leader Fabio Quartararo pole position. Martin did just that, meaning Quartararo is set to start from second spot on his Monster Energy Yamaha, with the Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia also making the front row. Practice pace-setter Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati) set the fastest first flyer in clocking a 1:23.984s, but it was Quartararo soon on top with a 1:22.677s. That was a new all time lap record at the time and the Frenchman even set a subsequent 1:22.794s before pitting, while next-best at the end of the first runs was Martin on a 1:23.037s, with Zarco third on a 1:23.399s. Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) then went to third when he clocked a 1:23.378s, before Bagnaia, who lost multiple laps for track limits breaches on his first run, finally set a lap time when he broke the beam at a 1:23.218s. The Italian consolidated third spot in setting a 1:23.063s just before the chequered flag, at which point Quartararo remained fastest. However, both of Pramac Racing’s riders were on good pace and while Zarco missed the front row in setting a 1:23.120s, Martin came through to lay down a 1:22.643s and thus move from the middle of the front row to pole. Zarco ended up fourth, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) took fifth with a 1:23.227s, and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo) earned sixth with a 1:23.320s. Row 3 will be Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) alongside Aleix Espargaro (Gresini Aprilia) and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM), with Row 4 comprised of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM), Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda), and Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu LCR Honda). Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) will start from 13th having come up just over a tenth shy of progression from Qualifying 1. Rins had just consolidated second spot with a 1:23.470s when Oliveira knocked him out with a 1:23.365s just before the chequered flag, and #42 will be joined on Row 5 will by Alex Marquez (Castrol LCR Honda) and Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama Ducati). Row 6 will be Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM), Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Esponsorama Ducati), and Valentino Rossi (Petronas SRT Yamaha), with the 20-rider field rounded out by Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM) and Cal Crutchlow (Petronas SRT Yamaha). AUSTRIAN MOTOGP, RED BULL RING – FULL QUALIFYING RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF LAP MAX 1 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* 1’22.643s 7/7 315k 2 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.034s 3/8 309k 3 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) +0.420s 8/9 315k 4 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +0.477s 7/7 313k 5 Marc Marquez SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.584s 7/7 313k 6 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.677s 8/8 314k 7 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.735s 6/10 309k 8 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +0.780s 7/7 312k 9 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) +0.856s 8/8 310k 10 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +0.925s 7/8 314k 11 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +1.095s 7/7 317k 12 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +1.347s 3/7 309k   Qualifying 1:           13 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 1’23.47s 8/9 309k 14 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) 1’23.535s 8/9 311k 15 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* 1’23.79s 4/9 313k 16 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) 1’23.825s 6/8 306k 17 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* 1’23.834s 6/7 310k 18 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1’23.939s 3/7 306k 19 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) 1’24.405s 4/8 308k 20 Cal Crutchlow GBR Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1’24.509s 7/8 304k