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MotoGP Preview of the Austrian GP: Defanging Turn 3

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There is a bittersweet irony to motorcycle racing. On the one hand, we want the racing to be as safe as it can possibly be.

On the other, the element of risk, the thrill of watching a rider wrestle a motorcycle at very high speed on the edge of adhesion, teetering on the brink of disaster, is part of the appeal. Racing a motorcycle is difficult, and because the rider sits aboard the bike, in full view, it is obvious even to the most casual observer just how difficult it is.

Which brings me to the Red Bull Ring. The circuit at Spielberg is simple, and incredibly dangerous, because the bikes spend so much time either pulling hard in high gear, or braking hard into tight corners.

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Podcast

Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 230 – Moto2 & Moto3 at Austria

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Episode 230 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one is our Moto2 and Moto3 follow-up to Episode 229, which focused on the MotoGP action from the Austria GP at the Red Bull Ring.

On the mics, we have David Emmett, Neil Morrison, and Adam Wheeler, as they walk us through the on-track action in the intermediate classes, along with special insights from ex-racer Michael Laverty.

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MotoGP

Saturday MotoGP Summary at the Austria GP: A 7-Day Déjà Vu

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The thing about back-to-back races is that everyone gets faster. Or at least, that’s the idea.

With an extra weekend of data under their belts, the teams should have a pretty good idea about the ideal setting for the bike at a track, and returning to a circuit where they had raced a week before, the riders should be able to navigate every corner, bump, and braking zone with their eyes closed.

The track should be better too. With a weekend of motorcycle rubber on the track to replace the residue left by cars, there is more grip for the riders to exploit. The stars should all be aligned for everyone to be faster the second time around.

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MotoGP

Friday MotoGP Summary at the Austria GP: Rain Wrecks Plans

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We know that the weather in the mountains is changeable, but Friday at the Red Bull Ring took the cake.

A bright, sunny morning, with ideal conditions for riding – so ideal that Johann Zarco sliced another tenth of a second off the outright lap record in FP1 – and in the last ten minutes or so of FP2 for the Moto3 class, a few drops of rain, and then lightning, and a hailstorm in 30°C heat.

The MotoGP riders went out on a soaking track, but by the time the session finished, it was almost dry.

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Podcast

Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 227 – Moto2 & Moto3 at Styria

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Episode 227 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one is our Moto2 and Moto3 follow-up to Episode 226, which focused on the MotoGP action from the Styria GP at the Red Bull Ring.

On the mics, we have David Emmett, Neil Morrison, and Adam Wheeler, as they walk us through the on-track action in the intermediate classes, along with special insights from ex-racer Michael Laverty.

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MotoGP

Yamaha Sidelines Viñales after Abusing His Bike During Styria Race

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Yamaha has suspended Maverick Viñales from participating in this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.

In a press release issued today, the Monster Energy Yamaha said Viñales had been suspended for “the unexplained irregular operation of the motorcycle by the rider during last weekend’s Styria MotoGP race”.

According to Yamaha, this behavior was visible in the data logged by the Yamaha M1, and that data forced Yamaha to draw the conclusion that “the rider‘s actions could have potentially caused significant damage to the engine of his YZR-M1 bike, which could have caused serious risks to the rider himself and possibly posed a danger to all other riders in the MotoGP race”.

Though Yamaha would not expand on this statement when asked, the behavior they are referring to is clear from reports by people at the track, and is visible in the lap times.

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MotoGP

Saturday MotoGP Summary at the Styria GP: Meaningless Practice, Holeshot Devices, & Track Limits

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It has been a fascinating day of thrilling action at the Red Bull Ring. Records have been broken, riders have pushed the limits of their bikes, and the fans – back in full force at last – have added some of the atmosphere that has been missing during the long Covid-19 pandemic.

There was elation and heartbreak, a sensational pole in MotoGP, and above all, glorious Austrian summer weather.

Yet it all lacked a sense that it stood outside reality, had no bearing on the actual racing, nothing to do with MotoGP. Perhaps that is the illusion of a return to racing after such a long summer break, the longest in recent history.

But more likely, it is because while the fans lapped up the action under the sunshine, we all knew that whatever happened on Saturday is likely to be undone by the weather gods on Sunday.

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MotoGP

Friday MotoGP Summary at the Styria GP: A Wasted Day

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In an ideal world, MotoGP teams can use practice to prepare for the race on Sunday. Test tires in FP1, make setup changes in FP2, finalize the setting in FP3 and FP4, then into qualifying to be ready for the race.

In an ideal world, conditions are comparable enough through all practice sessions on Friday and Saturday to find the optimal setup choices for Sunday.

But we don’t live in an ideal world, of course. Temperature differences and changing conditions leave a lot to a mixture of experience and guesswork. Even then, as long as you have dry weather, you can get pretty close.

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