Highly exciting MotoGP

“Four riders are one step ahead of everyone”

In the eye of the bull, the thousands of fans can expect another two-wheeled thriller.

(Bild: Philip Platzer / Red Bull Ring)

Pure excitement in the MotoGP! In the last three races alone, the lead in the championship has changed hands three times. But the cards will be reshuffled this weekend in Spielberg. With ten races to go, none of the top four riders is willing to make a prediction about the title.

MotoGP is not for the faint-hearted at the moment. In the last three races, the championship lead has changed just as often. The four fastest riders are currently separated by just 62 points ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg (see chart below). Just three points separate leader Jorge Martin and defending champion Francesco Bagnaia.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Krone KREATIV; Fotos: REUTERS, EPA (3), AFP)

"We're basically starting from scratch again and the season only has ten races to go," said the Italian defending champion yesterday at the Red Bull Ring. Martin agreed with his world championship rival: "There are currently four drivers who are one step ahead of everyone else. Who is in the lead now is not important. Everything is still completely open."

Risk is required, no tactical games
Especially because Bagnaia recently crashed in the sprint at Silverstone and Martin failed to score points at the Sachsenring one race weekend earlier. "You have to give one hundred percent in the world championship at this moment. It's not the right time to be tactical, but to take full risks," says Bagnaia, for whom things went perfectly at the Red Bull Ring last year, winning the sprint and Grand Prix.

Bagnaia came very close to his fans.

(Bild: Pail Sepp/Sepp Pail)

Just like his team-mate Enea Bastianini in Silverstone, who is suddenly also in the mix for the World Championship title - and against whom Marc Márquez, fourth overall in the standings in the underdog position, does not want to be involved in a duel on the last lap: "He was the strongest of us all in the last few races in this respect."

They also stepped on the gas at the campsites.

(Bild: Pail Sepp/Sepp Pail)

Márquez himself has never won in Spielberg, showing unusual weaknesses there even in his strongest times: "I lost the victory here on the last lap three years in a row," he recalled yesterday. And he doesn't see himself in a position to fight for victory this time either: "The other three are currently faster than me."

Kolumne von Michael Höller

Die Jobbörse schließt am Red Bull Ring

The MotoGP transfer market has already made a few headlines this season. KTM in particular was able to sign sensational deals weeks ago with the signings of the two Grand Prix winners Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales. This weekend in Spielberg, the last dominoes will probably fall on the World Motorcycle Championship job market for 2025. The US Trackhouse Aprilia Team secured the hot Japanese stock Ai Ogura, who is currently fighting for the World Championship title in the second-highest category, Moto2.

Marc Márquez

(Bild: Pail Sepp/Sepp Pail)

Things are also getting serious for two former hopefuls from the KTM family. Miguel Oliveira, the Austrian manufacturer's first Spielberg winner in 2020, is likely to dock with the Italian Pramac team, as is Jack Miller, who was the big loser in this year's KTM shake-up. There is also a big loser among the manufacturers: Ducati. Although the Reds are riding everything into the ground, they are not only losing the potential world champion team Pramac to Yamaha this winter, but also three winning riders - Jorge Martin, Bastianini and Marco Bezzecchi - to the competition. They were all sacrificed in order to bring the not-so-young Marc Márquez into the factory team. A decision that was recently questioned not only by all-time great Valentino Rossi.