Red Bull Ring MotoGP: Dovizioso wins crash-strewn race
A day after quitting Ducati for 2021, Andrea Dovizioso won a dramatic MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix which was red-flagged early for a horror accident.
Franco Morbidelli collided with Johann Zarco’s Ducati on the run through the ultra-fast Turn 2 on lap nine of the original start, with the Avintia bike vaulting in the air after smashing into the air fence on the outside of Turn 3.
The Petronas Yamaha slid straight into the path of the factory Yamaha of Valentino Rossi, the bike flying by inches away from Rossi.
The red flag was brought out to clear the chaos, with all involved walking away mercifully unscathed.
KTM’s Pol Espargaro led the race when it was halted and started from pole for the 20-lap restart, while championship leader Fabio Quartararo had to come from last after running off track at Turn 4 on the sixth tour.
Pramac’s Jack Miller gambled on fitting the soft front tyre for the restart and used his grip advantage over the rest to take the lead early on.
Miller got his gap out to over a second by the sixth lap ahead of Dovizioso and Alex Rins, who had just overhauled Espargaro for third.
Espargaro had a scrappy few laps and continued to drop places, with a collision with Tech 3 KTM’s Miguel Oliveira at Turn 4 - when the former tried to cut back onto the racing line having run wide – ending both rider’s days on the ninth lap.
By now, Miller’s front grip was fading and Dovizioso pounced at the first turn on lap 10, with Rins following him through at the end of the tour.
The Suzuki rider got on terms with Dovizioso and launched his GSX-RR up the inside of the Ducati at Turn 6 on lap 11 – but the front end slid out from under him and Rins’ hopes of victory were over.
Dovizioso eased off his pace just after the mid stage, but wound his Ducati back up in the closing laps to claim the marque’s 50th MotoGP victory by 1.3 seconds.
The sole surviving Suzuki of Joan Mir hounded Miller in the final laps, but the Ducati rider used his GP20’s supreme grunt to keep the Spaniard at bay.
However, Miller ran wide at the penultimate corner on the last lap, which allowed Mir into second to claim his maiden premier class podium.
The chaos ahead of him allowed Brad Binder to get up to fourth from 17th on the grid, moving to 26 points behind Quartararo in the standings in fourth.
Rossi brushed off the incident from the first start to come home fifth as top Yamaha rider ahead of LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami and the Ducati of Danilo Petrucci.
Quartararo recovered to eighth from last, but his standings lead is now just 11 from race winner Dovizioso.
Iker Lecuona got to the chequered flag in ninth on the Tech 3 KTM, with Maverick Vinales completing the top 10 after encountering a mysterious bike issue which left him last on lap one.
Aleix Espargaro got his Aprilia home in 11th ahead of Pramac stand-in Michele Pirro, Bradley Smith on the second Aprilia, Honda’s Alex Marquez and the LCR of Cal Crutchlow.
Austrian MotoGP - race results:
| Cla | Rider | Bike | Gap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Andrea Dovizioso |  | Ducati | |
| 2 |  Joan Mir |  | Suzuki | 1.377 |
| 3 |  Jack Miller |  | Ducati | 1.549 |
| 4 |  Brad Binder |  | KTM | 5.526 |
| 5 | Valentino Rossi |  | Yamaha | 5.837 |
| 6 |  Takaaki Nakagami |  | Honda | 6.403 |
| 7 | Danilo Petrucci |  | Ducati | 12.498 |
| 8 |  Fabio Quartararo |  | Yamaha | 12.534 |
| 9 | Iker Lecuona |  | KTM | 14.117 |
| 10 | Maverick Viñales |  | Yamaha | 15.276 |
| 11 | Aleix Espargaro |  | Aprilia | 17.772 |
| 12 | Michele Pirro |  | Ducati | 23.271 |
| 13 |  Bradley Smith |  | Aprilia | 24.868 |
| 14 | Alex Marquez |  | Honda | 24.943 |
| 15 | Cal Crutchlow |  | Honda | 27.435 |
| 16 | Tito Rabat |  | Ducati | 28.502 |
| 17 |  Stefan Bradl |  | Honda | 28.609 |
| Alex Rins |  | Suzuki | ||
| Pol Espargaro |  | KTM | ||
 Miguel Oliveira |  | KTM | ||
| Franco Morbidelli |  | Yamaha | ||
| Johann Zarco |  | Ducati | ||
| View full results | ||||
Previous article
MotoGP on TV today – How can I watch the Austrian Grand Prix?
Next article
Honda announces Marquez will also miss Styrian MotoGP race
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Event | Austrian GP |
| Author | Lewis Duncan |
Repsol Honda Team - Pol Espargaró Q&A
Repsol Honda Team - Marc Marquez Q&A
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Alex Marquez's form was one of MotoGP 2020's biggest surprises and, by firmly stepping out of his six-time world champion brother Marc's shadow, he proved a few people wrong. Not that he cares about this, as he tells Lewis Duncan
How Yamaha's new MotoGP era can unchain Vinales
After the electrifying start to his Yamaha MotoGP career in 2017, Maverick Vinales has struggled for consistency. Many anticipate that the arrival of Fabio Quartararo could spell disaster, but the departure of Valentino Rossi could be just the impetus he needs.
Does KTM really need 'super engine' for MotoGP title challenge?
Fears from rival MotoGP manufacturers that KTM would build a 'super engine' for 2021 have ultimately come to nothing with the revealation that the RC16 hasn't been radically changed over the winter. But does it really need that to win the title?
How Ducati's latest Aussie union can return it to MotoGP glory
Australians on Ducatis is an iconic partnership, the marque's last one yielding its sole MotoGP crown to date. But its latest Aussie union with the often underestimated Jack Miller can end this drought.
The "balls out" battle between MotoGP's true greats
Senna vs Prost is regularly cited as motorsport's greatest rivalry. But it can easily be argued Rainey vs Schwantz can stake that claim. That rivalry was in full swing during the 1991 500cc season, remembered fondly by both stars 30 years on...
The "warrior" MotoGP rookie KTM was right to back
The 2020 MotoGP campaign featured a standout pair of rookies, but one flew under the radar as he adjusted to a shock step-up armed with very little racing experience. However as his veteran team boss explains, the faith shown in him was not misplaced
Why Suzuki's Brivio replacement must come from within
With its charismatic leader Davide Brivio leaving for Formula 1, the Suzuki MotoGP squad he turned into a world championship-winning force in 2020 has a major recruitment headache that it needs to resolve carefully.
Why Alpine's latest signing could be its best hope of F1 glory
The return of Fernando Alonso to the renamed Alpine team is a sure sign of the team's ambition. But its latest appointment from MotoGP could be an even bigger coup as it seeks to end a barren run stretching back to Alonso's 2006 world title
