Austrian GP – Drivers’ incredible luck after the Spielberg crash … –

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The incredible luck of the pilots after the Spielberg crash…

Austrian GP - The incredible luck of the drivers after the Spielberg crash ... -

The Austrian MotoGP 2020 Grand Prix won by Dovizioso, we will remember the huge crash between Zarco and Morbidelli but especially the incredible luck of Rossi and Viñales, who were almost pulverized by two motorcycles in distress…. Pilot reaction.

"It’s a bad result but today we must consider ourselves happy", summarizes Maverick Viñales who certainly finished in a disappointing tenth place in the Austrian GP … but living after a while Franco Morbidelli, much less conciliatory , believes that "someone should pay for this error" (read below)…

Valentino Rossi, official Yamaha n ° 46 (5th in the race and in the championship): "a serious error of appreciation"

"It was really very scary, but the four pilots were very lucky, especially Maverick and me", confirms the Doctor whose face we could see really decomposed in his box, when he reviewed the images of the crash during the ‘interruption of the race: "we must pray to someone tonight because it was a very dangerous situation", continues the nine-time world champion who traditionally multiplies the superstitious rituals before each start of the race…

  • MNC special file : Everything you need to know about the Austrian GP 2020

Despite his understandable fear, Rossi will manage to leave the knife between his teeth to finish 5th at the end of the second part of the race: "I think you have to be aggressive of course, everyone tries to do the maximum , but for me you shouldn’t exaggerate because you have to remember that this sport is very dangerous. You have to have respect for the competing drivers, especially on a track where you always go 300 km / h ".

Austrian GP - Drivers' incredible luck after the Spielberg crash ... -

"I spoke with Zarco and he promised me that he hadn’t done it on purpose (at the same time who could reasonably have doubted it, Editor’s note ?!). He started very wide under braking and closed the door to Franco, but when we get to 300 km / h we are in the suction of the front driver, so Franco couldn’t slow down. I was with Maverick when we entered turn 3 and I felt something coming towards me. I thought it was the shadow of the helicopter, because sometimes it crosses the track, but Franco’s motorbike passed me at an incredible speed and then Zarco’s jumped over Maverick! "

"So we were very lucky, but I hope that this type of mishap will encourage the drivers to improve their behavior in the future", continues the Italian star who is also very close to Morbidelli via his. "I spoke with Franco (evacuated on a stretcher but conscious, Editor’s note): he is fine, he tries not to think about it again but when he thinks about it he is afraid. What makes the difference in this case is that no one was injured, all the pilots are doing well so that is a game changer. If something bad had happened, it would have been completely different ".

“Zarco did not intentionally cause such a pile-up,” Rossi admits, “but it remains a serious misconception that a MotoGP rider cannot afford, especially in braking at 310 km / h. quickly to the right and by braking "in front" of Franco, he did not give him room to slow down, so Morbidelli could not help but hit him at full speed "…

"Honestly, it was difficult to go back, but I didn’t have a lot of choice," said Rossi. "So I started again and had a good race. For us it’s not easy here with the Yamaha. We suffer at top speed so it’s very difficult to fight with the other bikes ( Ducati and KTM in particular, Editor’s note), but I had a good pace. Unfortunately Binder passed me very aggressively in turn 9, I had to widen and I lost contact with the first group. ‘still had a good pace and I could finish fifth. We can do better, but it was a good race. ".

Maverick Viñales, official Yamaha n ° 12 (10th in the race and 3rd in the championship): "we repeat every time this 3 turn is dangerous, they have to do something"

"Today we were very lucky and that’s the most important thing, I’m fine", philosopher Maverick Viñales who lost a place in the general classification after the Austrian GP. "This kind of thing can happen in a race, there are always risks. And this turn 3, every time we say it’s really dangerous. They have to do something because it’s really easy to crash here. During the warmup I almost fell, I blocked the front and I headed for the walls, it was scary ".

Austrian GP - The incredible luck of the drivers after the Spielberg crash ... -

“From my bike, honestly I didn’t see the crash of the first race. I just heard the sinking bikes scrape the asphalt, then I felt the impact of Johann’s bike when it hit. hit the wall (she literally pierced the air fence, editor’s note) Then I saw a motorcycle come over me, I protected my head and it passed me over … We were very lucky today! Someone saved us and that is the most important. It is not lost for the championship because Fabio only finished two places in front of me. In the second race, j I had big problems with the clutch. It’s a shame that we lost two very good chances to lead the championship because I felt really strong from the start. It’s true that in the first race my bike was quite slow, but I waited until lap 15 to start pushing really hard. In the second, after discovering the problem, I just thought my run was t finished but after three or four revolutions the clutch resumed working. I just tried to be patient and get back up front. It’s like that"…

Johann Zarco, Ducati Avintia n ° 5 (fall in the race and 10th in the championship: "nobody was really injured and that is the most important"

"It’s a real shame because I had a big crash in the race with Franco Morbidelli," regrets Johann who could benefit from a next year. "When braking he hit me and we flew away, he was surprised because we were very close and with the speed it was not easy to slow down. Then we were afraid because our motorcycles could have really hit someone, but in the end no one was really hurt and that is the most important ".

Austrian GP - The incredible luck of the drivers after the Spielberg crash ... -

"It’s a shame because I was having a good weekend, I was competitive and I could expect an excellent result in the race", regrets the French driver. “It was maybe the race where I could have had the best pace during the 28 laps, but it ended before. It is very important to run the next race in the same place as of next week. I have to improve to be able to fight for the podium, so I’m going to rest as much as possible for the three days and work well next week ".

Franco Morbidelli, Yamaha SRT n ° 21 (fall in the race and 8th in the championship): "someone has to pay for this mistake"

"It hurts a bit, but everything is fine", confirms the Brazilian driver who suffers only minor injuries and has been declared fit for Sunday on the same circuit..

“Looking back at the footage of the accident, I tell myself that I’m lucky to get through this and I think I was very lucky. It was a weird accident because Johann told me. doubled in the straight line and then he changed lane under braking to go very wide. With this change in traj ‘and the suction, I had no escape and I couldn’t avoid it. Luckily, we will. both good ".

Austrian GP - The incredible luck of the drivers after the Spielberg crash ... -

"It was important to score points here because it is not a good circuit for Yamaha, so I am sorry for my team not to have been able to do it," regrets the No. 21. "I did my best to do my race but we couldn’t do it this time and I will try next Sunday".

"We will definitely talk about it again on Thursday," Morbidelli added on Twitter, lamenting the fact that "every time two pilots fall, we call it a" race fact "and the problem is solved … Except that this "racing event" happened at 310 km / h and it is a huge chance that we are still whole, so someone has to pay for this error "…

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha SRT n ° 20 (8th in the race and still 1st in the championship): "I am happy that everyone is doing well"

"I lost a few positions at the start and I felt that my brakes were quite soft from the first laps, then I really had nothing left in turn 4", laments Franco Morbidelli’s teammate … "Enter both races we decided to change the calipers and we had the same problem. It was a very difficult race for me as this track is normally all about hard and late braking. Luckily we still managed to finish eighth so it’s not as bad as it could have been. We’re going to have to study what happened because the next race is here and I want to make sure that we finish in a better place. I know that I ‘had the pace to finish in the top 5 this weekend so hopefully we can get there next weekend. After the two scary crashes today I’m glad everyone is okay and I extend my encouragement to all the pilots involved, in particular bind Franco ".

Jack Miller, Ducati Pramac n ° 43 (3rd in the race and 7th in the championship): "as soon as you see the riders moving, the first reaction is to get back on the bike"

"I admit that during the interruption of the race I was more concerned with my choice of tires, so I didn’t think too much about the accident other than checking that the guys were okay – Johann was walking and Franco was on a stretcher but waved it was ok ".

Austrian GP - Drivers' incredible luck after the Spielberg crash ... -

"We would never like to see crashes like this, but as soon as we see the riders moving the immediate reaction is to get back on the bike," continues the future official Ducati rider in MotoGP next year. "They would have done the same if someone else had fallen, that’s part of the race. I mean if you think about it reasonably, you don’t get on a MotoGP that takes 350 km / h by touching your elbows, n ‘is this not ?"

Stefan Bradl, Honda official n ° 6 (replacing Marc Marquez at HRC): "pieces of motorcycle were flying everywhere"

"I hope Morbidelli and those who crashed are doing well," said the German driver who this weekend for the on the same circuit. "I arrived at the crash site a little later and pieces of motorcycle were flying everywhere, it was scary. I did not witness the accident, but seeing the motorcycles destroyed at this point is still worrying.".

Christophe Guyot, connoisseur of motorcycle sport: "no more fair play in MotoGP?"

"But what is happening in MotoGP?", Worries the GMT94 team manager, congratulating "Dovi, the excellent Johan Mir, Jack Miller and Fabio who remains at the head of the championship despite his brake problems" at term of an Austrian GP "grandiose in terms of driving".

"No more fair play, mutual respect and good understanding?" Asks the man who has always expressed these values ​​in his own structure in the world endurance championship and then in WorldSBK. "Of course, rivalries have always existed, but since the start of the season we criticize each other, we accuse each other, we judge each other," regrets Christophe Guyot: "from Alberto Puig through the Espargaro brothers and even by Danilo Petrucci that we did not know aggressive and vulgar, Miguel Oliviera enraged, or Valentino Rossi and Franco Morbidelli who accuse Johann Zarco maliciously, we hear too much contempt and sometimes offensive insults "…

One can also wonder which fly stung Dani Pedrosa, usually rather fair and reserved, who just after the terrible fall estimated on Twitter that Zarco was "still in the middle of controversial moments"…

Is the Red Bull Ring Too Dangerous ?

Still on Twitter but more constructive, Xavier Simeon firmly believes that the Austrian circuit "should not be on the calendar: if Spa is not there, why is it there?", Wonders the Belgian driver, estimating that this accident "proves that this circuit is absolutely not made for motorcycles"…

A few minutes earlier, the Moto2 race had also been marked by a very impressive accident: Enea Bastianini went to the high side and Hafizh Syahrin hit his motorcycle with full force, before performing a spectacular glide before remaining lying on the track, fortunately without too much gravity (pelvic contusion)…

2020 MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix results

  1. 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 182.7 km / h 28’20.853
  2. 36 Joan MIR SPA Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki 182.6 km / h +1.377
  3. 43 Jack MILLER AUS Pramac Racing Ducati 182.6 km / h +1.549
  4. 33 Brad BINDER RSA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 182.1 km / h +5.526
  5. 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 182.1 km / h +5.837
  6. 30 Takaaki NAKAGAMI JPN LCR Honda IDEMITSU Honda 182.1 km / h +6.403
  7. 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Ducati Team Ducati 181.4 km / h +12.498
  8. 20 Fabio QUARTARARO FRA Petronas Yamaha SRT Yamaha 181.4 km / h +12.534
  9. 27 Iker LECUONA SPA Red Bull KTM Tech 3 KTM 181.2 km / h +14.117
  10. 12 Maverick VIÑALES SPA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 181.1 km / h +15.276
  11. 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 180.8 km / h +17.772
  12. 51 Michele PIRRO ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 180.3 km / h +23.271
  13. 73 Alex MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 180.1 km / h +24.943
  14. 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 180.1 km / h +24.868
  15. 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR LCR Honda CASTROL Honda 179.8 km / h +27.435
  16. 53 Tito RABAT SPA Esponsorama Racing Ducati 179.7 km / h +28.502
  17. 6 Stefan BRADL GER Repsol Honda Team Honda 179.7 km / h +28.609

Not classified

  • 42 Alex RINS SPA Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki 182.6 km / h (10 laps)
  • 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 182.1 km / h (12 laps)
  • 88 Miguel OLIVEIRA POR Red Bull KTM Tech 3 KTM 182.1 km / h (12 laps)
  • 21 Franco MORBIDELLI ITA Petronas Yamaha SRT Yamaha
  • 5 Johann ZARCO FRA Esponsorama Racing Ducati

Ranking in the world championship after the Austrian GP

  1. Fabio QUARTARARO Yamaha FRA (67 points)
  2. Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati ITA (56 points)
  3. Maverick VIÑALES Yamaha SPA (48 points)
  4. Brad BINDER KTM RSA (41 points)
  5. Valentino ROSSI Yamaha ITA (38 points)
  6. Takaaki NAKAGAMI Honda JPN (37 points)
  7. Jack MILLER Ducati AUS (36 points)
  8. Franco MORBIDELLI Yamaha ITA (31 points)
  9. Joan MIR Suzuki SPA (31 points)
  10. Johann ZARCO Ducati FRA (28 points)
  11. Danilo PETRUCCI Ducati ITA (20 points)
  12. Alex RINS Suzuki SPA (19 points)
  13. Pol ESPARGARO KTM SPA (19 points)
  14. Miguel OLIVEIRA KTM POR (18 points)
  15. Alex MARQUEZ Honda SPA (16 points)
  16. Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia SPA (11 points)
  17. Francesco BAGNAIA Ducati ITA (9 points)
  18. Iker LECUONA KTM SPA (7 points)
  19. Tito RABAT Ducati SPA (7 points)
  20. Bradley SMITH Aprilia GBR (7 points)
  21. Cal CRUTCHLOW Honda GBR (7 points)
  22. Michele PIRRO Ducati ITA (4 points)
  23. Stefan BRADL Honda GER  

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