Ducati dominates Austria and Bastianini signs pole

It won’t be easy for Quartararo, who sees how the worst assumptions have been confirmed, for Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia RS-GP), who had to win a pass by getting four Ducati drivers ahead of him. second classification from the first to the ninth row, in the third row of the starting pattern.

It was very interesting to see the development of the fourth free practice, where it was possible to appreciate the “control” exercised by world leader Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha YZR M 1) over what he believed to be his most dangerous opponent. , Italian Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia (Ducati Desmosedici GP22) forced him with no consequences for his physical integrity and this until he nearly suffered a transalpine drop at Turn ninth as can be seen driving several laps behind him. For the “long pass”, in another area of ​​the track, Aprilia riders, Spanish Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñalestook advantage of his “technical breaks” to welcome two-time Spanish Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso to an unexpected visitor to his workshops.

These fourth practices, often serving to find a good rhythm for racing, saw Italian Enea Bastianini’s dominance as the forerunner of a Ducati trio formed with his compatriots. Luca Marini and “Pecco” Bagnaia, Quartararo is in fourth place and Aleix Espargaró is in tenth place, while Maverick Viñales is forced to take sixteenth place.

It was precisely Aleix Espargaró who should have been one of the greatest heroes of the first division, failing to make a direct pass to the second, and therefore the Spaniard came out quickly and was willing to improve his performance on a track where he had so far been “strangled” by the new variant and perhaps to some extent conditioned by it. calcaneal injury your left foot.

This second-place variant did not finish convincing the runner-up in the world championship, but with two quick laps in a row, Aleix Espargaró tried to defend his transition to the second division and, incidentally, help his brother. pole (Repsol Honda RC 213 V) couldn’t catch a good pace on the Austrian “Red Bull Ring” circuit either.

For the second time on the track, the image of Aleix Espargaró following closely followed by his brother Pol Espargaró returning to the track was repeated, and although the Aprilia driver hit the target and went first into the second division, the Repsol Honda driver knocked him out. Fabio di Giannantonio and they surpassed it Luca Marina and japanese Takaaki Nakagami (Honda RC 213V).

In the second classification, Aleix Espargaró came “hot” and quickly took first place, although he was later overtaken by the Australian. Jack Miller (Ducati Desmosedici GP22), Italy’s Enea Bastianini (Ducati Desmosedici GP21) and Spain’s Joan Mir (Suzuki GSX RR), world leader Quartararo is in sixth place.

another french johann zarcoIt also caused the Aprilia driver to lose one position, who started the final minutes of the session in sixth position just ahead of Quartararo but behind Suzuki from all four Ducati and Mir.

On his sixth lap, Italy’s Bagnaia entered the fray, which was confirmed by Quartararo in 1:28.796, who tumbled in 1:28.796 to just over a tenth of a second off teammate Miller and cut the climb distance on his next lap. The Ducati driver moved up to sixth place in just over four-tenths of a second, but the final stretch of the classification was going to cause quite a few problems. surprises.

Bastianini beat Bagnaia to secure his first “pole” in MotoGP. four Ducati in the first row, Both Italians, Australian Miller and Spaniard Jorge Martín were “sandwiched” by compatriot Johann Zarco (Ducati Desmosedici GP22), world leader in fifth place, sixth place.

Aleix Espargaró had to settle for ninth place in the third row of the starting lineup, which also included teammates Maverick Viñales and Joan Mir, and already in fourth place Fabio di Giannantonio, Alex Rins (Suzuki GSX RR) and South African Brad Binder (KTMRC16).