Another crucial race in the title chase awaits, with the recent momentum swinging firmly in Pecco’s favour
Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) left it late to snatch pole position from the grasps of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as we get set for another fantastic race at the Red Bull Ring. To get warmed up for the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, check out 10 stats that have emerged from qualifying below:
1. Bastianini has qualified on pole for the first time in MotoGP™ becoming the seventh different polesitter since the opening race of the season in Qatar, which is already one more than last year. The last time there were seven different polesitters in a single MotoGP™ season was in 2020, and the all-time record is eight.
2. This is Ducati’s fourth pole in MotoGP™ at the Red Bull Ring along with Andrea Iannone in 2016 and Jorge Martin in both races here in 2021, both of whom went on the finish on the podium, including a win each.
3. Ducati riders have won six of the eight MotoGP™ races at the Red Bull Ring thanks to four riders: Andrea Dovizioso (3 wins), Iannone (1), Jorge Lorenzo (1) and Martin (1).
4. Winner of the last two races, Bagnaia has qualified second for his seventh front row start of the season. He will be aiming to take three wins in three successive MotoGP™ races for the first time.
5. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) has qualified third for his fourth front row start this season along with COTA (when he finished P3), France (P2) and Great Britain (P3). He will be aiming to win for the first time since last year’s French GP.
6. Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) has qualified fifth as the top non-Ducati rider. It’s the eighth time so far this season he’s failed to qualify on the front row. The Frenchman will be aiming to become the first non-KTM and non-Ducati rider to win at the Red Bull Ring in MotoGP™, and better Yamaha’s best finish at the track of third.
7. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) has qualified seventh, which is the second successive time he out qualifies his teammate Aleix Espargaro following the British GP. He will be aiming to take three podiums in three successive MotoGP™ races for the first time – both with Aprilia and for the first time ever.
8. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) has qualified eighth as the top Suzuki, which is his best qualifying result since he qualified seventh (but started from sixth) at the French GP earlier this year. He will be aiming to stand on the podium for the first time since last year’s Algarve GP.
9. In Q1 for the first time since COTA earlier this year, Aleix Espargaro managed to qualify ninth which is his worst qualifying result since he qualified 13th at COTA this year. He and Viñales will be aiming to give Aprilia their first MotoGP™ podium at the Red Bull Ring.
10. Winner at the Austrian GP last year, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has qualified 12th as the top KTM. He will be aiming to stand on the podium for the second time of the season along with Qatar (P2).
