Things just refuse to stay normal in MotoGP this year. We’ve had everything that could possibly go wrong happen this season, including qualifying antics, crashes ruling riders out for multiple rounds, and Quartararo’s chest protector flying off mid-race. We’ve somehow only managed to have one race from the first ten rounds where all 22 of the riders on the original entry list for this season competed, and that was back in Germany. It’s been a season of big highs for some, and massive lows for others.
This will feel like one of the lower points for Maverick Vinales. The factory Yamaha has been sidelined by his own employer for his actions during the Styrian grand prix, where it has come to light he may have mistreated his engine over the later stages of the race. Yamaha reviewed the data after the race and came to the conclusion that the damage was bad enough to require them taking action, and so they decided to pull Vinales out of the running for the Austrian round, and potentially for the rest of the season. This spells game over for his championship aspirations for 2021, but it may also have some long-term aftershocks for his career as a whole.
The big problem for Vinales is that he still hasn’t managed to lock in a ride for next year, and actions like this will not look good in the eyes of his potential future employers. Yamaha also haven’t ruled out the possibility of pulling the plug on Vinales for the remainder of the season, such were the potential damages of his actions, and without any more races to prove himself he may struggle to actually get a pen to paper on any potential deals he currently has on the table. Manufacturers expect a certain degree of etiquette when it comes to their factory riders, and haven’t been above ruling out riders on behavioural grounds before – a certain Italian with a temper and a nose job springs to mind.
That marks the third rider who is M.I.A from the Austrian round of the championship. Crutchlow is still standing in at Petronas for the injured Morbidelli, and after the fiery crash at turn 3 last weekend Savadori will also be sitting out for a few weeks. Unfortunate as this all is, it happens surprisingly regularly in MotoGP seasons. As riders sustain injuries and contract talks boil over, it’s not uncommon to see the mid-point of the season marked by high numbers of wildcard and replacement riders as teams try desperately to remain competitive while their riders heal. We can only hope that the various riders currently absent will make full returns in the due course of time.
With all of this drama providing an unusual but not entirely unexpected backdrop, we return to Austria for the second double-up this season. While not an uncommon sight in the last two years thanks to COVID-19, one can’t help but imagine this is still a somewhat trying process for the riders involved. Since they already raced here mere days ago, the field will only be tighter and more competitive this time out, and though that will likely create an exciting race for the spectators, it will be even more draining than the first bout for those competing. That’s not even considering the safety aspect of this circuit, which will certainly be coming under fire.
Once again, all six manufacturers will come here with solid chances of a win, but Ducati will feel they have the best shot. Martin’s surprise victory last time out was extraordinary, a true testament to his skill as a rider, and he will be looking to add a third podium finish to his already decorated rookie season if possible. Bagnaia and Miller, meanwhile, will be kicking themselves for letting such a golden opportunity at taking points away from the championship leader slip through their fingers, and desperately need to bounce back here if they want to continue taking the fight to Quartararo in the later stages of this season. Even Bastianini will be hoping for a better result after narrowly missing out on Q2 and a chance to fight at the front at a track well suited to the GP19 he rides.
Joan Mir will be carrying the hopes of Suzuki once again, but if we learned anything last weekend it was that the Mir of old is back. The addition of a rear height adjuster has gifted him back the tenths and hundredths he has been losing to all the other manufacturers all season long, and with a podium under his belt to bolster him the Spaniard will be looking to begin reeling in Quartararo and take a shot at back-to-back titles. Realistically, he may be the only rider still with a reasonable chance to take the Frenchman down – apologies, Zarco fans – and all he really needs to do now is start beating Quartararo more consistently, and by bigger margins. Taking the title with only a single win last year was incredibly impressive, but it won’t fly in 2021.
While Mir was bolstered on by his best qualifying result of the season, others will be rueing not starting better last weekend, and will certainly hope to rectify the situation this time. The standout name in this category is Brad Binder, who qualified abysmally but scythed through the pack to a fourth place finish. The South African is hugely talented, having won a race in his rookie season and impressed KTM enough for them to sign him on until 2024, but qualifying remains his Achilles heel when it comes to a race weekend. If he could improve his grid position and ensure he doesn’t have to start the race ten seconds behind the leaders, then perhaps we could see him start to shake up the current championship heavyweights.
Whatever happens this weekend, it will be fast, close, and I suspect rather entertaining. Let’s just hope Vinales appreciates the drama of it all from outside of the picture, and that he is allowed to return to the fold soon.
Solomon Talks Bikes 