Moto2: Masterful Martin Dominates in Austria for First Moto2 Win

The Austrian Moto2 Grand Prix took place in the Red Bull Ring, and after an incredibly tight qualifying session, several riders were in with a shout of challenging for the podium.

From the start, Jorge Martin checked out, the Spaniard with supreme confidence in the first lap. Behind, Luca Marini, who was the only rider in the top positions to choose the soft front tyre was also making progress and was up to third place by the end of the second lap. Similarly, Marco Bezzecchi had climbed to fourth place, and set the fastest lap on lap three.

At turn one on lap four, however, the race was brought to a premature halt, as Enea Bastianini high-sided. Fortunately, everyone managed to avoid the Italian as he slid down the track, but Hafizh Syahrin was unsighted and ploughed straight into the #33 Italtrans Kalex at full speed. Edgar Pons and Andi Izdihar also went down in the incident, although all three were okay. Syahrin, though, did require medical attention on the track, and that combined with the necessity to clear the bikes from the track was the reason for the red flag. 

The grid for the restarted race would be formed from the standings as of lap three, and would be run over 13 laps. 

On the restart, the race took a similar look at the front. Jorge Martin took the lead from the start, this time ahead of Luca Marini who was starting third instead of eighth. The pair of them quickly dropped Marcel Schrotter, and at half distance Marini seemed to give best to Martin’s superior pace, and thought of the championship. 

That allowed Martin to escape, and he took a dominant win, the first of his Moto2 career. After Albert Arenas’ win in the Moto3 race, it was also KTM’s second race win of their home Grand Prix – it might be a Kalex chassis and a Triumph engine but it’s sponsored by Red Bull, painted orange and Pit Beirer is in the pit. 

Second place for Luca Marini was enough to give him the championship lead ahead of round six next weekend, where Marini will have a five-point advantage over Enea Bastianini, who of course did not start after crashing out in the first start. 

Marcel Schrotter completed the podium to take his first Grand Prix trophy of 2020. It was a lonely ride for Schrotter, but there was pressure from behind, since the likes of Xavi Vierge had some good speed. But the German held it all together to take third place, a welcome relief after a difficult start to the season. 

Xavi Vierge looked nailed on for fourth place when Sam Lowes started to fight with Marco Bezzecchi on the last lap, but a mistake from the Spaniard in the final corner allowed the Briton through to take his third fourth place in four races. Vierge, instead, took fifth place – his best finish since he was fourth in Malaysia last year. 

Marco Bezzecchi completed the top six, but not without incident. The Italian ran on numerous times in the beginning of the race. The fact the #72 was not making the same mistakes in the first race points to perhaps a different front tyre choice. Either way, considering Bezzecchi’s pace on the first start, it is possible to say those mistakes cost him a chance at the podium. 

Tom Luthi took his best finish of the season in seventh place, ahead of Augusto Fernandez, Aron Canet and Joe Roberts who completed the top 10.

A crew chief change for Lorenzo Baldassarri appears to have worked well for the Italian. After his nightmare weekend in Brno, the Italian took 11th – not where he wants to be, no doubt, but a step in the right direction for the #7. Behind Baldassari was Dominique Aegerter on the NTS for the Japanese manufacturer’s first points of the year. Then came Somkiat Chantra – a season-best finish for the Thai rider – who was ahead of Jake Dixon and Hector Garzo, who also appears to have taken a step forward this weekend. 

Nicolo Bulega was the first rider without points in 16th, ahead of Stefano Manzi, Marcos Ramirez, Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Simone Corsi who completed the top 20. Fabio Di Giannantonio’s struggles continued, as he finished 21st, ahead of Bo Bendsneyder and Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin who was the final classified finisher in 23rd. 

Andi Izdihar, Hafizh Syahrin, Edgar Pons and Enea Bastianini were all not classified due to their involvement in the crash that caused the red flag. Additionally, Jorge Navarro did not start after crashing out at the end of the first lap on the first start.

From the second start, Remy Gardner crashed in turn one, the Australian having to push too hard in the brakin zones to make up for his bike’s lack of straight line speed. Tetsuta Nagashima also crashed at turn one, a similar crash to Gardner’s, and one which deals another blow to the Japanese rider’s championship chances, as he now lies 23 points behind Marini.