Six weeks have handed for the reason that final MotoGP motion at Assen, with loads of speaking factors and racing to look ahead to over the second half of the season.
Maverick Vinales will face the MotoGP paddock for the primary time since announcing his split with Yamaha at the end of this season, as hypothesis mounts on his future, whereas the Japanese producers assesses its choices as his substitute from 2022.
In the meantime on the Petronas SRT Yamaha squad, consideration will return to Valentino Rossi and his personal future having had the summer season break to weigh up his choices whereas speculation around his VR46 MotoGP team continues to swirl.
On the opposite facet of the SRT storage, Cal Crutchlow will make a return to racing in Austria as damage substitute for Franco Morbidelli. The British rider will stand in for no less than the Crimson Bull Ring double-header plus the Silverstone race with Morbidelli dominated out of motion till no less than September’s Aragon GP.
One other acquainted face returns to the MotoGP grid this weekend as Dani Pedrosa wildcards for KTM at the Styrian GP. It would mark the 31-time race winner’s first MotoGP race for the reason that finish of the 2018 season and the primary time he has raced one thing aside from a Honda bike.
MotoGP will even modify to the 2021 calendar tweaks introduced through the summer season break, following the cancellations of each the Australian and Thailand rounds with a second race at Portimao drafted in to switch the Phillip Island occasion.
Joan Mir, Workforce Suzuki MotoGP
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Why is it known as the Styrian GP?
With races not allowed to be given the identical race names in the identical MotoGP world championship season, Austria’s first race of its double-header has been known as the Styrian GP, named after the area of Austria the circuit is situated in. The title was additionally used final yr as a part of the Crimson Bull Ring double-header.
It takes inspiration from the opposite double-headers MotoGP placed on each in 2020 and this yr as a part of the reshuffled calendar as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this season Qatar hosted the first-ever Doha GP because the second leg of its back-to-back races whereas Portimao will maintain the Algarve GP in November having already hosted the Portuguese GP earlier this season in April.
Why is MotoGP holding two races in Austria?
As a part of the COVID-19-hit marketing campaign the 2021 MotoGP calendar has been tweaked attributable to numerous journey restrictions in place internationally.
The Finnish, Japanese, Thai and Australian MotoGP rounds have already been cancelled for 2021, whereas the Argentinean GP stays postponed.
As a way to bulk out the calendar, Losail, the Crimson Bull Ring and Portimao will all host two races.
Danilo Petrucci, Ducati Workforce
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
2021 Styrian MotoGP session timings
MotoGP will run its normal schedule throughout the Styrian GP weekend, with two follow periods on Friday that can run for 45 minutes every. On Saturday third follow will even run for 45 minutes, with the highest 10 on the mixed FP1-2-3 timesheet routinely getting into into Q2 of qualifying. A remaining 30-minute FP4 session is held on Saturday afternoon forward of qualifying.
Q1 of qualifying sees all riders who didn’t end within the prime 10 of the mixed follow occasions participate, with the highest two finishers progressing into Q2 alongside the highest 10 who gained an computerized spot through their follow occasions.
Q2 is the pole place shootout which decides the order of the entrance 4 rows, with the remainder of the grid organised on Q1 occasions, for the Styrian GP on Sunday.
Moto2 and Moto3 are additionally in motion through the Styrian GP.
Friday 6th August 2021
Free Observe 1: 8:55am-09:40am BST (9:55am-10:40am native)
Free Observe 2: 1:10pm-1:55pm BST (2:10pm-2:55pm native)
Saturday 7th August 2021
Free Observe 3: 8:55am-9:40am BST (9:55am-10:40am native)
Free Observe 4: 12:30pm-1:00pm BST (1:30pm-2:00pm native)
Qualifying: 1:10pm-1:50pm BST (2:10pm-2:50pm native)
Sunday 8th August 2021
Heat Up: 8:40am-09:00am BST (9:40am-10:00am native)
Race: 1:00pm BST (2:00pm native)
Alex Marquez, Repsol Honda Workforce
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
How can I watch the Styrian MotoGP?
- Channel: BT Sport 2
- Channel numbers: Sky – 414 (BT Sport 2)
- Channel numbers: Virgin Media – 528 (BT Sport 2)
BT Sport’s dwell protection of Sunday’s motion begins with the warm-up periods at 7:30am, taken from the world feed, earlier than switching to its personal broadcast at 9:15am for the pre-race present forward of the Moto3 race.
The build-up to the MotoGP race begins from 12:30pm, or when the Moto2 race finishes, forward of lights out at 1:00pm.
Can I stream the Styrian MotoGP?
Viewers in the UK can even stream the Styrian GP by buying a video move from MotoGP.com. A one-off video move, the rest of the 2021 MotoGP season, prices £85.35p.
The video move provides entry to each dwell session, qualifying and race, plus world feed content material and the prospect to look at earlier races.
Climate forecast for the Styrian MotoGP
The Crimson Bull Ring is about for heat situations all through the weekend, beginning sunny on Friday, however with an opportunity of rain and thunderstorms on Saturday and Sunday. Highs of 24 levels Celsius are forecast on race day, which is round three levels hotter than the Dutch GP.