On a weekend during which Bezzecchi has been linked to a transfer to MotoGP in 2022 with Petronas SRT, the VR46 rider boosted his Moto2 title hopes with a primary victory since Valencia 2020.
The Purple Bull Ring had dried sufficiently from the sooner Moto3 race for the Moto2 contest to be declared dry, forcing everybody to begin on slicks.
VR46 rider Bezzecchi grabbed the holeshot from third on the grid forward of Gardner and Honda Crew Asia’s Ai Ogura.
Gardner made a mistake at Flip 3 and ran broad, dropping behind Ajo KTM team-mate Raul Fernandez – although would discover a means by once more on lap two.
The Australian proceeded to seek out Bezzecchi, whereas Aron Canet on the Aspar Kalex moved into third forward of Fernandez at Flip 9 on lap three.
A mistake for Bezzecchi on the first nook on the seventh tour allowed Canet to maneuver into the lead, although Gardner would work his means into first at Flip 9.
Gardner and Canet moved seven tenths away from Bezzecchi in third rapidly, whereas Gardner’s personal lead stood on the similar margin by lap 12.
However Bezzecchi started to mount a cost on Canet quickly after and by lap 15 was as much as second once more.
The VR46 rider lower into Gardner’s lead over the brand new few laps and moved into the lead in the beginning of lap 19 – however ran broad at Flip 3 on the prime of the hill to permit Gardner to come back again by.
Remy Gardner, Purple Bull KTM Ajo
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Bezzecchi retaliated on the following nook and Gardner may do nothing to struggle again on the within of Flip 5.
Gardner’s hopes of victory have been dashed on lap 20 when he misjudged his braking into Flip 4 and needed to take avoiding motion of Bezzecchi, forcing him into the gravel and dropping him to fifth.
Behind, rookie Ogura had labored his means up into the rostrum locations and inherited second following Gardner’s mistake.
However the Japanese rider’s personal hopes of a maiden Moto2 podium got here unstuck when he was hit with a protracted lap penalty for exceeding monitor limits too many occasions.
Within the closing laps Canet put some strain on Bezzecchi, however the Italian saved issues underneath management to take the chequered flag 1.1s clear.
Ogura’s lengthy lap penalty promoted Marc VDS rider Augusto Fernandez to his second-successive podium of the season in third, with Gardner recovering to fourth after his late error.
Ogura was handed a three-second time penalty after the chequered flag for not taking the lengthy lap accurately, however nonetheless held onto fifth because the sister VR46 bike of Celestino Vietti took his finest results of the season in sixth.
This got here on the expense of Ajo’s Raul Fernandez, who dropped out of the rostrum battle on lap seven when he ran broad at Flip 9 and in the end registered the worst end of his rookie season in seventh.
This allowed Gardner to increase his championship result in 35 factors over him, whereas Bezzecchi’s victory strikes him to inside 44 factors of Gardner.
Somkiat Chantra grabbed his finest results of 2021 in eighth on the second Honda Crew Asia bike, with Petronas Sprinta’s Xavi Vierge and Intact GP’s Marcel Schrotter finishing the highest 10.
Joe Roberts (Italtrans) was an early crasher, registering his third-straight DNF, whereas NTS duo Barry Baltus and Hafizh Syahrin, Pons’ Hector Garzo and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) additionally failed to complete.
Moto2 Styrian Grand Prix outcomes – 25 laps