Red Bull Ring: Gravel surfaces and barriers gone again / MotoGP

The Red Bull Ring in Spielberg has been under construction for weeks and there is a lot to prepare for the Austrian Grand Prix on two wheels starting next Friday. According to current forecasts, a heat battle is expected. Unlike some other years in August, the area around the race track, and therefore also the pit lane and paddock, has so far been spared from storms and flooding.

In addition to the usual work, changes also had to be made to the ramps. At the end of June, Formula 1 was a guest in Spielberg. On the one hand, the chicane that had been installed due to the mass crash in 2020 was activated again. Due to the “track limits” problem in Formula 1, special barriers were created for the race cars this year, which are dangerous for the motorcycles and therefore had to be removed for MotoGP.

The gravel beds installed at Turns 9 and 10 had to be removed for the MotoGP; and as usual, there is asphalt again in the run-off areas of some of the critical curves. The target curve is a little steeper than it has been in Formula 1 for years, with 2017 having seen Ducati star Andrea Dovizioso's legendary counter-maneuver against Marc Marquez, who is still waiting for his first win in Austria.

The safety net for MotoGP players has also been expanded by inflatable air fences from Alpina near Steindorf, which have been installed as an additional cushion for the motorcyclists at every corner. Another special feature of the Austrian Grand Prix: with a huge difference in altitude of 65 metres per lap, the Red Bull Ring is an exception in the calendar, also due to the short distance of just 4.3 kilometres.