It’s time to take a look at some of the talking points that surfaced from a busy weekend at the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich 2023. It may have been a GP ruled by Francesco Bagnaia’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) brilliance, but there was plenty more than just the World Champion’s dominant displays that got us and the riders talking.
WATCH - DONE DEAL: Zarco confirms LCR switch for 2024
Johann Zarco’s (Prima Pramac Racing) future has been a hot topic of conversation since the British GP, and soon after Sunday’s race had ended, Prima Pramac confirmed the Frenchman would be leaving at the end of 2023. In his post-race interview, Zarco confirmed that he’ll be replacing Yamaha-bound Alex Rins at LCR Honda Castrol in 2024.
“Vale is pushing me more to stay in the team” – Bezzecchi
The knock-on effect of Zarco moving onto pastures new means we’ll be getting news on where Marco Bezzecchi will be applying his trade in 2024 – will he stick with Mooney VR46 Racing Team or decide Prima Pramac is his preferred destination? We're set to find out soon. In the meantime, the Italian revealed what Valentino Rossi's intentions are...
“Vale is pushing a lot, to be honest, and I really appreciate this. To be pushed by the goat is something that not everyone in the world can say this. I made my decision already. I cannot tell you what I will do. Soon I will communicate it. But anyway, it was fantastic to have this celebration with Pecco and with all the VR46 riders.
- BEZZECCHI: "I'LL ASK VALENTINO FOR A RAISE"
“I think Vale is pushing more me to stay in the team. We spoke a lot, of course. We see each other many times at home. He is pushing me to stay, of course. I’m happy for this.”
Pol Espargaro: “I have a contract”
What’s the solution to KTM’s 2024 MotoGP™ rider line-up dilemma? We’re not sure yet, but at the Austrian factory’s home race – alongside Brad Binder’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) contract extension announcement – the talk was rife once more. Here’s what Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) said after claiming a fantastic P6 in Saturday’s Tissot Sprint.
- "I'LL BE WITH GASGAS TECH3 NEXT YEAR" - KTM'S CONUNDRUM CONTINUES
“I have no idea. It's not my problem. I'm sorry. I mean it's what I say. I read and I hear a lot. Even in the time I was away from my injury that my bike was at risk and all this, but it has never been at risk. I mean I have contract from this year and next year.
“If at the end of next year, I'm not performing well, I'm going to be the first one to leave, but I'm gonna be here performing that two years and I believe I'm fast enough to prove it. So today was a good day, even if I'm far away from the top, I've been at three tenths off Qualifying 2 in my second weekend. So just coming back.”
Marc Marquez: “It looks like a joke, but it’s the truth”
If someone said Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) wouldn’t score any Sunday points until the Austrian GP at the start of the season, they’d have been laughed out of the paddock. However, that’s the scenario the eight-time World Champion has found himself in.
“Well, looks like a joke, but it’s the truth! I mean, it's the first time that I finish the race on Sunday and the first points of the season on Sunday. Basically, it’s easy to understand. I mean you just approach the race with another mentality as I did in Silverstone. Ok, Silverstone [I crashed out], but it was more of a race incident, not for riding over the limit.
“Today just I go out with that soft rear tyre and step by step I get my rhythm. I pushed in the middle of the race a bit more because I saw that the feeling was good. Then in the end as we expected the tyre dropped quite a lot, but acceptable.”
Viñales: Starts “something we must improve”
After qualifying P2 and boasting a very strong pace, the Austrian GP promised a lot for Aprilia Racing and Maverick Viñales. After a terrible launch and getting caught up in the Turn 1 incident in the Sprint, the Spaniard’s Sunday race start didn’t go to plan either.
“Yes [it was a better start than Saturday]. But not enough. It's mandatory, and I push the guys so much, because it's something we must improve. Same rhythm we did today, starting in the front, we were on the podium. So I think for us, it's mandatory to improve it, there is no other way. But as a rider, I cannot do anything else, I am doing all that I can, all that they ask me to do, and it's something the technicians have to improve.”