Near ideal conditions welcomed the majority of the MotoGP™ World Championship to the Red Bull Ring for a private test ahead of Round 10. The NeroGiardini Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich will begin on the 12th of August after the summer break, teams using the test as an initial shakedown of the circuit and to outline a direction to head in during the weekend.
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) were two of the bigger names absent from the test having already run at the circuit twice for promotional events on street bikes.
The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team did not have any major upgrades to test and will use the two-day test to prepare a setting for the race and try the various tyres Michelin have brought.
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) began the test with a new frame, the same version Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) had used in the previous race. They were joined on track by Casey Stoner who was using the same spec of bike to help gather data. Iannone concluded the morning session as the fastest rider, setting an unofficial time of 1’24.669.
In the afternoon session Dovizioso topped an all-Ducati top four ahead of Iannone, Redding and Stoner.
Team Suzuki Ecstar began the test looking to get up to speed on the track and searching for a setting to use during the race weekend. Once they are happy with their progress Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) will work with the electronics. Viñales suffered a small fall during the day but was unharmed and put in a late charge to end the afternoon session in fifth, the highest placed non-Ducati rider.
For the first time since launching their MotoGP™ project, KTM were on track alongside the established order. Mika Kallio and Tom Luthi were aboard the two RC16s at the test and are looking to use the test to gauge their current development progress. Kallio ended the afternoon session in 16th, ahead of Rabat.
Neither of Aprilia’s official riders were at the circuit, Sam Lowes getting his second taste of the RS-GP alongside test rider Mike Di Meglio. The Noale based factory chose not to run transponders while getting to know the Red Bull Ring.
The Octo Pramac Yakhnich team were amongst the first out on track, looking to understand the demands of the 4.3km long Red Bull Ring. The Austrian circuit clearly suits Ducati machinery, both Redding and Petrucci in the top ten as the first day came to an end.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) focused his attentions on helping Michelin to assess a new rear tyre while doing further work on electronics for Honda.
Eugene Laverty and Yonny Hernandez (Pull & Bear Ducati Team) used the first day of testing to familiarise themselves with the circuit and waiting to see if Ducati will have further parts for them to test.
Avintia Racing’s Hector Barbera will be hoping to repeat his great performance from Germany after the summer break and is using the test to get a head start on set up. For his teammate Loris Baz (Avintia Racing) the two days give him the chance to get comfortable on the GP14.2 after his injury.
In total the over 700 laps were completed by those running transponders. Riders will be back out on track on Wednesday for the final day of on-track action before a well-deserved summer break.