SPIELBERG – The Austrian Grand Prix, taking place this weekend at the Red Bull Ring, will inevitably upset the balance of power established at Misano, with Jorge Martin and Marc Márquez now tied at the top of the MotoGP championship. On paper, the Styrian round once again favors the Catalan rider, fresh from a remarkable recovery in the standings and boosted by Ducati's nine wins out of ten since the circuit between Spielberg and Zeltweg returned to the calendar. However, the Borgo Panigale manufacturer is also, and perhaps above all, grappling with the controversy that has erupted between Pecco Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio. On the Aprilia side, Marco Bezzecchi is primarily seeking redemption after a difficult few months and the disaster of the home race just held a few kilometers from his home town of Rimini.
Misano, in addition to being the scene of Marquez's close encounter with Martin, also proved to be the site of a bombshell that reached all the way to Austria. Spanish media published a conversation in which Bagnaia confessed to his colleague and friend Di Giannantonio that he couldn't use his Ducati's base setup. This revelation cast a bad light on all three parties involved, each of whom wanted to dot the i's upon arrival in Spielberg. "The video is incomplete and out of context; a part is missing, and we were talking about something else. Releasing that footage was a complete lack of respect," Pecco stated, while admitting: "The last words I said were not appropriate, but everyone has difficult moments when they can feel frustrated. I've always been transparent, but from now on I will be less so. The team has always supported me; I've always said so, and I stand by it. I apologize for what I said, but our relationship remains good." The Roman from Team VR46 is of the same opinion: "We need more respect for us riders. There are times when we talk to each other, it's normal. But in a world like this, we can't do that anymore. Then you wonder why people back home never get information. I feel especially sorry for him, especially since nothing major had happened. Just a chat between colleagues." And even those in Borgo Panigale have decided to defuse the case. "We spoke with Pecco over dinner, calmly and peacefully. What happened is sad for everyone, but we've cleared things up," Mauro Grassilli, Ducati's sporting director, assured Sky Sport.
With Misano firmly behind us, it's time to focus on the Austrian Grand Prix. As mentioned, Marc Márquez is the clear favorite on paper. However, once again, with the engines off, he preferred to stay low-key: "The Ducati normally works great here, but we're still fighting for the championship title with seven riders. Having caught up with Martin at the top of the championship doesn't change anything, and my approach will always be the same." As he did in Romagna, Martin is once again playing it safe: "I'm coming off an arm problem that affected me last week. I think I've recovered well, and I'll try to give my best and stay close to Marc. To be so high up at this stage of the championship is crazy." At 33 points, Bezzecchi, still reeling from his crash in the San Marino Grand Prix, is forced to chase. "I have to take the positives from that experience. I made a mistake, but it was on a weekend where my performance level was high. Now in Austria I will do my part, I will work hard even though I know that usually the Ducati is very strong here", was the promise of the rider from Rimini.
