Rain disrupts Friday at Red Bull Ring

Here we go again for the MotoGP ! After a five-week break, the protagonists of the premier category resumed hostilities this Friday on the Red Bull Ring for the Styrian GP, ​​tenth stage of the 2021 season.

And in the time trial game, it was Takaaki Nakagami who created the surprise at the end of the opening session with a lap in 1'23.805. A few minutes before the start of the second session, the rain arrived, preventing the drivers from improving. Riding his Honda, the Japanese therefore maintains the advantage in the combined classification ahead of Joan Mir. The Suzuki GSX-RR now has a system to lower the rear under acceleration, but the world champion and Alex Rins will only try it tomorrow. 

Aleix Espargaro led the order before finally being pushed back to fourth shortly before the checkered flag of FP1. Alex Rins took the fourth time while Pol Espargaro completed the Top 5.

In the tricolor clan, fabio quartararo is in eighth position behind his teammate Maverick Viñales, but ahead of Johann Zarco who lifts the first Ducati, traditionally dominant in Austria, to ninth place. Note that like Marc Marquez, classified sixth, Zarco and Quartararo did not put on new tires during the session.

This was what happened to @ _moliveira88 ????

He's back on his feet and in the KTM pit box 👍#StyrianGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/O6lxV3HwwZ

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) August 6

Winner last year at the Styrian GP, ​​Miguel Oliveira was the big loser of this day after falling heavily at turn 3. Although the first examinations ruled out a fracture, the Portuguese still hurt his hand after hitting his handlebars during the fall.

Friday ranking: