The red flag was hoisted again in Austria and Alex Marquez learned valuable lessons from his first MotoGP season.
With the announcement that Marc Marquez will focus on recovering from his injuries, the Repsol Honda Team continued to focus on the task at hand as preparations began for race day at the Red Bull Ring. The eyes were again on the sky, but for the Styrian Grand Prix everything remained dry despite the threat of clouds.
A red flag during the race meant that Alex Marquez ‘strong start was only rewarded with a 13th place on the grid. At the restart, Alex was aggressive from the line and was in 11th place. After his strong start, the rookie fought around him with a number of experienced drivers and stayed in 16th place at the finish. This is the first time in his debut season Alex hasn’t scored a goal, but he has continued his perfect finishing record.
Stefan Bradl was able to benefit from the restart of the race. In the first half of the race, the German driver had bad luck in the first laps and was mixed back. He was able to ride consistently at his own pace, but the restart gave him the opportunity to follow Cal Crutchlow and Alex Marquez more closely. Bradl took the flag as the 18th.
Takaaki Nakagami was another driver who suffered from restarting. The LCR Honda Team rider had comfortably finished in the top three during the first leg of the race. The second start turned out to be more difficult and Nakagami had to be content with the seventh.
After an intense triple header, the Repsol Honda Team will now enjoy a well-deserved break in front of the Gran Premio di San Marino and the Riviera di Rimini on September 11th.