2024 Austrian Moto2 Grand Prix, Red Bull Ring - Race Results

Round eleven of the Moto2 championship, the Austrian Grand Prix, saw Celestino Vietti take over out front again after a scrappy start, with a wheelie over the line thanks to a sizeable gap over his rivals at the Red Bull Ring.

Vietti lined up on pole, but the race got off to a strange start, with virtually every rider on the green and out wide at the first corner.

Early pressure for the lead came from Aron Canet, before the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider settled in out front. Consistent lapping saw the Italian form a lead of one and a half seconds, which was almost all evaporated when he hit neutral and ran wide on lap ten.
                                                                                 

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The second and third riders - then Alonso Lopez and Canet,  had Vietti back in their sights, but Vietti kept his cool to earn back his gap, going right back to the pace which had been available before his error to lead over the line by 1.850s, dropping the gap by choice from the two seconds he had while indulging in celebrations over the line.

It is Vietti’s first win since the Austrian round last season, picking up a home win for his KTM Team in the process.

Behind the battle for the final podium spots was heating up. Jake Dixon had lost Tony Arbolino and had bridged he gap to the riders ahead.

Lopez’s different line allowed him to hold second for Sync Speed Up, finishing as the top Boscoscuro bike.

The rostrum positions were only decided on the final lap, where the CF Moto Inde Aspar’s Dixon pulled out onto the green while passing Canet late on, only for Canet to exceed track limits himself in he final corner before the line.

Race direction decided that as both riders had transgressed the result would stay the same, with Dixon third and Canet fourth for Fantic Racing.

Several riders were in the vicinity when Canet was impeded during qualifying, as he came to a group of slow riders on the racing line at turn nine. The only rider handed a penalty on Saturday for the incident was Arbolino, who was moved back three grid positions.

In the race the Elf Marc VDS rider wasted no time in recouping those places to ride around with Dixon before a late fade to a certain fifth.

Championship leader Sergio Garcia was sat in sixth but found the limit of the track too often. A cautious run around the penalty loop saw the MT Helmets - MSI rider rejoin in 13th, dropping back to 14th by the chequered flag.

Marcos Ramirez inherited sixth in his absence for American Racing. Darryn Binder was right behind in seventh for Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP, in turn just ahead of Somkiat Chantra who was eighth for Idemitsu Honda Team Asia in a close battle to the line.

Joe Roberts took the Thai rider with a strong move earlier in the race but was passed back and gapped in the latter stages, leaving the Californian ninth for American Racing, improving from his eleventh on the grid in an emotionally difficult weekend for the rider.

Filip Salac kept he pressure on but could not find a way past, completing the top ten on the second Marc VDS bike.

Deniz Oncu was the top rookie on his return from injury and ran as high as eighth on his way to an eleventh placed finish for Red Bull KTM Ajo - his best result to date.

Izan Guevara was next to see the chequered flag in twelfth for Aspar, with the remaining points on offer going to Garcia and Senna Agius for Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP in 15th.

Fermin Aldeguer completed a tough, off the pace weekend with a race to forget. The MotoGP bound rider had no grip or traction and dropped back in the race after qualifying down in 17th, finishing 20th. Jaume Masia was ahead on track in 19th after being the first rider to be sent up the loop for a penalty.

There were mixed fortunes for the two Moto2 wildcard riders with Mattia Pasini yet another rider penalised for running onto the green too often in 23rd, while Jorge Navarro failed to finish.

Xavi Cardelus was handed a long lap penalty overnight, he finished 26th.

Crashes, Injuries and Replacements

Navarro was the last crasher with Dennis Foggia and Barry Baltus also failing to finish. An early clash at the back meant Alex Escrig and Mario Aji never made it past lap one.

Ai Ogura was declared unfit for the Austrian Grand Prix, after his only crash of the season, in P2.

Championship Standings

Garcia retains his overall lead, but picked up just two points, moving him onto 162. His nearest rival Ogura was absent, so stays on 142 points. Joe Roberts holds third in the title hunt, with Alonso Lopez passing his teammate Aldeguer for fourth, now with 120 points.