MotoGP Rider Ratings: Two 10/10s but which riders were given the worst grade?
Francesco Bagnaia - 10
(Qualified 2nd, finished 1st)
Another sensational performance saw Bagnaia win his third Grand Prix in succession and with it match Casey Stoner’s record as the only rider to win three consecutive MotoGP races for Ducati. Leading into turn one, Bagnaia never relented the lead except for a brief moment between turns nine and ten when Miller attempted to take the lead. Although he faced late pressure from Fabio Quartararo, the Italian kept his cool in order to take his fifth victory of the year which is the most of any rider.
Fabio Quartararo - 10
(Qualified 5th, finished 2nd)
Like in qualifying, Quartararo produced a performance that would have worried Ducati. Competing at a track where challenging for victory has been far from easy, the Yamaha rider was terrific as the race went on. Mistakes from Maverick Vinales and Martin gifted the Frenchman fifth and third at the time, but with that said, being able to clear off in front of Miller immediately after getting through, and then closing in on Bagnaia was a real sign that Quartararo is still the best rider in MotoGP.
Jack Miller - 8
(Qualified 3rd, finished 3rd)
Very strong during the opening few laps, Miller looked set to challenge Bagnaia throughout the race. In fact, the Australian appeared to have more pace, especially in sector three before fading as the Grand Prix went on. Miller could have been off the podium had Martin not crashed when trying to complete an overtake at turn one (final lap).
Luca Marini - 9
(Qualified 13th, finished 4th)
One of the standout performers of the Grand Prix, Marini took advantage of his extremely strong late race pace to carve his way through the second group and claim a season-best fourth place finish.
Johann Zarco - 7
(Qualified 6th, finished 5th)
On a weekend where he again demonstrated race winning potential, Zarco made a poor start which resulted in him dropping down to tenth place. While the French rider battled back to fifth it’s another round that promised so much more.
Aleix Espargaro - 7
(Qualified 9th, finished 6th)
Unable to stay with the lead group as the race went on, Espargaro instead became embroiled in a battle with the likes of Luca Marini, Zarco and Brad Binder. With Aprilia struggling for outright pace at the Red Bull Ring compared to their direct competitors for the championship, sixth was a decent result for the Spaniard who is also nursing his right foot injury from Silverstone.
Brad Binder - 7
(Qualified 12th, finished 7th)
Another strong Sunday performance saw Binder make progress through the pack while also finishing as the top KTM rider. The South African tried to turn seventh into sixth but was unable to get the better of Espargaro following their penultimate lap duel.
Alex Rins - 7
(Qualified 11th, 8th)
Rins takes his points scoring streak to three races after claiming a solid eighth place. Like Yamaha, the Red Bull Ring has always been a tough venue for Suzuki which was again the case this weekend.
Marco Bezzecchi - 9
(Qualified 20th, finished 9th)
Like his team-mate Marini, Bezzecchi was one of the biggest movers in the race as he gained a total of 11 positions. The Italian managed to finish two tenths clear of a recovering Martin.
Jorge Martin - 4
(Qualified 4th, finished 10th)
A strong showing from the Pramac rider came to a disappointing end when he tucked the front at turn one. Clearly quicker than Miller during the final few laps, Martin would have been a good bet to remain in third had he made the move stick. Martin appeared to be as strong as Quartararo come the final few laps which is a positive sign moving into the final seven races of 2022.
Fabio Di Giannantonio - 7
(Qualified 10th, finished 11th)
Di Giannantonio once again showed solid speed to claim much needed points for Gresini Ducati after Bastianini’s early retirement.
Miguel Oliveira - 6
(Qualified 17th, finished 12th)
Winner at the Red Bull Ring two years ago, the 2022 Austrian MotoGP was one to forget for Miguel Oliveira, with the Portuguese rider finishing seven seconds behind Binder.
Maverick Vinales - 4
(Qualified 7th, finished 13th)
Up to fifth after making a brilliant move stick on Fabio Quartararo at turn nine (lap two), Vinales encountered issues stopping his RS-GP22 at turn four which dropped him back down to eighth. Lacking pace from that point on, it appeared as though the Aprilia rider ran into severe tyre degradation problems as the race went on, ultimately finishing 13th.
Alex Marquez - 7
(Qualified 25th, finished 14th)
Following a shocking qualifying at the Red Bull Ring, Alex Marquez made up for it by finishing as the top Honda.
Andrea Dovizioso - 6
(Qualified 19th, finished 15th)
Only his fifth points scoring finish of the season, the soon-to-be retired Andrea Dovizioso hung on ahead of Pol Espargaro for the final point.
Pol Espargaro - 2
(Qualified 15th, finished 16th)
His fourth non-score in five rounds, the Austrian MotoGP was another example of Espargaro and Honda being completely lost.
Stefan Bradl - 5
(Qualified 18th, finished 17th)
Bradl’s time in place of Marc Marquez, which could be coming to an end soon, continued at the Red Bull Ring as he finished seven seconds behind Espargaro.
Raul Fernandez - 4
(Qualified 23rd, finished 18th)
Raul Fernandez, who will officially be moving on from Tech 3 KTM next season, could only manage 18th as his disastrous rookie campaign continued.
Lorenzo Savadori - 5
(Qualified 24th, finished 19th)
Busy testing a raft of new parts for Aprilia, Savadori’s Austrian MotoGP was one that involved a lot of data collecting.
Remy Gardner - 2
(Qualified 22nd, finished 20th)
After an early spill at turn four, Gardner continued on as he finished a lap down on the winner.
Franco Mobrbidelli - 2
(Qualified 16th, DNF)
Running inside the points at the time of his tumble, Morbidelli’s race came to an end when he also fell at turn four.
Darryn Binder - 2
(Qualified 21st, DNF)
Having made up nine positions early on, Binder looked on course for one of his better races in MotoGP brfore crashing out.
Joan Mir - 2
(Qualified 8th, DNF)
Another race that ended in frustration for the 2020 world champion as he crashed out on lap one at turn four. Mir’s retirement means he’s failed to finish in five races, all of which have come since round five at Portimao.
Takaaki Nakagami - 2
(Qualified 14th, DNF)
On track for a points scoring finish, Nakagami suffered an early crash which resulted in him being unable to carry on.
Enea Bastianini - 7
(Qualified 1st, DNF)
In the midst of an intense podium fight with Jack Miller and Jorge Martin early on, the pole man suffered an unfortunate front tyre deflation shortly before mid-race distance. Slow out of turn three, Bastianini was then unable to stop for turn four as he rapidly approached the barrier. The Gresini Ducati rider eventually returned to pit lane to retire from the race.
