Styrian MotoGP, Austria - Free Practice (4) Results
Fabio Quartararo leads his first second of the weekend during final practice for the Styrian MotoGP, as Dani Pedrosa continues to impress by climbing to sixth!
Pedrosa, who retired from MotoGP at the end of 2018, is returning to action this weekend as a wild-card entry for KTM, where he is employed as an official test rider. Pedrosa won 31 races during his premier-class career, spent entirely with Honda.
Suzuki riders Mir and Rins received the factory's new rear ride-height device for the first time on Saturday morning, meaning all six manufacturers now have the device, which can be used for the race start and to aid hard acceleration around the rest of the lap.
Mir, who gave a glowing initial impression of the device, fell early in FP4 before recovering to fourth.
Cal Crutchlow is also back in MotoGP, for the next three rounds, as a replacement for the injured Franco Morbidelli at Petronas Yamaha. A three time MotoGP race winner, Crutchlow signed up as Yamaha's official test rider after retiring from MotoGP at the end of last season.
The Englishman was 16th in FP4, his best session so far this weekend.
Qualifying 1, for those outside the top ten after third free practice, will now get underway.
Rain is forecast for Sunday.
| Styrian MotoGP, Austria - Free Practice (4) Results | ||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff | Lap | Max |
| 1 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | 1'23.816s | 5/16 | 308k |
| 2 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Team (GP21) | +0.206s | 11/17 | 320k |
| 3 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.208s | 4/20 | 311k |
| 4 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.364s | 9/13 | 306k |
| 5 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.457s | 14/18 | 311k |
| 6 | Dani Pedrosa | SPA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.593s | 5/16 | 316k |
| 7 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.694s | 16/19 | 310k |
| 8 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Team (GP21) | +0.705s | 15/15 | 313k |
| 9 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Avintia Ducati (GP19)* | +0.773s | 14/16 | 313k |
| 10 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.818s | 11/15 | 308k |
| 11 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP21)* | +0.928s | 12/16 | 320k |
| 12 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP21) | +1.003s | 6/16 | 314k |
| 13 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +1.015s | 5/17 | 312k |
| 14 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +1.026s | 5/16 | 314k |
| 15 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.040s | 14/15 | 311k |
| 16 | Cal Crutchlow | GBR | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.052s | 13/18 | 303k |
| 17 | Danilo Petrucci | ITA | KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +1.110s | 3/16 | 311k |
| 18 | Luca Marini | ITA | Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* | +1.211s | 3/15 | 311k |
| 19 | Valentino Rossi | ITA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.235s | 5/17 | 307k |
| 20 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) | +1.280s | 6/17 | 311k |
| 21 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +1.325s | 3/16 | 309k |
| 22 | Lorenzo Savadori | ITA | Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)* | +1.356s | 11/15 | 309k |
| 23 | Iker Lecuona | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +1.745s | 3/12 | 305k |
* Rookie
Fastest Friday time:
Takaaki Nakagami JPN Honda 1m 23.805s
Official Red Bull Ring MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 23.027s (2019)
Fastest race lap:
Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati 1m 23.827s (2019)
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
