A few days after the Czech Republic Grand Prix, the MotoGP World Championship arrives at the Red Bull Ring, near the town of Spielberg (Austria) for the eleventh round of the 2019 season. Let’s have a look at ten key facts about the race:
– Andrea Dovizioso’s second place at Brno was his fifth podium of the season and Ducati’s 130th in MotoGP.
– This will be the 28th edition of the Austrian Grand Prix. In the 1970s and 1980s the race was held at the Salzburgring; in 1996 and in 1997 it took place at the A1-Ring, which was purchased in 2010 by Red Bull and renamed to hold Formula 1 world championship races from 2014 and MotoGP races from 2016.
– Ever since the Austrian circuit returned to the MotoGP calendar in 2016, the Ducati Team has always won – three times in three races: Iannone in 2016, Dovizioso in 2017 and Lorenzo in 2018.
– In the Austrian GP, Dovizioso has always started from the front row of the grid: 3rd in 2016 and 2nd in 2017 and 2018. Ducati’s only pole position on this track is the one set by Iannone in 2016.
– The top speed record at the Red Bull Ring is held by a Ducati, and was recorded by Álvaro Bautista in 2016 with 316.5 km/h.
– Andrea Dovizioso has scored a podium finish in all three editions of the Austrian GP in which he has taken part: second in 2016, first in 2017 and third last year.
– The Austrian circuit has the lowest number of corners in the world championship, just 10: 3 left and 7 right.
– Danilo Petrucci’s best result at the Red Bull Ring is the fifth place he scored last year.
– Between the finishing line, which is the lowest point of the circuit, and Turn 3, there is an elevation change of 65 m.
– The Austrian circuit is by far the highest layout in the entire calendar. It is actually 677 metres above sea level (followed by MotorLand Aragón, at 381 MASL).
