Team Suzuki Press Office – August 4.
A tightly packed and fast paced start to the 2021 MotoGP™ World Championship was followed by a well-earned five week long summer break, but the second half of the season is now about to get underway with two back-to-back stops at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
Joan Mir comes into Round 10, known as the Styrian GP, with fire in his belly following an important podium in Assen before the summer break. The Mallorcan currently sits fourth in the standings, and he will be aiming to chip away at those in front of him with consistent results in the coming races. Last year Mir managed second and fourth at the Austrian double-header and it’s a track which suits him well.
Alex Rins is also keen to build consistency in the second half of the season after an unlucky run in the first nine races. A series of DNF results and an injury has put him down the order in the championship standings, but Rins has several races coming up where he has enjoyed great success in the past. His best result in Austria last year was sixth place.
Set in the incredible surrounds of the Styrian Alps close to the city of Spielberg, the Red Bull Ring has quickly become one of the most iconic race tracks on the calendar despite being one of the more recent additions to the MotoGP™ World Championship, joining in 2016. Although it’s just 4.3km long, the circuit features changes in altitude, a mixture of tight turns and fast corners, and a relatively short straight. All of this combines to make exciting racing under the watch of the 18m high bull statue.
Curiosity – GP of Styria: The original circuit – the Österreichring – was built in 1969, this was remodelled with a new layout in 1996. The track holds the record for the most gear changes during a single race: 1036. It’s also the circuit where riders spend the longest time at ‘full gas’: 35% of the lap!
Joan Mir:
“The summer break has been a great chance to switch off for a while and reset ahead of the second half of the season! I spent a little bit of quality time with my friends and family back in Mallorca but then I was back to training and trying to be as prepared as possible for the next run of races. I’ve had some really nice results in Austria in the past, so I’m happy that we’ll have two races at this circuit in the next two weeks. Let’s see how the sessions go from Friday onwards, but I’m ready to give my all and it will be great to see my team again.”
Alex Rins:
“The break has felt really long! Although I recharged my batteries and rested, I’m very excited to get back on my bike now. I’ve been training all different bike disciplines during these five weeks, but nothing actually compares to riding in MotoGP! The second half of the season will be busy with many races still to come, and I’m aiming to put the bad luck behind me and enjoy some good results. Austria is not an easy track but it’s quite nice to ride, I had a podium in the first season that we came here and I’ve had some other good finishes too. Let’s start racing again!”
Shinichi Sahara – Project Leader & Team Director:
“These last five weeks have been a good opportunity for everybody to take some time to relax, the opening half of the season has been quite good but at the same time not easy. As well as some crucial rest, we have also been working very hard and assessing the best way forward for the rest of the season. We’re confident in the ability of our riders, and also in our bike, but at the same time we are searching for some improvements which we hope will help us. Let’s get back on track here in Austria and see what we can do.”
