Styrian MotoGP, Austria - Free Practice (4) Results

Free Practice (4) results from the Styrian MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, round 10 of the 2021 world championship.
Fabio Quartararo, Styrian MotoGP, 7 August 2021
Fabio Quartararo, Styrian MotoGP, 7 August 2021
© Gold and Goose

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
PosRiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)1'23.816s5/16308k
2Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Team (GP21)+0.206s11/17320k
3Maverick ViñalesSPAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.208s4/20311k
4Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.364s9/13306k
5Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.457s14/18311k
6Dani PedrosaSPARed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.593s5/16316k
7Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+0.694s16/19310k
8Jack MillerAUSDucati Team (GP21)+0.705s15/15313k
9Enea BastianiniITAAvintia Ducati (GP19)*+0.773s14/16313k
10Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.818s11/15308k
11Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP21)*+0.928s12/16320k
12Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP21)+1.003s6/16314k
13Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)+1.015s5/17312k
14Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+1.026s5/16314k
15Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.040s14/15311k
16Cal CrutchlowGBRPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.052s13/18303k
17Danilo PetrucciITAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.110s3/16311k
18Luca MariniITASky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)*+1.211s3/15311k
19Valentino RossiITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.235s5/17307k
20Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+1.280s6/17311k
21Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+1.325s3/16309k
22Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)*+1.356s11/15309k
23Iker LecuonaSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.745s3/12305k

* 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)

By Peter McLaren

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