Red Bull Ring unveils revised MotoGP Turn 2 layout
The Red Bull Ring has revealed the designs of its revised layout for MotoGP from 2022, which will now feature a chicane at the current Turn 2 to improve safety.
Safety at the Austrian venue for MotoGP has been called into question over the past year following three-successive races being red-flagged for serious incidents - the latest coming last weekend when Dani Pedrosa and Lorenzo Savadori were involved in a fiery crash on the exit of Turn 3.
The biggest incident happened at the current Turn 2 left kink, which runs up to the right Turn 3, when in last year’s Austrian Grand Prix Johann Zarco and Franco Morbidelli collided at 200mph.
Both riders’ bikes then flew up hill and narrowly avoided hitting Yamaha duo Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi in a terrifying scene.
To stop a repeat a barrier was put in place that runs along the outside of Turn 3, while major safety improvements were put under discussion for 2022.
On Thursday ahead of this weekend’s Austrian GP, the Red Bull Ring unveiled the designs of its revised layout that will be used by MotoGP from next year.
Riders will exit Turn 1 as normal and carry on towards the Turn 2 kink, where from 2022 they will brake and go right, then left through a chicane before continuing up to Turn 3.
Red Bull Ring new MotoGP layout
Photo by: Red Bull Media House
The new layout is aimed to reduce the approach speed to Turn 3 and stop any major incidents from occurring again, like the Zarco/Morbidelli one from 2020. Construction on the new layout will begin in November of this year.
Formula 1 will continue to use the current layout going forward, though the revision has been designed in conjunction with the FIA and MotoGP’s governing body the FIM.
A statement from the Red Bull Ring read: “The Red Bull Ring has hosted Formula 1 since 2014 and the Motorcycle World Championship since 2016.
“Since then, hundreds of thousands of fans have experienced numerous great race weekends at the Spielberg.
“In order to further improve the attractiveness and safety of the Austrian Grand Prix circuit, a chicane will be built in the area of the second turn in coordination with the FIA and the Formula One Group as well as the FIM, Dorna and AMF.
“The necessary construction work will start in November and continue over the winter so that the Red Bull Ring can start the 2022 season with the new track layout for two-wheel racing series.”
Marc Marquez is back
MotoGP Starting Grid: Portugal Grand Prix
MotoGP Starting Grid: Doha Grand Prix
Marc Márquez's first ride after his injury
Marc Marquez continues his recovery
The rider dilemma facing Petronas SRT for MotoGP 2022
The final pieces of the 2022 rider market have yet to be finalised as Petronas SRT faces several obstacles in replacing the retiring Valentino Rossi and Yamaha factory-bound Franco Morbidelli. SRT’s preferred option has been locked into a KTM deal he doesn’t want, while it’s other target is managed by Rossi himself and wanted at his VR46 team
The irony and vindication behind a rookie’s maiden MotoGP victory
Determined not to let his first season in MotoGP be defined by injury, Jorge Martin set his sights on a strong return from the summer break at the Red Bull Ring and delivered in fine fashion. But it could all have been different for the Pramac rider had he not landed on a bike that he feels ideally suited to, a situation only too easy to envisage
Why Rossi hasn’t overstayed his welcome in MotoGP
OPINION: After 22 years in the top flight of grand prix motorbike racing, Valentino Rossi has announced his MotoGP retirement. Having been the championship's main draw for the past two decades, Rossi's declining performances and the birth of his new VR46 team means he hangs up his leathers at the right time
Why Suzuki desperately needs to find Brivio's MotoGP replacement
OPINION: While Shinichi Sahara insists that Suzuki does not need a team manager following the departure of Davide Brivio, the team's performance in the early part of the 2021 MotoGP season and the sentiment of the staff suggests the opposite
How KTM has ended up with an embarrassment of MotoGP riches
Forming a ladder all the way from Red Bull Rookies Cup to MotoGP, KTM has created a steady stream of top talents in grand prix racing delivering the Austrian marque with the success expected of the brand. Here's how it has gone about it
Why MotoGP will miss its gentle giant
Danilo Petrucci’s days in MotoGP appear numbered, as KTM looks to completely reshuffle the Tech3 team for 2022. Though the Italian's 2021 season so far hasn’t been standout, the giant Italian covertly became a top runner in MotoGP across the last decade and brought with him a personality that world sport sorely needs more of
Why Mir's MotoGP title defence can’t be written off yet
Joan Mir’s defence of his MotoGP title has had an underwhelming start as Suzuki didn’t progress its championship-winning GSX-RR as much as its rivals did with their bikes over the winter. Speaking to Autosport, Mir lays out why his title defence has been stalled so far and why he’s confident title number two is still within reach
The Rossi replacement who’s become the MotoGP leader Yamaha needed
It's been six years since Jorge Lorenzo gave Yamaha its last MotoGP title in 2015. Since his departure at the end of 2016, Yamaha's form has been inconsistent but it has at last found a new talisman to return it to the top spot in the form of a precociously talented Frenchman who currently leads the standings
