Dovizioso delivers for Ducati, as Binder puts up a fight at Austrian MotoGP
Andrea Dovizioso won an eventful Austrian MotoGP for Ducati on Sunday, just 24 hours after revealing he would leave the Italian team at the end of the season, while South African rider Brad Binder held on to grab fourth place on his KTM.
Ducati Andrea Dovizioso, Jack Miller and Joan Mir race for the line in Austria. AFP/Joe Klamar
Spain’s Joan Mir on a Suzuki robbed Ducati of a one-two by clinching second spot from Australian Jack Miller with a single corner to spare.
Further back, though Binder missed out on the podium, he did enough to climb one position to fourth overall in the season standings.
Solid come back today✊🏻✊🏻✊🏻. 17th on the grid to finish 4th. Thank you team @KTM_Racing .
Super keen to give it another go next week. Thanks for all the support🇿🇦 #redbull #KTM @ Red Bull Ring https://t.co/7kZtXaO8tT— Brad Binder (@BradBinder_33) August 16, 2020
The race featured a string of crashes and narrow escapes notably for Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli and Frenchman Johann Zarco.
In a two-way tangle on lap eight at the empty Speilberg circuit, Yamaha’s Morbidelli and Zarco hit the deck at high speed.
Zarco’s Ducati carried on without him, cut a corner and narrowly missed the veteran Valentino Rossi, who was clearly shaken by the close shave.
The riderless bike exploded into pieces at a safety barrier scattering debris through the air as the race was red flagged.
Morbidelli was taken away on a stretcher but was later able to walk to an ambulance as Zarco appeared unhurt.
The accident followed a similar spectacular spill in the earlier Moto2 race.
