The new chicane at Turn 2 of the Red Bull Ring has been well received by MotoGP riders, following its debut in Friday practice for the Austrian Grand Prix.
These two new vertices come to light of the violent accident involving Johann Zarco and Franco Morbidelli in 2020, in the old turn 2. From that moment, which could have fatal consequences, the drivers asked the Red Bull Ring to improve safety in that sector.
The circuit built a new chicane last winter, naming the turns Turns 2a and 2b. The new variant is much narrower and slower than the original proposal, but has received praise from the MotoGP grid.
“The chicane is a positive development,” said Jack Miller yesterday. “It’s a totally blind spot, especially when it comes to braking. That’s why a lot of drivers have gone long in these first free sessions; the chicane is coming at you very quickly,” he explains.
But the Australian defines this new element as “fun”, although first you have to “understand” it. “The bike moves a lot, you hit the rear brake hard and you can make the bike slide, right before the most aggressive change of direction on the calendar.”
Those of Ducati have come out clearly favored with the change, and Johann Zarco understands it that way. “I think the chicane is very slow, so it gives more chances to use the strengths of the bike. It’s not a fast enough chicane to give Fabio Quartararo an advantage. We continue to use our bike better.”
Fabio Quartararo, on the other hand, opts for the old variant, although he says he is satisfied with the chicane, since it favors the Yamaha. “I liked the previous track better, but in the end you prefer what suits you and what you go faster with.”
“When you go by on the bike, everything seems very big, but on the bike it is much smaller,” acknowledged the reigning MotoGP world champion.
Suzuki’s Alex Rins was in favor of taking measures to improve safety, but pointed out that the surface is bumpy. “It’s very different, but it’s safer than before,” he said.
“The negative point is that it is easier for it to close in front of you. There are many potholes, also when we go from the old asphalt to the new one,” he stressed.
His compatriot, Jorge Martín, described it as “quite delicate”, and although he shares with his teammates that “it is less dangerous”, he points out that the risk of going down is greater than before. “It’s full of potholes and there are two more curves, when before it was almost a straight. I think it’s a point that needs to be improved in the future,” he said.
Another driver who reported problems with the state of the asphalt was Raúl Fernández, who precisely crashed at that point during the first day of free practice. “The first corner is fine, but in the change of direction there is a bump that is difficult to manage. I think that is the reason why I went down.” “But I don’t think it’s a disaster; I like it,” he concluded.
Aleix Espargaró was not so blunt, and called the reform “a very good job”. “Although they are two different asphalts, they have done well and the grip is not so different,” he explained.
The Aprilia rider also commented, at Thursday’s press conference, that the wall on the left side of the chicane is “too close”.
Others, such as Remy Gardner, have highlighted the good grip of the new variant.
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