High-speed Austria set to stretch the MotoGP championship contenders

Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria, August 16-18

Two wheels, 28 laps and average speeds of 115mph – the Red Bull Ring is one of the quicker circuits in MotoGP, and last year Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia had a field day. After securing pole position, he went on to lead every lap of the race and crossed the finish line on his Desmosedici motorcycle a comfortable 5sec ahead of Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder – the latter admitted, “I did everything I could.”

Bagnaia is flying again this season, on course for a third successive MotoGP world championship – although there’s some way to go yet: this is race 11 out of 20. As for Binder, he started 2024 well but has slipped.

Prima Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin – ‘The Martinator’, who’s joining Aprilia at the end of the season – is among the frontrunners and chasing his first title. Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Márquez is also in the mix, as is Enea Bastainini – all three on Ducatis. Bastainini, or ‘La Bestia’ (The Beast), was Moto2 champion in 2020, finished third in MotoGP in 2022 but was dogged by injury in 2023. Last time out in Austria he was 10th but with the recent announcement that he’s switching to KTM for 2025 he should have a spring in his step.

It’s a track appreciated by KTM’s Aussie battler Jack Miller who tweeted straight after last year’s race: “this GP truly is the home away from home GP for me”. Alas, his love-in with the locals did little for his points tally. The finger was pointed at him for a Turn 1 crash in the sprint involving seven riders, for which he received a long lap penalty in the main race. He’ll be gunning for a better finishing position than 15th this time round.

Tech 3 rookie Pedro Acosta will also be looking to make an impression out on the asphalt. The Spaniard has already proved his punchy pedigree, boasting the title of the youngest rider to achieve back-to-back podiums to prove it.

Acosta isn’t aiming for the world title yet, but he will be intent on remaining firmly in the limelight like previous prodigies Marc Márquez and Valentino Rossi – and he’s only just turned 20.

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Porsche Supercup

Monza, Italy, August 23-25
British driver Harry King shone at Monza last year – one of three wins for the BWT Lechner driver in 2023. Monza is the final race and King may well be in contention for the crown, but at the time of writing two-time champion Larry ten Voorde was driving like a demon.

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Super Formula – Motegi

Motegi, Japan, August 23-25
This is occasionally the hottest race of the season – it was certainly a chaotic 2023 outing. After a multi-car collision caused by Liam Lawson, the Kiwi’s Mugen team-mate Tomoki Nojiri managed to escape unscathed and triumphant. No Lawson this season, but Nojiri is looking sharp in 2024.

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BTCC – Donington Park

Derbyshire, August 24-25
The British Touring Car Championship returns to Donington Park for a second time this year. Hyundai’s Tom Ingram took two out of three race wins in the first visit in April and is riding high in the standings, but Jake Hill, driving a BMW, has had some fine results.

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IndyCar – Portland Grand Prix

Portland International Raceway, Portland, Oregon, August 25
It’s usually worth searching out the Portland GP as it’s one of the most exciting races in IndyCar, holding the all-time record for the closest two-car and three-car finishes in the series’ racing history. Chip Ganassi’s Álex Palou held off the pack last year, and will be seeking to do the same as he’s once again a title challenger.

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F1 – Italian Grand Prix

Monza, Italy, August 29-September 1
Last year, Monza was a Red Bull riot, with Max Verstappen closely followed home by Sergio Pérez. Oscar Piastri secured fastest lap for McLaren in 2023 but Lando Norris is the one to watch in ’24. With Formula 1 officially exciting again, anything can happen.

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More events

Aug 23-25 IMSA – GT Challenge, Alton, US
Aug 25 ELMS – Spa, Belgium
Sep 5-8 WRC – Acropolis Rally, Greece