MotoGP Styrian Grand Prix qualifying - Start time, how to watch & more
Takaaki Nakagami went fastest on Friday for LCR Honda at the MotoGP Styrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. Here’s how and when to watch qualifying.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Nakagami’s 1m23.805s set late in first practice was enough to claim top spot overall on Friday after the second session was hit by an early rain shower, which saw Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori take top spot.
The mixed conditions left a jumbled up top order as MotoGP returned to action for the first time in five weeks following the summer break, with paddock conversation dominated by Valentino Rossi’s decision to retire from MotoGP at the end of the season.
On the combined Friday practice times every rider set their best lap in the dry FP1, meaning Nakagami leads the way from defending MotoGP champion Suzuki’s Joan Mir and Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro.
Suzuki’s Alex Rins slotted into fourth place ahead of Repsol Honda duo Pol Espargaro and Marc Marquez, who in turn led factory Yamaha pair Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo. Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco and fellow factory Ducati rider Jack Miller rounded out the top 10.
Dani Pedrosa is making his first MotoGP start since the end of the 2018 season as a wildcard entry for KTM, while Cal Crutchlow is also making a return as stand-in for the injured Franco Morbidelli at Petronas SRT Yamaha.
Dani Pedrosa, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
What time does qualifying start for the Styrian MotoGP?
Qualifying for the Styrian MotoGP is set to start at 1:10pm BST (2:10pm local time), using the regular Q1 and Q2 sessions format. Qualifying takes place directly after the 30-minute FP4 session which is set to start at 12:30pm BST (1:30pm local time).
The fastest 10 MotoGP riders on the FP1-2-3 combined timesheet automatically head into Q2, with the rest of the riders entering Q1 of qualifying. The two riders who are fastest in the 15-minute Q1 session will progress into Q2 to compete with the top 10 from practice. Q2, which also lasts 15 minutes, decides who gets pole position and the qualifying order for the front four rows of the grid.
Date: Saturday 7th August 2021
Start time: 1:10pm BST (2:10pm local time)
How can I watch Styrian MotoGP qualifying?
In the United Kingdom every MotoGP practice, qualifying and race is broadcast live on BT Sport.
Styrian MotoGP qualifying will be broadcast on BT Sport 2, with the programme starting at 11am BST to also cover qualifying for the Moto3 and Moto2 classes.
TV Channel: BT Sport 2
Start time: 11:00am BST
MotoGP also offers its own live online video streaming service which is available to stream in the UK.
What's the weather forecast for qualifying at the Red Bull Ring?
Sunny but cloudy weather conditions are forecast for qualifying at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday afternoon but with a low chance of rain and a high of 27 degrees Celsius – six degrees warmer than qualifying for the Dutch MotoGP last time out.
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Why is it called the Styrian GP?
With races not allowed to be given the same race names in the same MotoGP world championship season, Austria’s first race of its double-header has been called the Styrian GP, named after the region of Austria the circuit is located in. The name was also used last year as part of the Red Bull Ring double-header.
It takes inspiration from the other double-headers MotoGP put on both in 2020 and this year as part of the reshuffled calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this season Qatar hosted the first-ever Doha GP as the second leg of its back-to-back races while Portimao will hold the Algarve GP in November having already hosted the Portuguese GP earlier this season in April.
Why is MotoGP holding two races in Austria?
As part of the COVID-19-hit campaign the 2021 MotoGP calendar has been tweaked due to various travel restrictions in place across the world.
The Finnish, Japanese, Thai and Australian MotoGP rounds have already been cancelled for 2021, while the Argentinean GP remains postponed.
In order to bulk out the calendar, Losail, the Red Bull Ring and Portimao will all host two races.
MotoGP Styrian GP FP2 results
| Cla | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lorenzo Savadori |
Aprilia | 1'31.304 | |
| 2 |  Johann Zarco |
Ducati | 1'31.458 | 0.154 |
| 3 |  Joan Mir |
Suzuki | 1'31.566 | 0.262 |
| 4 | Francesco Bagnaia |
Ducati | 1'32.182 | 0.878 |
| 5 | Aleix Espargaro |
Aprilia | 1'32.231 | 0.927 |
| 6 | Alex Rins |
Suzuki | 1'32.311 | 1.007 |
| View full results | ||||
MotoGP Styrian GP FP1 results
| Cla | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Takaaki Nakagami |
Honda | 1'23.805 | |
| 2 | Joan Mir |
Suzuki | 1'23.881 | 0.076 |
| 3 | Aleix Espargaro |
Aprilia | 1'24.183 | 0.378 |
| 4 | Alex Rins |
Suzuki | 1'24.221 | 0.416 |
| 5 | Pol Espargaro |
Honda | 1'24.254 | 0.449 |
| 6 | Marc Marquez |
Honda | 1'24.475 | 0.670 |
| View full results | ||||
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