MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring: Five reasons why you shouldn’t miss it

2023 was a mammoth year for MotoGP, and 2024 is set to be even more spectacular, with a calendar that features a record-breaking 21 races. On the weekend of 16th – 18th August, it will be Spielberg’s turn to host the premier class of motorbike racing.

Here, we give you five good reasons for watching the CryptoDATA Austrian Motorcycle Grand Prix live from the grandstands of the Red Bull Ring.

Following triumphs in 2020 and 2021, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have all they need for a third victory on home soil: a strong rider pairing, a competitive bike and, after excelling in pre-season tests, tremendous self-confidence. Team Manager Francesco Guidotti insists: “It’s time to deliver!” And you can be there live when Brad Binder and Jack Miller compete for silverware.

A sprint race will also be held at Spielberg in 2024. For fans, this means additional exciting wheel-to-wheel duels and spectacular overtaking manoeuvres. The 14-lap sprint will be half the distance of the main event. That may not sound much of a challenge, but each rider has to change gear between 500 and 800 times per race, pulling the brake lever for 30% of the time. And on the subject of braking, the Münzer chicane presents one of the most aggressive direction changes in the entire race calendar, requiring the riders to jam on the rear brake extremely hard.

Because of the Münzer chicane, the Red Bull Ring has lost its status as the fastest race track on the MotoGP calendar. Nevertheless, the speeds reached on the bikes is hair-raising. On the weekend of 16th – 18th August, you can watch the best riders in the world at work as they use incredibly well-judged body control to battle not only with their opponents but also against the brute force of their bikes. The lap record for the new track layout is currently held by Francesco Bagnaia in a time of 1:29.840 minutes.

This year’s line-up features no fewer than four former world champions – Joan Mir, Fabio Quartararo, Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez. All eyes will be on Marquez, who has left Repsol Honda after eleven years and switched to Gresini Racing. Austrian manufacturer KTM has two teams on the grid: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (Brad Binder #33, Jack Miller #43) and Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 (Pedro Acosta #31, Augusto Fernandez #37).

At the Red Bull Ring, you can switch between action on the track and alternative forms of entertainment in a matter of minutes. MotoGP Bike City, directly behind the Steiermark Grandstand, will be laying on a full-throttle programme of exhilarating music and side acts over the four days.

A ticket for the Steirer Club guarantees its holder an extra-special MotoGP experience. The Steirer Club package not only includes a seat in the main grandstand (sector K-L) overlooking the home straight, but also typical Styrian cuisine at the designated hospitality area in the Steirer Club marquee.