Back to overview

Race drone vs race bike: the fastest battle at Spielberg

Drohne mit MotoGP bike

Alex Márquez has recorded a top speed of 313 km/h at the Red Bull Ring. Could that be beaten from the air? An FPV race drone wanted to find that out and challenged the Spanish Repsol Honda rider to a duel. Here is a video of the high-tech showdown – and all the information on the racing circuit.

The Red Bull Ring is a real challenge. The turns sloping outwards, the hard-braking manoeuvres and high-speed sections push the best in the motorsport business to the limit. Can a race drone perform even better at the circuit than a MotoGP star? Can machine beat man? The answer is here:

MotoGP 2020: Race drone vs race bike

MotoGP 2020: Race drone vs race bike

The perfect lap at the Red Bull Ring

Turn 1 – Niki Lauda Turn.

It gets down to the nitty-gritty right after the start at the Red Bull Ring in the Niki Lauda Turn, with a 90-degree turn that demands physical mastery. The riders brake down to 80 km/h and get ready in second gear to go uphill to the highest point at Spielberg.

From full throttle to first gear – Turn 2 and 3.

Turn 2 really packs a punch, even if it might not look like it on paper. The motorcycling heroes race in sixth gear into the bend at a full 310 km/h to approach the hairpin bend at turn 3 – the AMS AG Turn. The riders have to bring their bikes down to 55 km/h in first gear here, in order to find the ideal line for the slowest turn in the entire MotoGP season. The revs slow right down, but if you gain good control of the bike and find a clean line, you are all set up to race back through the top-speed section on the Schönberg straight. With 320.4 km/h, Andrea Dovizioso reached the top speed of the 2020 Austrian GP here.

Turns 4 and 5.

Having just reached top speed, the bike now needs to drop down to second gear and 70 km/h in the steep braking zone at the Rauch Turn (4) so that you can continue past the North Stand. The engine roars for a short while before a 170 km/h cruise in third gear through the fifth turn at Spielberg.

Turns 6 and 7 double left – the tyres take a breather.

With 70 percent of its turns going right, the Red Bull Ring gives the MotoGP tyres the chance to take a breather at the two left turns 6 and 7. Real care is needed as the temperature on the left side of the tyres is much lower, and the track also slopes down. Third gear, 95 km/h, short sharp acceleration and then back in third gear and down to the final sector of the circuit!

Quick change of direction into Turn 8 and into the Rindt Turn.

The last hurdle for a perfect lap at the Red Bull Ring needs to be cleared here. The riders have to position themselves perfectly to use the final chance to overtake after these two turns. With a quick change of direction in fourth gear into turn 8 at 175 km/h, the MotoGP machines get set for the legendary Rindt Turn, which is taken in third gear at 110 km/h.

Final battle in the final turn.

The MotoGP heroes have a brief chance for a breather in the short straight leading to the final Turn 10 at the Red Bull Ring before they fly around the corner in second gear at 100 km/h and bolt into the 626-metre start-finish straight. The final turn is known for providing spectacular scenes at Spielberg. In 2017 and 2019, Andrea Dovizioso and Marc Márquez had decisive battles there. Both times the Italian was able to guide his Ducati past at the last second to take a win!

Red Bull Ring – MotoGP track data:

Length: 4.318 Kilometer
Turns: 10 (3 left, 7 right)
Maximum descent: 9.3 %
Maximum ascent: 12 %
Width: 12-13 metres
Altitude difference: 65 metres
Altitude: 677 Meter
Lap total: 28
Fastest lap (race): 1:23.827 minutes / Andrea Dovizioso (2019)
All-time lap record: 1:23.027 minutes / Marc Márquez (2019, Q2)

Related News