The summer break is over, MotoGP is back — and there are few better places to fire up the second half of the season than Austria’s stunning Red Bull Ring. Nestled in the Styrian hills, the circuit is a mix of postcard-perfect scenery and high-speed drama, making it the ideal stage for Round 11 of the 2025 campaign.
Thursday’s BWIN Grand Prix of Austria Pre-Event Press Conference set the tone for the weekend ahead. Championship leader Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) was front and centre, flanked by a confident Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and home hero Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
For Márquez, the challenge is clear — the #93 has never stood on the top step here, and the tight, technical nature of the Red Bull Ring has a way of punishing even the smallest mistake. Bezzecchi, riding a wave of mid-season form, has emerged as the most consistent threat to Márquez’s title hopes, while Acosta will have the added motivation — and pressure — of racing in KTM’s backyard. Expect grandstands packed with orange, the sound of Austrian cowbells, and a wall of noise every time the #31 rolls out of pit lane.
Off the stage, the paddock is slowly shaking off the post-break cobwebs. Fans can tune into the latest GearUP show, which features Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager Aki Ajo alongside a few familiar faces from across the grid. The episode dives into team strategy, rider mindset, and a few behind-the-scenes moments you won’t catch on race day.
If you’ve been out of the loop since the summer shutdown, this is the time to get back up to speed. There are fresh storylines brewing, title battles tightening, and new rumours swirling — and with MotoGP back in action at one of the sport’s most spectacular venues, the stage is set for a blockbuster second half of 2025.
More Talking Points From Austria
Austria sees debut of MotoGP’s new stability control – riders weigh in
The summer break is over, the Styrian mountains are buzzing, and the Red Bull Ring is about to see a small but potentially game-changing addition to MotoGP machinery. When the lights go out this weekend, most – if not all – of the grid will be running a new stability control system for the very first time.
On the surface, the concept is simple. If the bike begins to slide — whether from throttle application, a tricky camber, or a sudden loss of grip — the system steps in, trimming engine torque to calm things down. Unlike traditional traction control, which reacts when the rear tyre starts to spin, stability control focuses on controlling the moment the slide begins, aiming to stop it from escalating into a violent highside.
Highsides are some of the most feared crashes in motorcycle racing, catapulting riders into the air with little warning. Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) didn’t need convincing:
“Anything that reduces the risk of a highside is a step forward. We ride these bikes on the limit every corner, and if electronics can help without slowing us down, I’m all for it.”
The rollout has been made possible thanks to a unified software update for the Marelli-supplied ECU, the same control unit used by every team in MotoGP. Once a Grand Prix weekend begins, teams select from an approved list of software versions — and this weekend in Austria, for the first time, one of those options will include the stability control feature.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), racing at KTM’s home track, said the system will likely be welcomed by younger riders too:
“When you’re learning, you push to see where the limit is. If this helps keep things safer when you go over that limit, then it’s a good thing. But we’ll see how it feels in the race.”
The development has been a collaborative effort between MotoGP, ECU supplier Marelli, and the MSMA (the manufacturers’ association). Safety Director Franco Uncini explained that the project was about evolution, not revolution:
“We don’t want to change how the riders race. The idea is to prevent accidents that have serious consequences, not interfere with performance. This has been tested extensively, and now it’s ready.”
Tissot Sprint gets more breathing room on the grid
The Austrian GP weekend will also see a subtle but welcome tweak to Saturday’s running order. The Grand Prix Commission has extended the time teams spend on the Sprint race grid from 15 minutes to 20, matching the build-up period for the main Sunday race.
That extra five minutes might sound small, but in MotoGP, where tyre choices and setup changes can be made right up until the last possible moment, it could be the difference between a good race and disaster. In changeable weather, it’s even more crucial.
Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi thinks it’s a smart adjustment:
“We’re often rushing in those last minutes, especially if the weather changes. This gives us a little more calm, and that’s good for safety and for the mechanics too.”
Aside from the longer grid time, nothing else in the Sprint format changes. The Saturday timetable has been shifted slightly to fit in the extension, so fans can still expect the same high-energy afternoon — just with a little more time to soak up the atmosphere before the lights go out.
If the stability control system works as intended, Austria could quietly mark one of the most important safety upgrades in recent MotoGP history. And with the championship fight heating up, those few extra grid minutes for the Sprint might just be the breathing space teams need to pull off the perfect race-day gamble.
