Vinales calls for Red Bull Ring changes at ‘really dangerous’ turn
Yamaha's Maverick Vinales brands Turn 3 at the Red Bull Ring 'really dangerous' as he calls for changes following miraculous near-miss during Austrian MotoGP
Maverick Vinales has called for changes to be made to the Red Bull Ring at Turn 3 after becoming embroiled in the huge accident involving Franco Morbidelli and Johann Zarco during the Austrian MotoGP.
The Yamaha rider miraculously escaped without harm after almost being struck by both Morbidelli’s Yamaha and Zarco’s Ducati when they collided behind them on the run up to the low-speed Turn 3 hairpin.
With both bikes spiralling across the inside of the bend and back across the apex where Vinales and team-mate Valentino Rossi were positioned, incredibly they were missed by a matter of inches from being struck at high-speed.
The incident has opened debate over whether the layout at this part of the track – where a long uphill incline kinks left before a heavy-braking zone into Turn 3 – is appropriate for motorcycle racing , especially if there is a fast accident behind that could skittle riders ahead.
For Vinales, who emphasised just how lucky he was, he wants to see changes made to this part of the track, describing it as ‘really dangerous’
“We were very lucky, this is the most important. We're good. These things can happen in races, there's always that risk. And this corner, Turn 3, we say every time that it's really dangerous. They need to do something, because it's really easy to crash there.
One particular area of concern is the close proximity of a barrier to the left on the run to the bend, with Andrea Dovizioso, Joan Mir and Jack Miller each calling for modifications during the post-race press conference.
It’s a view Vinales shares, saying he had already had a ‘scary’ moment during morning warm-up before the race.
“I nearly crashed in the warm-up. I locked the front and went a bit towards the walls, and that was scary.
“But on the bike, during the incident in the first race, I didn't see anything, honestly. I just heard the scratching sound of crashed bikes and then I felt the impact of Johann's bike hitting the wall.
“Then, when I looked, I saw one bike coming towards me and I covered my head and the bike jumped up. For sure we were very lucky, someone saved us, and this is the most important.”
For now there has been no word on whether the track will see any immediate changes with a second race being held at the Red Bull Ring this weekend for the Styrian MotoGP.
