Spielberg bei Knittelfeld (Austria) (AFP)

The Grands Prix on the Red Bull Ring follow and resemble each other: in MotoGP, the last three editions were interrupted by a red flag after an accident and the riders criticize the safety of the Austrian track.

"We have been saying for three years that we have to change certain things but nothing is happening," Aleix Espargaro already lamented before the Styrian GP this weekend.

"It's disappointing that nothing has been done. You can't imagine how much we've pushed in this direction."

The question worries the Spaniard from Aprilia all the more as, because of travel restrictions due to Covid-19, the circuit has hosted two consecutive races since 2020 each season.

The 2021 premiere took place this Sunday, punctuated by another impressive crash but which, this time again, did not cause serious injuries.

On lap 3, Spaniard Dani Pedrosa (KTM) fell on turn 3. Several riders brushed against him and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia) hit his motorcycle.

The two machines caught fire, causing the race to be interrupted while the track was cleaned up.

Pedrosa, unharmed, was able to get back in the saddle but the Italian broke his right malleolus and will be operated on Monday.

However, this crash is reminiscent of the accidents of last year.

During the first round of MotoGP, the Italian Franco Morbidelli had collided at high speed with the French Johann Zarco at turn 2. Their motorcycles, spinning without a pilot, had almost collided with the Italian Valentino Rossi and the Spaniard Maverick Vinales in the following curve.

Then in the second race a week later, Vinales' Yamaha crashed into the safety barriers after a brake problem.

- "Several critical points" -

Dani Pedrosa and Lorenzo Savadori's motorcycles catch fire after crashing during the Styrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on August 8, 2021 in Speilberg, Austria JOE KLAMAR AFP

In Moto2, the Italian Enea Bastianini had lost control of his mount at the exit of the first corner and his machine had been struck by Hafizh Syahrin.

After a glide, the lucky Malaysian was off with a pelvic contusion.

"There are several critical points but especially turn 3, in which we arrive at full speed without visibility," pointed out the Spanish winner Jorge Martin (Ducati-Pramac) on Sunday.

"Turn 1 is also very dangerous," added his compatriot Joan Mir (Suzuki), 2nd.

“At the exit of these two curves, there is an uphill and then a downhill. If something happens there, you don't see it.”

"What happened today could have happened elsewhere," said veteran Valentino Rossi, who will retire at the end of the season.

“But this track has three or four brakes that are a bit crazy and the most dangerous is at turn 3,” said the Italian all the same.

"In the long run it's dangerous for the brakes and that may explain what happened to Maverick last year."

Faced with their protests this weekend, the Red Bull Ring again promised the drivers changes in the near future.

A motorcycle on fire in front of security personnel during the Styrian Grand Prix on the Red Bull Ring on August 8, 2021 in Spielberg, Austria JOE KLAMAR AFP

It remains to be seen what their nature will be.

Changing dangerous turns (Frenchman Fabio Quartararo, for example, suggests replacing the asphalt outside the first turn with grass or gravel to force the riders to brake earlier)?

Or a partly new route?

Asked by AFP, the circuit did not respond on Sunday evening.

During the Austrian GP next Sunday, on the other hand, we will still have to deal with the risk.

© 2021 AFP