Acosta gets maiden MotoGP win in KTM’s backyard

Previously the record-holder for the most podiums without a MotoGP victory, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM) is finally a premier-class grand prix winner. And he did it at KTM’s home race at the Grand Prix of Austria. But as well as the enormous motivation that comes with winning your first-ever MotoGP race, the young Spanish superstar had a score to settle after crashing out of the Sprint with a two-second lead with three laps remaining just 24 hours earlier.

It was title contender Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) who benefitted the most from Acosta’s blunder when he inherited the lead with three laps to go and reached the flag first ahead of Marc Marquez (Lenovo Ducati) and teammate Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing). And with it, he gained a three-point lead in the title chase over Marc Marquez ahead of the 28-lap Austrian Grand Prix.

But you can’t say it wasn’t deserved. The former world champ found himself as low as eighth on the opening lap and put on a show of brilliance as he sliced through the field to claw his way back up to second place before Acosta’s costly mistake.

In the full-length grand prix and from pole position, it was Martin who grabbed the holeshot from Bezzecchi and fast-starting Trackhouse Aprilia rider Ai Ogura. Fellow front-row starters Marquez and Acosta didn’t get the starts they were looking for and found themselves down in fourth and fifth respectively. Acosta was through on Marquez for fourth before the end of the opening lap, and as Bezzecchi and Martin swapped places a couple of times to start the second, Acosta was already through on Ogura to take third.

And from there, on one of the most underperforming motorcycles on the grid, it was his sheer talent and determination that saw him overcome not one, but two of the most dominant motorcycles of 2026 to claim KTM’s first dry-weather MotoGP victory in almost five years.

It started with three fastest laps of the race on laps two, three and four. He took Bezzecchi for second place on the fourth time of asking and reduced the gap to put himself on race leader Martin’s rear tyre to start the seventh.

Further back, Marquez looked to be regrouping. He was within a tenth of Ogura and looked to have superior pace. A nibble from Acosta on Martin on lap eight showed that the young Spaniard had the upper hand at that point in the contest, and when he finally got through on the championship leader on the exit of Turn 1 to start lap nine, Marquez also pushed past Ogura for fourth to reduce the damage to his title hopes.

But it all started to go pear-shaped when an issue with the feeling on the front brake lever saw Marquez run wide into Turn 1 to start lap 10. The mistake allowed both Ogura and Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder through, dropping the reigning world champ down to sixth. It would get worse, too, when Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati) passed the factory Ducati rider the next time around.

Up at the front, Pedro had put a seven-tenths-of-a-second buffer between himself and Martin, who had another 1.2 seconds back to Bezzecchi. Marc was still mired down in seventh, with the top 10 completed by teammate Pecco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Yamaha) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati).

By half-race distance, the passing became few and far between. Aldeguer made a move on Binder for fifth, with Marquez also moving past the South African almost immediately afterwards. With three seconds now separating Aldeguer from Ogura, it looked to be fifth at best for Marquez, barring a mistake from anyone up ahead.

Up ahead, Acosta was doing a sterling job to hold Martin between 0.6 and 0.8 seconds behind all race long, especially given Martin’s enormously impressive performance during the Sprint. Likewise, Bezzecchi was sitting a largely consistent one second behind his teammate in third, with Ogura rarely less than 1.4 seconds further back.

With nine laps to go, the best Honda was Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) in 10th, ahead of teammate Diogo Moreira in 13th. Marc Marquez did find a way through on Aldeguer for fifth place on lap 20 of 28, just as Bezzecchi appeared to up his pace and make a case for second place. The gap between himself and Martin was down to four tenths of a second with six to go, and three tenths with five laps remaining, with Bezzecchi looking quicker than Martin ahead. But a mistake at Turn 1 on the penultimate lap saw him almost run into the back of Martin and, with it, his hopes of P2 dashed.

But up ahead, the day was all Acosta’s. He crossed the line to start the final lap over one second clear of Martin, and he held his concentration right until the end to be first to the chequered flag and to notch up the first of what will surely be many more premier-class grand prix victories.

Martin played a smart game to rack up 20 world championship points in second place, ahead of Bezzecchi, Ogura and Marquez. Both Binder and Bagnaia would pass Aldeguer for sixth and seventh, while Di Giannantonio and Zarco rounded out the top 10.

The result means Jorge Martin is back in control of the title with 306 points to Marquez’s 294, gaining 12 points on his fellow Spaniard in Austria. Bezzecchi (264) sits third ahead of Acosta (234), who leapfrogs both Di Giannantonio (230) and Ogura (222) with his 25-point victory.

The series now begins its flyaway stage with the Japanese Grand Prix up first at Motegi, held over October 2–4.