Pedro Acosta Claims Maiden MotoGP Victory at Austrian Grand Prix

The KTM rider secured his first premier-class win after beating Jorge Martin to the chequered flag, while Marc Marquez finished fifth.

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Pedro Acosta finally secured his maiden MotoGP victory at the Austrian Grand Prix, delivering a dominant performance at the Red Bull Ring to give KTM its first premier-class win since 2022.

Starting fourth on the grid, Acosta dropped to fifth in the opening corners before quickly fighting his way back through the field. The KTM rider passed Marc Marquez and Ai Ogura before overtaking Marco Bezzecchi on Lap 2.

He then set his sights on polesitter Jorge Martin, who had initially taken the holeshot and traded the lead with Aprilia team-mate Bezzecchi during the early stages. After several unsuccessful attempts, Acosta finally made his move on Lap 9 of 28, passing Martin through Turn 1 to take control of the race.

Martin remained within striking distance through the middle stages, but Acosta gradually increased the gap. With eight laps remaining, the KTM rider pushed the advantage beyond one second and ultimately crossed the finish line 1.01 seconds ahead of Martin.

The victory was Acosta’s first in MotoGP after 56 premier-class starts, while it marked KTM’s first MotoGP victory since Brad Binder won the 2022 Thai Grand Prix.

“The first one is always special, and in front of so many Austrian fans. There were many KTM t-shirts and I’m so happy for the team, they deserve it more than me,” said Acosta.

Martin Extends Championship Lead

Jorge Martin finished second after successfully holding off pressure from team-mate Bezzecchi in the closing stages. The result allowed Martin to extend his advantage over reigning champion Marc Marquez in the championship standings.

“It was a great weekend. Getting back to this level of speed and having good fitness after the doubts in Misano make me extremely happy. I wanted to fight for the win, but battling with Pedro was quite difficult, although I tried all the way to the end,” said Martin.

Bezzecchi completed the podium in third, giving Aprilia two riders inside the top three. Meanwhile, Ai Ogura returned to MotoGP competition following his injury layoff and produced another strong result for Trackhouse Racing, finishing fourth.

Marquez Limits Championship Damage

Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez endured a difficult afternoon at the Red Bull Ring. After being passed by both Aprilias at the start, Marquez later ran wide at Turn 1 on Lap 9, dropping as far as seventh before recovering several positions. The Ducati Lenovo rider eventually finished fifth, limiting the points lost to Martin.

Brad Binder produced his best result of the season with sixth, giving KTM further reason to celebrate at its home Grand Prix. Francesco Bagnaia finished seventh for Ducati after passing Gresini Racing’s Fermin Aldeguer late in the race.

Fabio Di Giannantonio and Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco completed the top 10. The race featured only one retirement, with Alex Marquez crashing from 12th position shortly before the halfway point. Yamaha, meanwhile, failed to score at the Red Bull Ring. 

For Acosta, the Austrian Grand Prix represents a major milestone in his MotoGP career, while KTM’s home victory adds another chapter to the manufacturer’s premier-class campaign. Now, let’s wait for the next round in Motegi, Japan.