MotoGP News: Marquez tops Acosta in Friday Practice in Austria

MotoGP points leader #93 Marc Marquez (pictured) turned a lap of 1m28.117s to finish 0.228s ahead of second fastest Pedro Acosta in Practice 1 at the BWIN Grand Prix of Austria at the Red Bull Ring.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

P3 was Francesco Bagnaia on Friday afternoon, 0.268s behind his Ducati teammate Marquez.

Early Action and Drama
The opening practice session in Austria set the stage for a thrilling weekend. Reigning World Champion Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) suffered an early setback, crashing at Turn 9. While Martin walked away unscathed, his primary RS-GP was damaged. Meanwhile, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) led the field, followed closely by Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol), Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing), and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) after the first 30 minutes.

The session took a dramatic turn when red flags halted proceedings. A crash at Turn 6 involving Quartararo, coupled with fluid on the track from Jack Miller’s smoking Prima Pramac Yamaha, required track cleanup and air fence repairs. Miguel Oliveira, Miller’s teammate, also went down at the same corner. After a 26-minute delay, the session resumed with intensity.

A Frenzied Chase for the Top 10
With 17 minutes remaining, rookie Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) stunned the field with a 1:28.877, taking P1 by over two tenths. Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) soon traded top spots, with Zarco briefly leading. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) reclaimed P1, followed by Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, and Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol), who climbed to P4.

In the final minutes, Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing) surged to P3, briefly pushing his brother Marc to P4. Undeterred, Marc Marquez responded with a blistering 1:28.117—a new all-time lap record—securing P1 by two tenths. Late improvements from Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) locked in their Q2 spots as the checkered flag fell.

Friday’s Top 10
Marc Marquez topped the session, followed by Acosta and Bagnaia. Alex Marquez secured P4, with Fernandez in P5. Joan Mir earned P6, ensuring a Q2 berth, while Morbidelli finished P7, just under six tenths off the pace. Zarco, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), and Binder rounded out the top 10, with both factory KTMs securing Q2 spots at their home Grand Prix.

Practice 1 Results

* Rookie