Pedro Acosta Claims Maiden MotoGP Victory at Austrian GP as Jorge Martin Extends Championship Lead

Spielberg, Austria, September 21, 2026: Pedro Acosta finally has his maiden MotoGP victory. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider delivered a flawless performance at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Austria to claim his first premier-class race win, almost three years after making his MotoGP debut.

The victory came at a particularly special venue for Acosta and KTM, with the Red Bull Ring serving as the home circuit for both the Austrian manufacturer and Red Bull. After 15 MotoGP podiums without a victory, Acosta finally stood on the top step of the podium.

Jorge Martin finished second for Aprilia Racing, extending his lead in the MotoGP World Championship to 12 points over Marc Marquez. Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium for Aprilia, finishing just 0.192 seconds behind his teammate after a closely fought race.

Acosta fights back after Sprint disappointment

Acosta’s Austrian GP victory was all the more impressive after his costly Tissot Sprint mistake on Saturday. The KTM rider put that error behind him immediately, producing a composed performance on Sunday.

Aprilia initially dominated the opening stages, with Martin, Bezzecchi and Ai Ogura occupying the top three positions at the start. Marc Marquez, meanwhile, dropped three places on the opening lap before Acosta moved past the Ducati rider to take fourth.

Bezzecchi briefly moved into the lead at Turn 1 on Lap 2, only for Martin to respond at Turn 3. Acosta continued his charge, passing Ogura at Turn 6 before closing rapidly on Bezzecchi.

The KTM rider made his move for second on Lap 4 at Turn 2b – the same corner where he had crashed during Saturday’s Sprint. Acosta then set his sights on Martin.

Acosta takes control of the Austrian GP

The decisive move came on Lap 9. Acosta used the exit of Turn 1 to outdrag Martin on the run towards Turn 2a and take the race lead for the first time.

While Acosta moved forward, Marc Marquez was struggling to maintain his position. The Ducati rider ran wide at Turn 1 after passing Ogura, dropping behind Brad Binder and subsequently Fermin Aldeguer.

Marquez eventually slipped as far as seventh before recovering to sixth and then fifth. With Acosta controlling the race at the front, Martin and Bezzecchi remained locked in the battle for the remaining podium positions.

At the halfway point of the 28-lap race, Acosta led Martin by 0.7 seconds, while Bezzecchi was another second behind. Ogura remained firmly in contention for a podium finish in fourth.

Acosta holds off Aprilia challenge

The closing stages produced another tense fight as Martin and Bezzecchi began to close the gap to Acosta.

On Lap 21, Acosta’s lead dropped to 0.7 seconds, but the KTM rider responded immediately. A 1:30.693 lap on the following tour helped him rebuild his advantage.

With two laps remaining, Acosta had extended his lead to 1.4 seconds. Martin, meanwhile, was under pressure from teammate Bezzecchi, with only two tenths of a second separating the Aprilia riders.

Acosta entered the final lap with a 1.2-second advantage and produced the clean lap he needed to secure victory.

The chequered flag confirmed Acosta as a MotoGP race winner for the first time.

The result also delivered a memorable home victory for KTM at the Red Bull Ring and provided the manufacturer with a fitting success before Acosta’s next chapter begins in 2027.

Martin extends MotoGP championship lead

Martin’s second-place finish proved important for the championship. The Aprilia rider now leads Marquez by 12 points heading into the Japanese Grand Prix.

Bezzecchi’s third place means Aprilia secured a double podium in Austria, while Ai Ogura finished an impressive fourth on his return to racing.

Marquez eventually crossed the line fifth, 7.3 seconds behind Acosta, surrendering the championship lead after a difficult Sunday.

Brad Binder backed up KTM’s home victory with sixth place, his best result of the season. Francesco Bagnaia was the second Ducati rider home in seventh.

Aldeguer finished eighth after receiving a three-second post-race penalty for causing contact. Fabio Di Giannantonio took ninth, while Johann Zarco completed the top 10.

Enea Bastianini, Raul Fernandez, Takaaki Nakagami, Luca Marini and Diogo Moreira collected the remaining championship points.

With Acosta now a MotoGP race winner and Martin holding a 12-point championship advantage over Marquez, the title battle heads to Japan for the next round at Motegi.