Spielberg, Austria, September 19, 2026: Jorge Martin put together a stunning final lap to claim pole position for the 2026 Austrian MotoGP Grand Prix, edging championship rival Marc Marquez by just 0.015 seconds in a thrilling qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring.

The Aprilia Racing rider stopped the clock at 1:27.917 to secure the top spot, with Ducati Lenovo Team rider Marc Marquez forced to settle for second. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pedro Acosta completed the front row, just 0.071 seconds away from pole after setting the pace during Friday’s proceedings.

The result sets up a fascinating weekend at Spielberg, with Martin looking to reclaim the MotoGP championship lead from Marc Marquez, while Acosta will be chasing his maiden MotoGP Grand Prix victory on KTM’s home turf.

Martin Beats Marquez in Tight Q2

Pedro Acosta initially led the way after the first runs in Q2, ahead of Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez, with Aprilia teammates Martin and Marco Bezzecchi also firmly in contention.

Martin, however, responded in emphatic fashion. The Aprilia rider was the first to improve significantly and moved to the top of the timing sheets before lowering his own benchmark on his next flying lap.

Acosta continued to produce red sectors but could not quite match Martin, while Bezzecchi also mounted a challenge for pole. Marc Marquez then delivered a strong final effort, improving his own time but falling just short of Martin.

The gap between the two championship protagonists was only 0.015 seconds.

The session was then interrupted by yellow flags after Alex Marquez crashed at Turn 1. The Gresini Racing rider was reported to be okay, but the incident left riders with limited time for one final attempt.

Neither Acosta nor Marc Marquez could improve on their final laps, leaving Martin to celebrate pole position.

The top three were separated by less than a tenth of a second, underlining just how closely matched the leading riders were around the Red Bull Ring.

Acosta Leads KTM Charge on Home Turf

Acosta will start from third and has a major opportunity in front of the home crowd. The KTM rider dominated Friday and has already shown strong pace around the Austrian circuit.

The Spaniard is targeting his first MotoGP Grand Prix victory, while also looking for his second Tissot Sprint win.

With Marc Marquez and Martin fighting at the sharp end of the championship, Acosta enters the weekend with comparatively little pressure in the title battle and plenty of incentive to deliver KTM a major result at its home Grand Prix.

Bezzecchi and Ogura Complete Second Row

Marco Bezzecchi will start fourth for Aprilia, putting him directly into the fight at the front and giving the Italian an opportunity to close the gap to the championship leaders.

Ai Ogura continued his impressive form at the Red Bull Ring to qualify fifth for the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team. The Japanese rider has emerged as one of the potential dark horses for the weekend.

Alex Marquez will start sixth despite his Q2 crash.

Francesco Bagnaia qualified seventh for Ducati Lenovo Team, marking a significant improvement after a difficult weekend at Misano. Fabio Di Giannantonio will line up eighth, ahead of Fabio Quartararo in ninth.

Johann Zarco completed the top 10 for Castrol Honda LCR.

Bagnaia Survives Q1

Bagnaia once again had to negotiate Q1 but successfully progressed into the top-12 shootout. Zarco topped the opening qualifying session, with Bagnaia recording exactly the same fastest lap.

Raul Fernandez narrowly missed out and will start from 13th, while replacement rider Pol Espargaro qualified 14th after showing promising pace during Friday’s FP1 session.

Brad Binder will start 11th for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, while Fermin Aldeguer lines up 12th. Aldeguer will be looking to make progress on Sunday after finishing on the podium at the Red Bull Ring last season and showing strong late-race pace.

2026 Austrian MotoGP Qualifying – Top 14

1. Jorge Martin – Aprilia Racing
2. Marc Marquez – Ducati Lenovo Team
3. Pedro Acosta – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
4. Marco Bezzecchi – Aprilia Racing
5. Ai Ogura – SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team
6. Alex Marquez – BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP
7. Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team
8. Fabio Di Giannantonio – Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team
9. Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
10. Johann Zarco – Castrol Honda LCR
11. Brad Binder – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
12. Fermin Aldeguer – BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP
13. Raul Fernandez – SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team
14. Pol Espargaro – Red Bull KTM Tech3

Martin’s pole sets up a mouth-watering Austrian Grand Prix, with the Aprilia rider starting directly ahead of Marc Marquez and Acosta. With the championship lead at stake and KTM looking for glory at its home circuit, both the Tissot Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix promise plenty of action at Spielberg.