Pedro Acosta dominated qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, topping the timesheets for Red Bull KTM as championship co-leaders Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin prepare for a decisive Sunday showdown tied on 274 points.
The session was red-flagged when Alex Marquez suffered a heavy crash on the exit of Turn 1. The Gresini Ducati rider's front wheel slipped out as he changed direction, sending him hitting the tarmac hard. Marshals were unable to clear the stricken bike quickly enough, forcing race control to halt the session. Marquez walked away uninjured and later returned to the track on his spare machine.
Acosta had been in control from the early stages, progressively lowering his best time throughout the 30-minute session. The Spaniard's Red Bull KTM was the clear class of the field at Spielberg, with Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi acknowledging the KTM's pace. Ai Ogura also impressed on his return from injury, qualifying for Q2 in strong fashion for Trackhouse Aprilia.
Marc Marquez, the world championship leader, finished fourth and acknowledged KTM's speed. "It's not the first time KTM have been very fast," the Ducati rider said. Bezzecchi, who sits third in the standings on 241 points, scraped into Q2 in ninth after a series of mistakes in the closing minutes, partly caused by reusing a worn tyre after the red flag restart.
The session was not short on drama. Johann Zarco visited the gravel trap at Turn 4 on three separate occasions, while Franco Morbidelli, Jack Miller, and rookie Diogo Moreira also went off at the same corner. Pol Espargaro's airbag deployed under braking for Turn 1, forcing him back to the Tech3 pit.
With Marquez and Martin locked at 274 points heading into Sunday's race, the championship fight could not be closer. Acosta, fifth in the standings on 209 points, will start from pole looking to claim a statement victory on home soil for KTM.
Sources
- https://www.speedweek.com/en/a/motogp/motogp-qualifying-acosta-fastest-red-flag-marquez-crash
- https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1104859/1/how-marco-bezzecchi-almost-let-austrian-motogp-red-flag-send-him-q1
