The Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring turned into a celebration for KTM when 37-year-old Pedro Acosta finally stepped onto the top step of the podium. After 15 podium finishes without a win, the Spaniard out-paced world-leader Jorge Martin in the final laps and crossed the line a full second ahead, handing KTM its first MotoGP triumph on home soil.
Acosta’s maiden MotoGP victory and KTM’s home triumph
Acosta started the race in the second row, quickly moved past Marc Marquez and Ai Ogura, and after overtaking teammate Marco Bezzecchi on lap four he settled into a comfortable rhythm. By lap nine he had passed Martin, who had been leading the championship, and began to build a gap that never fully closed. The Spaniard managed his pace expertly, extending his advantage to 1.4 seconds with two laps to go before guiding his RC16 to the checkered flag.
Martin reclaimed second place, keeping his championship lead at 12 points over Marquez, while Bezzecchi completed the podium just 0.192 seconds behind. Behind the top three, Ogura finished fourth, narrowly missing a podium by nine tenths of a second, and Marquez recovered from an early mistake to take fifth. Brad Binder, also on a KTM, posted his best result of the season in sixth place, followed by Ducati’s Francesco bagnaia in seventh.
Supporting action across the support classes
In the Moto2 race, Izan Guevara delivered a commanding performance, converting a strong start into his second win of the season. He led from lap four, swiftly creating a gap that hovered around two seconds for most of the race. A dramatic moment arrived on lap 17 when the front end of his Yamaha folded at Turn 9; Guevara managed to keep the bike upright, losing only a second before re-establishing his lead.
Filip Salac and David Alonso completed the podium, while championship leader Manuel Gonzalez, after a poor start, fought back to finish fourth, trimming his lead to 35.5 points ahead of Guevara. The Moto2 field also saw a solid recovery from Ivan Ortola, who secured fifth, and a respectable showing from rookie Luca Lunetta in tenth.
On the Moto3 side, Maximo Quiles dominated, taking his ninth victory of the year. After David Almansa crashed from the lead on lap eight, Quiles seized control and never looked back, extending his championship lead to 131 points. Brian Uriarte and Alvaro Carpe rounded out the podium, while KTM secured the manufacturers’ title thanks to Quiles’ win.
Other headlines from the Austrian weekend
The Sprint race on Saturday provided its own drama. Jorge Martin, who had started from pole, fell to eighth after a poor start but fought back through the field, eventually inheriting the win when Acosta spun out with three laps remaining. Marc Marquez finished second and Bezzecchi third, leaving the top three championship contenders on the Sprint podium.
In a historic moment for Harley-Davidson, Archie McDonald claimed the inaugural Bagger World Cup title after a two-race showdown at the same circuit. Oscar Gutierrez won the Saturday race, but McDonald’s second-place finish secured enough points to stay ahead. A crash for both Andrea Iannone and Eric Granado in the first race removed them from title contention, and McDonald’s strategic eighth place in the Sunday race sealed the championship by nine points.
Off the track, several notable announcements were made. Tech3 confirmed the signing of Australian Moto2 talent Senna Agius for the 2027 MotoGP grid, marking his debut in the premier class. Meanwhile, KTM’s new CEO Gottfried Neumeister quashed rumors of a sale, highlighting the team’s recent break-even performance and a five-year agreement with Dorna for the upcoming 850cc era.
Finally, MotoGP officials revealed a possible revamp of the qualifying format for 2027, hinting at a dual-qualifying system that could set the grid for both the Sprint and the Sunday race. Pecco Bagnaia expressed support for a system that would avoid additional track time while offering a safety net for riders who encounter trouble in a single qualifying session.
