PEDRO ACOSTA WINS HIS FIRST MOTOGP RACE AT THE RED BULL RING - Motorsportsclicks

Pedro Acosta is finally a MotoGP race winner. The KTM rider took his first victory in the premier class at the Red Bull Ring, beating Aprilia riders Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi to the top step of the podium. The result also gives KTM its first MotoGP victory since Miguel Oliveira won the 2022 Thai Grand Prix.

Acosta arrived in Austria without a MotoGP victory despite already having 15 podium finishes in his first 56 starts in the class. He had also started the weekend strongly, setting the fastest time on Friday and qualifying third, just 0.071 seconds away from pole position.

The weekend had not been perfect for the Spaniard, however. Acosta had been leading the Sprint before crashing three laps from the finish, allowing Jorge Martin to take the victory. He also suffered another fall during Sunday morning’s Warm Up, making his performance in the Grand Prix even more important.

Martin started the Grand Prix from pole position and initially led the race, while Bezzecchi moved ahead of his Aprilia teammate on the second lap. Acosta quickly moved through the field and passed Ai Ogura before fighting his way past Bezzecchi and closing in on Martin.

Acosta eventually took control of the race and built a gap at the front. Martin and Bezzecchi continued to apply pressure in the second half, but Acosta managed his pace and tyres well enough to keep the two Aprilias behind him. At the chequered flag, Martin finished second and Bezzecchi completed the podium, with only 0.192 seconds separating the two Aprilia riders.

The victory was particularly important for KTM because it came at the manufacturer’s home Grand Prix. It was also Acosta’s final season with KTM before his move to a new chapter in 2027, making the result a significant farewell victory for both rider and manufacturer.

Martin’s second place was also important for the championship. After entering Austria level on points with Marc Marquez, the Aprilia rider leaves the Red Bull Ring with a 12-point advantage over the Ducati rider. Bezzecchi is another 30 points behind Martin, sitting 42 points away from the championship lead.

Ai Ogura completed a strong weekend in fourth place for Trackhouse Racing. The Japanese rider had only recently returned from a hand injury and surgery, making his result another notable part of the Austrian Grand Prix. Marc Marquez finished fifth after struggling to fight for the leading positions during the race.

Brad Binder finished sixth for KTM, followed by Francesco Bagnaia and Fermin Aldeguer after the post-race penalty changed the order. Fabio Di Giannantonio finished ninth, while Johann Zarco completed the top 10 for LCR Honda.

Acosta’s victory closes the European part of the 2026 MotoGP season with a major milestone for the 22-year-old. After three seasons and 15 podiums without a Sunday victory, he finally stood on the top step of a MotoGP podium at KTM’s home circuit.

The championship will now move to Asia for the next round at Motegi. The Japanese Grand Prix will take place from October 2 to 4, with Martin arriving as the championship leader after his second-place finish in Austria.