Acosta Unstoppable on Friday: KTM Home Hero Tops Austria Timesheets

The Red Bull Ring belongs to Pedro Acosta — at least for now. The young Spaniard delivered a dominant performance across both practice sessions on Friday, sweeping to the top of the timesheets and sending a clear message to his title-chasing rivals: he is ready to fight for victory on home soil. His best lap of 1:28.381 was untouchable all day, with the rest of the field scrambling to get within half a second. Behind him, a returning hero, a rising star, and the championship’s two heavyweights all jostled for position as the title race tightened further.

The Afternoon Session: Acosta in a Class of His Own

Building on his strong start in the morning, Acosta picked up exactly where he left off. By the 20-minute mark, he was the only rider in the 1:28s — and he kept pushing. He lowered the benchmark first to 1:28.507, extending his lead to over half a second, then carved another chunk off to set the session’s fastest time. Lap after lap, he looked smooth, confident, and comfortable — lapping consistently faster than anyone else could manage.

Further down the order, Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) had climbed into fourth before losing the front end at Turn Four and sliding into the gravel. Teammate Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) also struggled at that same corner, running wide three times in the opening half-hour as he searched for grip.

As the session progressed, the times tumbled behind Acosta. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) surged into second place, dipping into the 1:28s and proving the Hondas had found significant pace. Moreira recovered to slot into the top three, while Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) also moved up to second — a reminder of just how tight the order was outside the lead.

Title Contenders on the Back Foot — Marquez and Martin Recover

With 20 minutes remaining, some big names were dangerously placed outside the automatic Q2 spots. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), both Pertamina Enduro VR46 riders Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) all found themselves needing to find time. Championship leader Marc Marquez was down in 11th with less than 15 minutes to go — but donning fresh tyres for the first time all day, he immediately began climbing, moving into second as the clock ticked down.

Then came the red flag. Alex Marquez suffered a strange exit on the run to Turn One — a small wheelie on the exit, the front tyre touching down, a puff of smoke, and the bike folded out from under him. He was unhurt but the session paused with 11:42 remaining. Once racing resumed, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) moved into eighth — his first direct Q2 appearance since Barcelona — while Bezzecchi pitted immediately after the restart, his team calling him in to assess the bike.

Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) charged up to second, and Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP) — making his return from hand injury just 22 days after surgery — surged into third. Alex Marquez remounted his spare bike and rejoined, climbing to fifth as the chequered flag approached.

Final Order: Acosta Leads, Aldeguer and Ogura Shine

When the dust settled, it was another dominant display from Acosta at the top. Aldeguer found another tenth in the closing moments to secure second, while Ogura’s fairytale return continued in third — a remarkable result for the Japanese rider given his layoff. Marc Marquez was fourth, just 0.018s ahead of Martin in fifth — the title rivals separated by barely a blink of an eye.

Top 10 Friday Times

Luca Marini missed out on the top ten by just 0.004s and will head to Q1 alongside Zarco and Moreira. Francesco Bagnaia endured another difficult day in 18th, still searching for the rhythm that has eluded him for much of the season.

Moto2: Salač Smashes Lap Record — Veijer and Piqueras Ruled Out

In Moto2, Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) was in a league of his own, setting a blistering new all-time lap record of 1:32.402 to lead Practice by nearly a tenth. Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR) was second, with Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Aspar) a close third.

There was bad news for two riders: Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) suffered a fractured left collarbone in a Turn Six crash in FP1, coming just days after scoring his second podium of the season at Misano. Angel Piqueras (QJMOTOR) also sustained a small fracture in his right hand in a separate incident at the same corner. Both will travel home to Spain for surgery.

Championship contenders Izan Guevara (fifth) and Manuel Gonzalez (eighth) safely secured their Q2 spots, though neither was at their absolute fastest. Tony Arbolino was fourth on home soil, while Barry Baltus will have to fight through Q1 after a late crash at Turn 2a.

Moto3: Almansa on Top Again — Quiles Chases

David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) continued his extraordinary run of form, topping both sessions with a lap of 1:39.667 — within touching distance of the lap record and his 20th session lead of the season. Championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Aspar) was second, the only other rider to dip into the 1:39s. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was third, while Matteo Bertelle and Brian Uriarte completed the top five.

Adrian Fernandez snuck into the final automatic Q2 spot by just 0.011s, edging out David Muñoz on his return from injury.

What’s Next

Saturday is decision day. Qualifying gets underway at 10:50 local time, followed by the Tissot Sprint Race in the afternoon. Acosta has laid down the marker — now he has to convert it. Marquez and Martin are lurking, separated by thousandths of a second. Bezzecchi scraped through to Q2 by the skin of his teeth. And Ogura? He’s back — and faster than anyone dared hope.

The Austrian mountains are delivering a thriller. Don’t miss it.