Acosta delivers for KTM with home podium, Alex pushes brother Marc to the limit
The unstoppable run continues. Championship leader Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) had to fight his way through from the second row on the grid, but once again the eight-time World Champion delivered when it mattered most. In a thrilling family duel, Marc edged out younger brother Alex Márquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) to secure yet another Tissot Sprint victory, stretching his winning streak to 11 consecutive races in 2025.
For the home fans at Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring, there was still plenty to cheer as Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) carved his way from the third row to secure P3, keeping his podium run alive with a third straight top-three finish. By contrast, it was a nightmare afternoon for Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who saw his Sprint unravel from the very first moments.
🚦 Bagnaia’s costly launch as drama unfolds early
When the lights went out, both Bagnaia and Fermín Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) spun up the rear tyre off the line, losing all momentum and tumbling down the order in a matter of seconds. Starting from promising positions on the front two rows, both riders found themselves buried in traffic before the first lap was complete.
At the sharp end, Alex Márquez made a lightning getaway to grab the holeshot, with brother Marc slotting in behind. Acosta, meanwhile, was already on the charge, sweeping past Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) for second place at Turn 2 on Lap 2. The move came at the exact same spot where reigning World Champion Jorge Martín (Aprilia Racing) had been forced wide a lap earlier, dropping him all the way back to P15 — just one place ahead of Bagnaia’s wounded Ducati.
🔥 The Márquez brothers lock horns
For the opening phase, Alex held the upper hand. He kept Marc glued to his rear wheel, the gap hovering around half a second. Acosta briefly looked capable of making it a three-way fight, but a small mistake at Turn 4 saw the rookie lose touch, dropping 1.3 seconds behind the leaders while still keeping a comfortable buffer over Bezzecchi in fourth.
The decisive moment arrived with five laps to go. Marc lined up a perfect run out of Turn 2B, carried the momentum into Turn 3, and executed a textbook pass to seize the lead. Alex tried to regroup, but with three laps left Marc had stretched the gap to seven tenths. A late track limits warning added some tension for the #93, but in true Márquez fashion he stayed composed.
When the chequered flag waved, Marc crossed the line with a 1.9s advantage over Alex, further underlining his dominance in 2025. Acosta completed the podium, keeping Bezzecchi’s Aprilia at bay in the closing laps.
🏁 Sprint points finishers – Austria
Behind the podium fight, Brad Binder gave the Austrian fans another reason to roar, bringing his Red Bull KTMhome in P5, just behind Bezzecchi, to ensure both factory KTMs finished inside the top five. Despite his poor start, Aldeguer recovered strongly to P6, limiting the damage from his disastrous launch.
Further back, Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), and Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) collected the final points-paying positions. World Champion Jorge Martín salvaged P10 after his early off-track moment, limiting what could have been a much bigger loss in the title race.
📰 Saturday storylines from Spielberg
- Marc Márquez unstoppable – Eleven straight wins in 2025 and still hunting his first Sunday GP win at the Red Bull Ring.
- Alex Márquez shines – Pushed his brother harder than anyone has in weeks, proving Gresini’s Ducati package is a real podium threat.
- Acosta delivers again – Keeps his podium streak alive in front of the home KTM crowd, giving Austrian fans a reason to celebrate.
- Bagnaia struggles – Another costly Sprint for the former Champion, raising questions about his consistency under pressure.
- Bezzecchi’s inspiration – The Italian revealed he has been drawing advice from both Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner, which is clearly paying dividends.
- Maverick Viñales update – The Aprilia star has officially withdrawn from the Austrian GP to continue his recovery, leaving his team one rider down for the weekend.
The bigger picture
Another Sprint, another Marc Márquez masterclass. While Alex showed genuine speed and Acosta thrilled the local crowd, the #93 once again proved impossible to beat. The real question heading into Sunday: can anyone finally end his perfect run, or is another Red Bull Ring victory already written in the script?
Gonzalez clocks pole lap but Holgado inherits front-row start at Spielberg
Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) once again showed why he is regarded as one of the fastest single-lap riders in the intermediate class. In Moto2™ qualifying at the BWIN Grand Prix of Austria, the Spaniard set a blistering pace in Q2 to secure the pole position on paper with a time that no one else could match. However, celebrations were short-lived. Race Direction handed Gonzalez a three-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Grand Prix — a sanction stemming from slow riding in practice — meaning he will not line up from P1 despite being the fastest rider on track.
Instead, the big beneficiary is Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team). The young Spaniard qualified second but will now be promoted to the front of the grid, giving him the perfect launchpad to chase a maiden Moto2™ victory. Joining Holgado on the front row will be Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team), who has been steadily improving over recent rounds, and Celestino Vietti (Sync SpeedRS Team), a rider with proven pedigree at Spielberg after previously tasting success here.
Gonzalez shuffled to Row 2
Despite his penalty, Gonzalez still heads the second row in P4, which keeps him well within striking distance for the race itself. Lining up alongside him is David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), who carried momentum from topping Q1 into a strong second session performance. On the outside of Row 2 sits Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), making it two Intact GP machines inside the top six — a solid platform for the team to fight at the front.
Title contenders hit turbulence
Championship drama added another layer to qualifying. Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego), who currently sits second in the points standings, endured a bruising weekend after a heavy fall in FP2. Despite the setback, he managed to salvage P8 on the grid, but starting from the third row leaves him with plenty of work to do if he wants to cut into Gonzalez’s title lead.
His teammate Barry Baltus, third in the championship, also struggled to find front-running pace. The Belgian will begin from P11, leaving him just outside the top ten and likely relying on a strong opening lap to stay in touch with the lead group. Both riders will need to balance risk and reward, knowing that every lost point could be decisive in the second half of the season.
Further back – big names in trouble
Two experienced campaigners will be eyeing a charge through the field on race day. Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) endured a frustrating qualifying session and finds himself buried in P21, while American star Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) lines up just behind in P22. Both have the pace to fight for the top ten on their day, but at a circuit like the Red Bull Ring — where overtaking opportunities are limited to a few heavy braking zones — progress will not come easily.
Looking ahead
With Gonzalez demoted and Holgado handed the keys to pole position, Sunday’s Moto2™ race is set up for fireworks. Holgado has everything to gain from his inherited front-row start, but with Gonzalez only two rows behind, Vietti hungry for another Spielberg podium, and Moreira in the mix, the fight for victory is wide open. Add in the wounded pride of Canet and Baltus, plus the desperation of Dixon and Roberts to bounce back, and the Austrian round could prove pivotal in shaping the championship picture.
Perrone stuns Spielberg with maiden Moto3™ pole, Piqueras forced to settle for second
The Moto3™ qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring produced both history and high drama as Valentin Perrone(Red Bull KTM Tech3) stormed to his first-ever Grand Prix pole position. In doing so, the Argentine rider also ended his nation’s long wait for a lightweight-class pole — the last coming back in 2021. The achievement marked a career milestone for Perrone, who has been steadily gaining momentum since stepping onto the world stage.
Remarkably, his day was already making headlines even before qualifying wrapped up. Earlier in practice, Perrone pulled off what many are already calling one of the greatest saves in Moto3™ history — losing both hands off the bars mid-slide yet somehow recovering to keep the bike upright. It was a breathtaking moment that immediately went viral in the paddock, showcasing both his raw instinct and fearless style.
Piqueras denied after weekend dominance
Few would have bet against Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) taking pole, given the Spaniard’s form across all practice sessions. Piqueras had been the benchmark rider all weekend, consistently topping timesheets and staking his claim as the man to beat in Sunday’s race. However, in qualifying he was narrowly outpaced and will now start from second on the grid.
Alongside him, teammate Ryusei Yamanaka ensured a strong showing for the MSI squad by securing the final spot on the front row in P3. That puts both MSI machines in prime position to fight at the front when the lights go out.
Aspar double-act fills Row 2
The second row promises fireworks of its own. Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) will lead Row 2 from P4, with teammate Maximo Quiles lining up just beside him in fifth. The pairing are no strangers to drama — their clash in Brno just two weeks ago made headlines after on-track tensions boiled over. With both starting side by side in Austria, all eyes will be on whether they work together to push forward, or if history risks repeating itself.
Completing the second row is another podium threat in sixth, giving the grid’s middle group a potent mix of experience and youthful aggression.
Championship leader back on Row 3
Notably, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who continues to lead the Moto3™ World Championship standings, could only manage eighth on the grid. While still within striking range of the front runners, starting from the third row means the Spaniard will need a sharp getaway to avoid getting caught in the mid-pack chaos that Spielberg’s opening laps are notorious for. Given his consistency this season, however, few doubt Rueda’s ability to carve his way forward when it matters.
What it means heading into Sunday
With Perrone’s breakthrough pole, Piqueras’ relentless race pace, and multiple team dynamics in play — including Aspar’s intra-team rivalry and KTM’s home advantage — the Moto3™ Austrian Grand Prix is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable races of the season. For Perrone, the challenge will be converting history-making qualifying speed into race-day resilience. For Piqueras, it’s all about turning dominance into victory. And for Rueda, it’s another test of championship composure in the heat of battle.
