Marc Marquez blames Austrian GP sprint deficit on Michelin’s special rear tyre

Austria, September 19 - Jorge Martin edged out MotoGP title rival Marc Marquez for pole position at the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix, while Pedro Acosta secured the third spot on the front row of the grid, marking an all-Spanish front row at the Red Bull Ring. Martin claimed his third pole position of the season, just 0.015 seconds ahead of Marquez in a tightly contested qualifying session.

Acosta, who set the pace during Friday’s practice, qualified third. Martin remarked that he had been pushing hard, feeling confident after a solid weekend. Reigning world champion Marquez, who has won five out of the last seven races, conceded that Martin had outpaced him during Saturday's qualifying. Acosta, competing in his home event at KTM’s circuit, aims to secure his first-ever MotoGP victory.

He will transfer to Ducati next season alongside Marquez. Italian Marco Bezzecchi will start fourth, followed by Japan’s Ai Ogura, with Alex Marquez finishing sixth despite crashing late in the session. The championship rivals Martin and Marquez share the top spot in the standings with 274 points each, although Marquez leads in race wins. Bezzecchi holds third place overall, 33 points behind the leading pair.