Acosta tops Austrian practice as KTM takes home one-two
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 18, 2026
KTM opens with one-two
Pedro Acosta set the pace in Friday practice at the Red Bull Ring and gave KTM a strong start at its home race. The Spanish rider topped the session and put the brand at the front of the order before the weekend tightened up. Pol Espargaro, in as a Tech3 stand-in, finished second and completed a KTM one-two, 0.233 seconds behind Acosta. Jorge Martin took third after an early technical issue on his Aprilia. Marc Marquez followed in fourth for Ducati as the defending Austrian winner, while Johann Zarco and Marco Bezzecchi rounded out the top six. The session ran on soft front and medium rear tires, and riders usually kept their preferred compounds for later in the weekend, so the early times only set the tone. Friday’s action opened with FP1 at 10:45 local time and practice at 3 p.m., then the field moved toward qualifying and the sprint on Saturday before the race on Sunday at 2 p.m. CEST.
KTM home pressure
KTM arrived at Spielberg under pressure because of engine reliability concerns, and the factory still needed its home grand prix to tell a clearer story. The Austrian Grand Prix is KTM’s home race, and that put Acosta, Espargaro and the rest of the orange camp in the spotlight from the first laps. The result in practice mattered. Ducati has won 10 of the 12 MotoGP races at the circuit since 2016, a run that has made any local success for KTM feel even more valuable. Acosta’s speed gave the team a lift, and Espargaro’s second-place run came in his role as a stand-in. Brad Binder and Acosta are also racing their final Austrian Grand Prix as KTM teammates before the lineup changes next season, which adds another layer to the weekend for the factory. This event also marks a transition point. With the schedule moving toward qualifying and the sprint, KTM now has a practice benchmark it can build on as it looks to turn home support into a result.
Championship battle tightens
The championship fight came into the Austrian Grand Prix close at the top, with Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin tied on 274 points. Marquez held the lead on countback because he had more race wins than Martin, and that detail kept the title picture clear even before the weekend began. Marco Bezzecchi sat third, 33 points behind the leaders, which left him within range if either front-runner stumbled. Martin also arrived after a Misano weekend that raised concerns about forearm tightness, so his third-place run in practice carried extra importance even with the technical issue that interrupted his session. Bezzecchi, meanwhile, was looking to bounce back after an early crash at Misano, and he completed the top six in practice. Marc Marquez’s fourth-place showing also mattered because he came in as the defending Austrian winner and remains one of the key names in the title chase. The session results did not settle the championship, but they did sharpen the picture. The top riders stayed close, Ducati kept its presence near the front and KTM opened its home event with enough pace to stay in the conversation as the weekend moved toward the sprint and the race.
