Pedro Acosta Wins First MotoGP Race as Jorge Martin Extends Championship Lead in Austria

Posted : 21 September 2026

Pedro Acosta secured his first MotoGP victory at the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, overcoming Jorge Martin to take a landmark win at KTM’s home circuit, the Red Bull Ring. Martin finished second for Aprilia, extending his advantage at the top of the championship over Marc Marquez.

Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium in third, while Trackhouse Aprilia rider Ai Ogura finished fourth. Marc Marquez, who arrived in Austria level on points with Martin, had to settle for fifth and now trails the championship leader by 12 points.

Acosta started from the front row and initially slipped down the order before quickly recovering. The KTM rider moved into the leading battle and passed Martin on lap nine of the 28-lap race. From there, he controlled the pace and crossed the finish line 1.017 seconds ahead of Martin.

The victory marked a major milestone for the 22-year-old Spaniard, who entered MotoGP after winning the Moto3 world championship in 2021 and the Moto2 title in 2023. It came after 56 premier-class starts and 15 previous MotoGP podiums without a Grand Prix victory.

Acosta had come close to winning the Austrian weekend during Saturday's sprint, where he crashed while leading late in the race. He bounced back strongly in Sunday's main event to deliver KTM its first MotoGP victory since 2022 and its third premier-class win at the Red Bull Ring.

The Spaniard was particularly pleased to achieve the breakthrough at KTM and Red Bull's home venue. He described the victory as a special moment and praised the Austrian-based team for its contribution to his success.

Martin, meanwhile, converted his second-place finish into valuable championship points. Bezzecchi's third-place result gave Aprilia two riders on the podium, while Ogura secured fourth ahead of Marquez.

Marquez endured a difficult race after starting near the front. He dropped down the order early, later moved back ahead of Ogura, and then ran off the track after making an error. The Ducati rider fell as low as seventh before fighting back to fifth, limiting the points damage in the championship battle.

Acosta celebrated his breakthrough victory in memorable fashion, laying his KTM down during the cooldown lap at the same section where he had crashed during Saturday's sprint.

Pedro Acosta Wins First MotoGP Race as Jorge Martin Extends Championship Lead in Austria

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