Pedro Acosta crashes from MotoGP Sprint lead
Pedro Acosta suffered heartbreaking disappointment in the MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix Sprint after crashing from a comfortable lead with just three laps remaining.
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider had been the standout performer throughout Friday practice, topping both MotoGP sessions before qualifying third for Saturday’s Sprint.
Acosta made a brilliant start, gaining two positions through the opening three corners to take the lead. The Spaniard immediately began to pull clear of his rivals and looked on course to claim his second MotoGP Sprint victory of the 2026 season.
However, Acosta’s hopes of a memorable KTM home victory disappeared on lap 12 of 14 when he lost the front of his RC16 entering Turn 2.
The crash handed the Sprint victory to Jorge Martin and left Acosta with nothing to show for what had been a dominant performance.
Despite the disappointment, Acosta has shown strong pace throughout the Austrian Grand Prix weekend and will start Sunday’s race with genuine hopes of claiming his first MotoGP Grand Prix victory.
There was also a solid performance from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team-mate Brad Binder. The South African finished inside the top ten in Friday’s sessions, qualified 11th and ultimately brought his KTM home in ninth place in the Sprint.
Jorge Martin fights back to win Austrian GP Sprint
Jorge Martin produced a remarkable comeback to win the MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix Sprint after an eventful opening lap.
The 2024 MotoGP World Champion started from pole position but was pushed wide by Marc Márquez at the Turn 2 chicane, dropping all the way back to eighth.
Martin quickly set about recovering the lost positions and matched Acosta’s pace at the front of the field.
By lap eight, Martin had caught Márquez and produced an aggressive move at Turn 1 to reclaim second place.
Acosta’s late crash then promoted Martin into the lead, allowing the Aprilia Racing rider to claim his fourth MotoGP Sprint victory of the 2026 season.
The performance will also provide Martin with a major confidence boost after the arm-pump problems that affected his San Marino MotoGP race were not apparent during Saturday’s Sprint.
With Martin now taking victory and Acosta showing such strong pace before his crash, Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix promises to be another major battle at the Red Bull Ring.
Marc Márquez finishes second as Bezzecchi completes podium
Marc Márquez finished second after his early battle with Martin, while Marco Bezzecchi completed the MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix Sprint podium for Aprilia Racing.
Márquez had briefly taken the lead from pole sitter Martin on the opening lap but was unable to match Martin’s late-race charge.
Bezzecchi, meanwhile, produced a consistent performance from fourth on the grid to secure third place. The result gives the Italian his sixth MotoGP Sprint podium of the 2026 season and extends his run of Saturday podium finishes to four consecutive rounds.
The result also means the three leading MotoGP title contenders occupied the top three positions in the Austrian Grand Prix Sprint.
For Bezzecchi, the podium represents an important response after the disappointment of crashing out of the lead at his home San Marino Grand Prix.
With Martin taking victory, Márquez finishing second, Bezzecchi third and Acosta recovering from his Sprint crash, the stage is set for a fascinating MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.
