Marco Bezzecchi did not expect to finish third in the MotoGP Austrian Sprint. The Aprilia rider crossed the line behind Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez, but he admitted that the result was partly aided by the drama that struck Pedro Acosta. The KTM rider had been dominating the race before crashing out just three laps from the chequered flag.
“I think I brought home a bit more than I expected, because objectively I had the pace to finish fourth,” Bezzecchi said in his post-race interview with Sky Sport MotoGP. “A little because for once we had a bit of luck—and a little because we really did our best.”
The luck he referred to was Acosta's incident. Without it, he would likely have had to settle for fourth. Nevertheless, Bezzecchi's performance deserved credit. He admitted he tried to stay close to Marc Marquez and even closed in at some points. “It gave me a hand for tomorrow,” he added.
Despite finishing third, Bezzecchi acknowledged there is still room for improvement. He said he was strong in Turn 1 and from Turn 5 onwards, but always lost time in the variante—the complex of corners that demands hard braking and quick direction changes. “I tried to change the way I rode it throughout the Sprint, but I still haven't found the right line, especially in the first part where you have to go over the kerb. I still need to improve there,” he explained.
He also highlighted the challenging nature of the variante. “That variante is a bit of a bugger because it's narrow, but at the same time you have to enter fast. You can't go too far to the right, because otherwise you won't get out of the left-hand direction change. So being able to stop better and make a good direction change would be ideal,” he said.
Nevertheless, Bezzecchi noted progress in sectors T3 and T4 compared to the previous session. “I'm happy because in T3 and T4 I made a good step compared to yesterday and this morning as well,” he concluded.
With this result, Bezzecchi lost some points to Jorge Martin and Marquez in the title chase. However, the podium is still a morale boost ahead of Sunday's main race. He hopes to improve his performance in the variante and be more competitive.
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Jorge Martin wins the Austrian MotoGP sprint after Pedro Acosta crashes out of the lead. Martin reclaims the championship lead by three points.
Jorge Martin returns to the top of the 2026 MotoGP standings after winning the Austrian Sprint. Marc Marquez trails by three points as Pedro Acosta crashes out.
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