Marc Marquez heads into the Austrian Grand Prix weekend at the Red Bull Ring leading the championship with 274 points, following his San Marino Grand Prix victory. But after Friday’s running, all eyes were on KTM’s Pedro Acosta, who topped both practice sessions.
Marquez, who finished fourth, was asked about a potential battle with Acosta, given the latter is not in title contention. The Ducati rider dismissed that notion, saying: “He’s in the championship. Eight races to go, he’s 65 behind. I was 100 behind seven races ago. So, he’s in the championship.”
On Acosta’s speed on Friday, he added: “I expected it because it’s not the first time KTM is very fast here. And Pedro puts that extra in KTM. He was already very fast at the other race tracks, and here at the moment he is the best one.”
Despite winning in Austria last year with Ducati, Marquez doesn’t feel “ready” to repeat that feat after practice. “The feeling is that today we worked hard,” he said. “But the most important thing is that from the first run to the last run of the day, we improved the feeling, we improved the way to ride the bike. This is something very positive. Let’s see if tomorrow we need to do another step, because at the moment, we are not ready to fight for the victory. But, we are on Friday.”
Michelin has brought the stiffer tyre carcass to the Red Bull Ring that it used in Thailand and Brazil at the start of the campaign, which Ducati struggled with. Marquez admits he has to keep adjusting the set-up of his bike to better manage the tyre, but noted that he’s in better shape in Austria than he was in Thailand. “Basically, the set-up. The way you ride is you have one riding style. But it’s true that the fact that we changed the rear casing is changing the character of the bike. As we saw in Thailand, we suffered a lot. And today it looks like we suffered a bit more than Misano, but less than Thailand. But the most important thing is that from FP1 to the Practice, we did a step, and we will continue.”
He added: “In used tyres, I feel better. The good thing is that, at the moment, I don’t feel the drop, and this gives me a good feeling. But I need to improve the time attack, because with the time attack, with this casing, I’m always struggling a bit more. And I need to improve there, or to understand how to start on the front row. Last year I won with this casing. So, let’s see. I know where I’m losing at the moment compared to last year, and let’s see if tomorrow I can do a step in riding style.”
With eight races remaining, Marquez’s words make it clear he is not taking Acosta lightly. The 2026 MotoGP title fight is far from over, and Friday’s practice in Austria served as a reminder that KTM and Acosta are ready to apply pressure until the end.
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