The Red Bull Ring witnessed the resurgence of Pedro Acosta. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider ended the MotoGP Austrian Practice session as the fastest with a time of 1’28.381, beating Fermin Aldeguer and Ai Ogura. Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin completed the top five.
From the start, Acosta showed his intentions. He was the first rider to break the 1’29 barrier and at one point held a four-tenth lead over Fabio Quartararo. This dominance signals that KTM is ready to put up a fierce fight on home soil.
Midway through the session, tyre strategy became key. Soft rear tyres started to appear. Jorge Martin briefly moved up to second, as did Luca Marini who momentarily surged forward. Acosta didn’t stand still; he continued to improve his lap time to 1’28.507 and then 1’28.381.
However, the session was not without incidents. Johann Zarco crashed at Turn 4, while Diogo Moreira and Franco Morbidelli ran wide several times. Moreira had a close call when he lost control in the slipstream of Marc Marquez. The biggest incident occurred when Alex Marquez crashed hard at the exit of Turn 1, forcing the red flag. The Gresini Racing rider lost control and his bike tumbled, leaving debris on the track.
After the session resumed, the battle for direct Q2 spots heated up. Martin, using a used soft tyre, closed in on Acosta. Marc Marquez also joined the 1’28 club, as did Ai Ogura who kept pushing. Alex Marquez, despite his crash, managed to bounce back and set a competitive time.
In the end, Acosta remained untouchable. Fermin Aldeguer was the closest challenger, just 0.127 seconds adrift, followed by Ogura at 0.187 seconds. Marc Marquez and Martin were fourth and fifth respectively. This result ensures the top ten riders secure direct passage to Q2, crucial on the short Red Bull Ring.
For Acosta, this is proof that he can be consistent on the KTM RC16. Winning a practice session is no guarantee, but the speed he showed gives great hope to KTM fans in Austria. Meanwhile, rivals like Ducati and Aprilia must work extra hard to close the gap before qualifying begins.
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