Winners and Losers: MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix
The Austrian Grand Prix delivered a historic first MotoGP victory, a home win for KTM and another twist in the championship battle.
While some riders bounced back from difficult weekends, others left the Red Bull Ring with plenty to think about. DIVEBOMB picks out the winners and losers from Austria’s MotoGP weekend.
Winner: Pedro Acosta
Pedro Acosta finally has his maiden MotoGP victory, and more fittingly, he pulled off the feat in front of KTM’s home crowd at the Red Bull Ring.
After throwing away a comfortable lead in Saturday’s Sprint, Acosta could have been forgiven for allowing the disappointment to affect him on Sunday. Instead, he recovered brilliantly after dropping from third to fifth at the start.
The KTM rider worked his way back through the field and passed Jorge Martín for the lead on Lap 9. From there, he controlled the race and eventually crossed the line 1.017 seconds ahead of Martín.
The victory ended a 56-race wait for Acosta and delivered KTM its first premier-class Grand Prix victory since 2022. It also comes at a particularly interesting time, with Acosta set to leave KTM for Ducati at the end of the season.
After coming so close to his first win several times, Acosta finally got the job done at the famous Red Bull Ring.
Winner: Jorge Martín
Although Martín missed out on victory, second place meant yet another important result for the championship leader. Starting from pole, the Aprilia rider regained the championship lead by winning Saturday’s Sprint and then extended it further with another podium on Sunday.
Martín initially looked capable of challenging for the win, but tyre degradation set in as the race progressed, and he wasn’t able to match Acosta’s pace ahead.
Nevertheless, finishing second behind a rider who was exceptionally strong at KTM’s home circuit allowed Martín to extend his advantage over Marc Márquez to 12 points heading into the Japanese Grand Prix.
Winner: Ai Ogura
What a way to return.
After missing the Aragon and San Marino Grands Prix with a fractured left thumb, Ogura returned to action in Austria and immediately rejoined the leading riders.
The Trackhouse Aprilia rider had to undergo further medical checks after Friday practice before being cleared to continue racing, but any concerns about his physical condition were put aside on Sunday.
Ogura finished fourth, just over two seconds behind Acosta and less than a second away from the podium. Given the circumstances and the two races he’d missed due to injury, a fourth-place finish is an excellent way for Ogura to restart his campaign.
Loser: Marc Márquez
It was a difficult Sunday for Marc Márquez, who arrived in Austria having taken the championship lead at Misano. Starting from the front row, Márquez dropped down the order early on before running wide at Turn 1 on Lap 9.
That mistake sent him tumbling as far as seventh, forcing him to fight his way back through the field. He eventually recovered to fifth, passing Fermin Aldeguer late in the race to become the leading Ducati rider.
However, the result was still a significant setback in the championship. Márquez now trails Martín by 12 points, having entered the weekend as the championship leader.
His problems were made even more difficult by brake issues, with Márquez admitting afterwards that he had considered retiring from the race at one stage.
Loser: Álex Márquez
After standing on the podium at Misano, Álex Márquez endured a much more frustrating afternoon in Austria. The Gresini rider started sixth and had been running inside the points when he crashed shortly before the halfway point of the race.
With only one retirement in the entire race, Álex was the unfortunate exception. The DNF also came at a particularly costly time after his strong result at Misano the previous weekend.
It was a weekend that promised more for Márquez, but he left Austria without any points from Sunday’s race.
Loser: Yamaha
It was a weekend to forget for Yamaha. None of the Yamaha quartet managed to score a point in Sunday’s Grand Prix, with Fabio Quartararo finishing 17th, Franco Morbidelli 18th, Álex Rins in 19th and Toprak Razgatlioglu down in 20th.
Quartararo had started ninth, making his final position particularly disappointing, while Razgatlioglu’s difficult weekend continued as he struggled towards the back of the field.
With every other manufacturer represented in the top ten, Yamaha’s lack of competitiveness at the Red Bull Ring was particularly stark.
The Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi now offers the team a chance to respond. Don’t miss the next race at Motegi on 4th October, 2026.
Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
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