BEZZECCHI SCRAPES INTO AUSTRIA Q2 AFTER RED-FLAG TIME-ATTACK MISSTEPS

Marco Bezzecchi’s Friday at the Austrian Grand Prix nearly turned into a disaster, with the Aprilia rider only just making it through to Q2 after a late session scramble that followed a red flag.

In Practice, Bezzecchi was the third-fastest Aprilia, but his afternoon didn’t build smoothly. As the clock ticked down in the time-attack period that decides which riders avoid Q1, he made “a couple of mistakes too much,” and the margin for error narrowed quickly. The situation became even more delicate after a red flag caused by an unusual crash for Alex Marquez on the exit of turn one.

When the session resumed, Bezzecchi opted to run the same tyre he had used in an earlier time-attack attempt that had been aborted before the red flag. He later admitted that this choice cost him “rhythm” in the final minutes. “I think it was more my mistake, especially after the red flag; I wanted to try with the same tyre, but I made a mistake, so I lost a bit of rhythm,” he said. Despite the pressure and the errors, he still achieved the target: reaching Q2. “So, happy we reached the Q2, that was the target, even if we risked a little bit,” Bezzecchi added, also crediting his team for helping him manage the end of the session. “Fortunately my guys were ready and they helped me through the end of the session, so it was good.”

Overall, Bezzecchi described the day as positive. “It was a good day overall, a good start of the weekend,” he said. Even though he finished ninth in the classification, he felt the performance potential was closer to the front than the position suggested—particularly when compared with his Aprilia team-mate and points leader Jorge Martin, who ended the day fifth and only a tenth behind second. Bezzecchi still set his sights on closing the gap to the rider he sees as the clear reference in Austria: Pedro Acosta.

“If the qualifying was today, probably it was not super-good, because I’m ninth,” Bezzecchi said. He pointed to Acosta’s pace as the key difference, noting that the KTM rider had been quick from the morning and even stronger later in the day. “Pedro [Acosta] has been super quick since the morning and in the afternoon maybe even more.” Bezzecchi also suggested that Martin and himself are on similar footing. “Jorge [Martin] and me, we are quite similar.”

From a performance perspective, he identified a specific area where he was losing time. “I miss a little bit in sector two compared to them,” he said, adding that the circuit is “super-tight apart from Pedro.” His aim for Saturday was therefore straightforward: make a step forward and get closer to Acosta. “So hopefully tomorrow we can make a step and be closer to him.”

The day also highlighted how tyre characteristics can influence competitiveness in Austria. Brad Binder, another KTM rider, finished eighth—one place ahead of Bezzecchi—and had attributed his improved speed to Michelin’s special heat-resistant tyre, described as harder in construction than the regular option. Bezzecchi said he felt comfortable with the tyre as well, even with temperatures lower than last year’s Austrian weekend. “I felt, in terms of tyre feeling, it’s very similar to last year, just a little bit colder,” he reported.

However, he stressed that traction remains difficult at this track, especially at the rear in both acceleration and braking. “In this track it’s very difficult to find the traction, especially in the centre of the tyre,” he said, explaining that this is “the most difficult point while we are riding.” He also noted that even the straight-line braking phase isn’t straightforward: “So, also the straight [line] stopping is not super-easy.”

Despite the challenges—and the near miss that almost sent him into Q1—Bezzecchi left Friday with Q2 secured and a clear focus for the next session: reduce the time gap in sector two and improve traction and rhythm after the red-flag disruption.