BEZZECCHI LEADS AUSTRIAN GP WARM-UP AS ACOSTA CRASHES AND BINDER FALLS

Marco Bezzecchi set the pace in warm-up for the 2026 Austrian MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring, topping the timesheets with a 1m29.337s lap. The Aprilia rider led Marc Marquez by 0.157s, with Pedro Acosta third (+0.209s) and Jorge Martin fourth (+0.347s) as the field fine-tuned their preparations for Sunday’s 28-lap race.

Warm-up began under less-than-ideal conditions, with cold mist clearing only shortly before the 10-minute session and asphalt temperatures around 15 degrees. Yellow flags came quickly, and Brad Binder’s warm-up was disrupted early: after a highside at Turn 4 in the first flying lap, he was unable to post a time and ended warm-up with “No Time,” while the rest of the top group continued to circulate.

Pedro Acosta, meanwhile, remained at the sharp end despite the chaos around him. Speedweek reported that he initially went fastest with a 1:30.7, before Marquez briefly took over. Acosta returned to the top again, improving to 1:29.5—over half a second quicker than Marquez at that point. In the closing stages, Bezzecchi ultimately displaced Acosta to claim first, with Martin moving up to fifth ahead of Diogo Moreira.

The session also carried further KTM drama late on. Acosta crashed again in the final minute, losing control in the fast Jochen-Rindt corner and sliding off at high speed into Turn 9. He was unhurt, but the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing bikes were both left damaged only hours before the grand prix.

Tyre choices suggested a shift from Saturday’s Sprint. After all but three riders had used the soft rear in the Sprint, most switched to the medium for warm-up, with Francesco Bagnaia and Pol Espargaro the only ones on soft.

Beyond the leading four, Diogo Moreira was fifth (+0.458s), Raul Fernandez sixth (+0.526s), and Fermin Aldeguer seventh (+0.526s). Pol Espargaro placed eighth (+0.665s), followed by Johann Zarco ninth (+0.669s) and Enea Bastianini tenth (+0.737s).

The warm-up entry list also reflected ongoing absences: Maverick Vinales missed his fourth straight event due to shoulder injuries, with Pol Espargaro stepping in. Joan Mir was absent after retiring early at Misano because of extreme fatigue; he said, “I had no energy or power on the bike.” Medical checks in Barcelona found “altered parameters in the blood,” requiring further investigation, and Nakagami took Mir’s place.

Looking ahead, a private Pirelli/850cc test is scheduled for Monday at the Red Bull Ring, described as the second of the year to feature race riders.