JORGE MARTIN FINISHES QUALIFYING IN FIFTH AS PEDRO ACOSTA SETS THE PACE IN SPIELBERG

Jorge Martin started the Austrian GP weekend in a strong position after a Friday that didn’t go entirely smoothly. Following an opening session that included some disruption, the MotoGP championship leader delivered a promising qualifying performance in Spielberg. On the medium tyre he was consistently among the quickest, and when he switched to the soft option to secure a place in Q2, he kept his pace high.

Despite a turbulent end to the session, including an interruption, Martin stayed composed. In his final run he posted a 1:28.603 and finished fifth. After one day in Styria, he was only 0.018 seconds behind Marc Marquez, underlining how tight the field was. The gap to pole-setting reference Pedro Acosta was also small: after an hour of running, Martin was just 0.222 seconds off the KTM rider’s pace.

In the media debrief, the focus initially wasn’t on lap times but on Martin’s sore arms, which had cost him a podium at the San Marino GP a week earlier. Martin said the situation felt better than expected: “It ran surprisingly well. When I was out in FP1 this morning, I had zero problems and I was 100 percent sure that I can get by without surgery. In the afternoon I felt it, but it was ok, and I think it’s normal because you simply get tired.” He added that whether the “arm pump” issue is settled for now will only be proven over the long race.

Martin also praised Acosta’s qualifying form. “Pedro seemed like he was doing his own thing,” he said. “He was exceptionally strong and very fast in every lap.”

Looking inward, Martin felt good about his own work. “I felt very strong. We focused on long runs and my pace was consistently good. We also understood where we can still improve. If we optimise that and iron out the little details across the lap, I think we can close the gap to the front. Especially compared to last year, I feel much better—the bike does what I want.”

Even with his impressive time, Acosta did not break the all-time Red Bull Ring benchmark during the one-hour qualifying session. Acosta’s best was 1:28.381, while Martin’s pace still left him as the fastest rider on the day with a 1:27.7, and the overall picture remained extremely close.