MARC MARQUEZ SAYS PEDRO ACOSTA IS STILL IN THE TITLE FIGHT AFTER AUSTRIA FRIDAY

Marc Marquez has played down any suggestion that a potential fight with Pedro Acosta is purely academic, insisting the KTM rookie is very much part of the championship picture despite not being in the title conversation in the way some rivals are.

Heading into the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, Marquez sits top of the standings on 274 points after winning the San Marino Grand Prix. Yet on Friday in Austria, Acosta’s pace stood out immediately: the KTM rider topped both practice sessions, leaving the Ducati rider to acknowledge that the Austrian weekend could quickly become a two-horse race for race wins.

When asked how he would view a battle between himself and Acosta, given the KTM rider is not currently considered a title contender, Marquez pushed back. “He’s in the championship,” Marquez said. He then pointed to the points gap and the remaining schedule: “Eight races to go, he’s 65 behind. I was 100 behind seven races ago. So, he’s in the championship.”

Marquez also explained why Acosta’s Friday form didn’t surprise him. “I expected it because it’s not the first time KTM is very fast here,” he said, adding that Acosta is extracting more from the package than ever. “Pedro puts that extra in KTM. He was already very fast in the other race tracks, and here at the moment he is the best one.”

While Marquez praised Acosta’s speed, he was more cautious about his own immediate prospects for victory. Although he was fourth on Friday, he said he is not yet in a position to challenge for the top step. “I won in Austria last year on the Ducati, but doesn’t feel like he is ‘ready’ to do the same after practice,” the report notes, with Marquez summarising the day’s work as progress rather than a breakthrough.

“The feeling is that today we worked, we worked hard,” Marquez said. He highlighted that the team improved the bike’s behaviour across the session: “But the most important thing is that from the first run to the last run of the day, we improved the feeling, we improved the way to ride the bike.”

That improvement, however, still left him short of a full fight for victory. “At the moment, we are not ready to fight for the victory. But, we are on Friday,” he added, suggesting that another step will be needed before Saturday and Sunday.

A key theme for Marquez was tyre management. Michelin has brought a stiffer tyre carcass to the Red Bull Ring, the same construction used earlier in the campaign in Thailand and Brazil—an area where Ducati struggled at the start of the season. Marquez said he has had to keep adjusting the set-up to better manage the tyre, but noted that his situation in Austria is better than it was in Thailand.

“Basically, the set-up,” Marquez said when asked what needs to change. He also pointed to how the rear casing affects the bike’s character: “The way you ride is you have one riding style. But it’s true that the fact that we changed the rear casing is changing the character of the bike.”

He compared the tyre feel across recent rounds: “As we saw in Thailand, we suffered a lot. And today it looks like we suffered a bit more than Misano, but less than Thailand.”

Marquez said the direction of travel is positive, particularly when the tyres are used. “In used tyres, I feel better. The good thing is that, at the moment, I don’t feel the drop, and this gives me a good feeling.”

Still, he identified specific areas to improve before he can convert that confidence into a front-row fight. “But I need to improve the time attack,” he said. With the current casing, he added that he is “always struggling a bit more,” and he wants to understand how to start from the front. “And I need to improve there, or to understand how to start on the front row.”

Marquez referenced last year’s success as a benchmark, noting that he won in Austria with the same casing. “Last year I won with this casing. So, let’s see. I know where I’m losing at the moment compared to last year, and let’s see if tomorrow I can do a step in riding style.”

With Acosta’s Friday dominance setting the tone and Marquez insisting the championship door is still open for the KTM rider, the Austrian Grand Prix now looks set for a tense build-up—especially as Marquez waits to see whether his tyre and time-attack progress can turn Friday momentum into Saturday and Sunday results.