Acosta claims maiden MotoGP victory with Red Bull Ring masterclass
Pedro Acosta delivered the breakthrough MotoGP victory, producing a controlled performance to win the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.
After throwing away a strong opportunity in Saturday’s Sprint, the Red Bull KTM rider responded on Sunday. Acosta fought through the leading Aprilias before resisting late pressure from Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi to claim his maiden premier-class victory at KTM’s home circuit.
Credit: MotoGP Press
Aprilia made the strongest start as Martin, Bezzecchi and Ai Ogura filled the opening three positions. Marc Marquez slipped backwards during the opening lap, allowing Acosta to move into fourth despite his sluggish launch.
Bezzecchi briefly passed Martin for the lead at Turn 1 on Lap 2, but the championship leader immediately reclaimed the position at Turn 3. Acosta then began his charge, passing Ogura at Turn 6 before closing on Bezzecchi.
On Lap 4, Acosta attacked Bezzecchi at Turn 2b, the same corner where his Sprint challenge had ended a day earlier. This time, the move was executed and promoted the KTM rider into second place.
Acosta remained close to Martin before making the decisive pass on Lap 9. He gained a stronger exit from Turn 1 and powered alongside the Aprilia before taking the lead into Turn 2a.
Further behind, Marquez’s difficult afternoon continued. After briefly passing Ogura for fourth, the Ducati rider ran wide at Turn 1 and lost positions to Brad Binder and Fermin Aldeguer. Marquez eventually recovered to fifth, but the time lost ended his chances of joining the podium battle.
At the front, Acosta maintained an advantage of around one second as Martin and Bezzecchi attempted to close the gap. His lead briefly fell during the closing stages, but the Spaniard responded with strong laps to rebuild his margin.
Credit: MotoGP Press
Acosta entered the final lap 1.2 seconds clear and safely guided his KTM to the chequered flag, ending a run of 15 MotoGP podiums without a victory. The result delivered a memorable home triumph for KTM and Red Bull.
Martin resisted Bezzecchi by just 0.192 seconds to finish second and extend his championship lead over Marquez to 12 points. Ogura impressed on his return by securing fourth ahead of Marquez, while Binder, Francesco Bagnaia, Aldeguer, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Johann Zarco completed the top ten.
Acosta’s long-awaited victory marked a defining moment in his MotoGP career and delivered a fitting celebration before he and KTM begin separate chapters in 2027.