Jorge Martin secured pole position for the Austrian MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring after a thrilling qualifying session, beating Marc Marquez by just 0.015 seconds. The Aprilia rider delivered a decisive final lap to claim the top spot on the grid.
Martin stopped the clock at 1:27.917, securing his third pole position of the 2026 season. Marc Marquez will start alongside him after setting a 1:27.932, while Pedro Acosta completed the front row with a 1:27.988, just 0.071 seconds away from pole.
Martin responds to Acosta and Marquez
Pedro Acosta had been one of the main protagonists throughout Friday and initially set the benchmark in Q2. Marc Marquez then moved to the top of the standings before Martin responded with a strong lap on the soft rear tyre.
The Aprilia rider first posted a 1:28.223 before finding another significant improvement on his final attempt. His 1:27.917 proved enough for pole, with Marquez unable to find the final few thousandths needed to overturn the result.
The front row will therefore feature three Spanish riders, with Martin and Marquez once again lining up alongside each other as their championship battle continues. Acosta will start from third and will be looking to challenge both riders when the lights go out.
Bezzecchi and Ogura lead the second row
Marco Bezzecchi secured fourth place on the grid with the factory Aprilia, finishing 0.249 seconds behind his teammate’s pole time.
Ai Ogura produced another impressive performance to qualify fifth for Trackhouse Aprilia. The Japanese rider returned to action after missing the previous two events because of a hand injury and immediately showed strong pace at the Red Bull Ring.
Alex Marquez completed the second row in sixth position. The Gresini Ducati rider lost some time after crashing at Turn 1, but still managed to secure a place among the top six.
Bagnaia starts seventh after Q1
Francesco Bagnaia will start the Austrian Grand Prix from seventh place after being forced to go through Q1. The Ducati rider recovered well during Q2 and improved his position, but could not break into the top six.
Fabio Di Giannantonio qualified eighth, ahead of Fabio Quartararo in ninth, while Johann Zarco completed the top ten.
Brad Binder and Fermin Aldeguer rounded out the top 12 positions, setting up a highly competitive starting grid for the Austrian weekend.
Martin will therefore start from pole with Marquez and Acosta alongside him on the front row. With only 0.071 seconds separating the three fastest riders, the Red Bull Ring is set for another closely fought MotoGP battle.