Marc Marquez continued his impressive MotoGP Austrian GP sprint performance with a win at the Spielberg circuit on Saturday. He narrowly defeated his brother Alex Marquez of Gresini Ducati, while Pedro Acosta secured third place for KTM at its home race.
Marquez Brothers Lead Early, Marc Takes Control Mid-Race
Since Marco Bezzecchi’s win at the British Grand Prix in May, Marc Marquez has remained unbeaten in sprints and full grand prix races. Starting from fourth position, Marc quickly closed the gap on his elder brother Alex, who initially held the lead approaching the first corner, having outpaced polesitter Marco Bezzecchi at the start.
Marc stayed behind Alex for nine laps before executing a decisive overtake on the tenth lap at Turn 3, outbraking his brother and taking command of the race. After this move, he opened a comfortable margin, cruising to victory on a track where the stakes were high for the factory KTM riders.
Midfield Battles and Mechanical Setbacks Shake the Field
Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi initially retained third place, but on the second lap, Pedro Acosta overtook him and maintained that position for the remainder of the race. Brad Binder held fifth place following a battle with Raul Fernandez, who was performing strongly early on with his Trackhouse Aprilia before retiring due to mechanical problems shortly after losing fifth to Binder on lap eight.
Behind them, Fermin Aldeguer of Gresini Ducati engaged in an intense contest with Enea Bastianini of Tech 3 KTM, eventually coming out ahead. Fabio Di Giannantonio on the VR46 Ducati and Johann Zarco from LCR Honda rounded out the points positions by the race‘s end.
Challenges for Bagnaia and Other Contenders
Francesco Bagnaia, who had qualified on the front row alongside Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez, faced difficulties from the outset. His bike suffered from wheelspin at the start, causing him to lose positions rapidly. Despite his efforts to manage issues at the rear of his GP25, he dropped to last and was forced to retire after eight laps, ending his hopes for a strong sprint result.
Significance and What Lies Ahead
Marc Marquez’s triumph at the Austrian GP sprint reinforces his dominant presence in the current MotoGP season, extending his unbeaten streak in sprint and full race formats. The close competition between the Marquez brothers and the performances from KTM’s riders highlight the competitive depth at this stage of the championship.
With the full grand prix race to follow, riders and teams will be eager to build on or recover from their sprint performances as they aim to secure valuable points and improve standings. The intense duels and mechanical challenges witnessed here suggest a fiercely contested weekend at the Spielberg circuit.
