SPIELBERG, Austria: Jorge Martin secured the Austria MotoGP pole on Saturday. He beat championship rival Marc Marquez by just 0.015 seconds at the Red Bull Ring.
The Aprilia Racing rider posted a 1:27.917 lap to claim his third pole position of the 2026 season. Meanwhile, Ducati Lenovo Team’s Marquez qualified second in 1:27.932. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Pedro Acosta took third, just 0.071 seconds off pole.
“I was pushing like hell,” Martin told TNT Sports after qualifying, adding that Aprilia had made incremental improvements since Friday. As a result, the team was prepared for the races.
Marquez acknowledged Martin had the advantage in qualifying, saying the front row had been his main target. The pair entered Saturday tied on 274 championship points, with Marquez ranked first on the wins tiebreaker.
Acosta, who topped Friday practice at KTM’s home circuit, completed the front row. He continued his pursuit of a first MotoGP Grand Prix victory.
Read: Marc Marquez Eyes Seventh MotoGP Title at Japan Grand Prix 2025
Marco Bezzecchi qualified fourth for Aprilia, ahead of Ai Ogura in fifth. Additionally, Alex Marquez secured sixth despite crashing during the closing stages of qualifying. Francesco Bagnaia took seventh after advancing from Q1.
The Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Austria main race is scheduled for Sunday, September 20, at the Red Bull Ring.
