News Summary
- Pedro Acosta topped Austrian MotoGP Practice with a 1:28.381, beating Fermín Aldeguer by 0.127s.
- Ai Ogura, Marc Márquez and Jorge Martín completed the top five and advanced directly to Q2.
- Fabio Quartararo took the final automatic place by 0.004s, leaving Luca Marini, Diogo Moreira and Francesco Bagnaia in Q1.
Pedro Acosta led the ten riders who advanced directly to Q2 for the 2026 Austrian MotoGP after setting the fastest time in Friday Practice at the Red Bull Ring.
The KTM rider produced a 1:28.381 to finish 0.127s ahead of Fermín Aldeguer. Acosta therefore completed a clean sweep of Friday’s sessions after also heading a KTM one-two in FP1.
Ai Ogura marked his return from injury by taking third for Trackhouse Aprilia, 0.187s behind Acosta. The Japanese rider had undergone another medical assessment following FP1 before being cleared to continue the weekend.
Championship rivals Marc Márquez and Jorge Martín finished fourth and fifth respectively. The pair entered the Austrian weekend level on 274 points, with Márquez leading the standings on race wins.
Fabio Di Giannantonio, Brad Binder, Álex Márquez and Marco Bezzecchi also secured direct Q2 places. Márquez recovered to eighth after a Turn 1 crash caused a red flag late in the session.
Fabio Quartararo claimed the tenth and final automatic position with a 1:28.817. The Yamaha rider beat Luca Marini by only 0.004s.
Bagnaia and Honda riders face Q1
Honda endured a difficult session, with none of its riders finishing inside the top ten. Marini was 11th, followed by Johann Zarco and Moreira in 12th and 13th.
Moreira had challenged for a Q2 place but could not complete the required improvement on his final run. The Brazilian finished 0.558s behind Acosta and 0.122s away from Quartararo’s tenth-place time.
Francesco Bagnaia also faces Q1 after finishing only 18th. The Ducati rider was 0.885s off the benchmark and will now make his fifth consecutive appearance in the opening qualifying session.
Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu completed the classification for Pramac Yamaha, finishing 21st and 22nd. Razgatlıoğlu ended Practice 1.601s behind Acosta.
The ten riders advancing directly to Q2 are Acosta, Aldeguer, Ogura, Marc Márquez, Martín, Di Giannantonio, Binder, Álex Márquez, Bezzecchi and Quartararo.
2026 Austrian MotoGP Practice results
| Pos. | Rider | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P. ACOSTA | KTM | 1:28.381 | — |
| 2 | F. ALDEGUER | Gresini Ducati | 1:28.508 | +0.127 |
| 3 | A. OGURA | Trackhouse Aprilia | 1:28.568 | +0.187 |
| 4 | M. MÁRQUEZ | Ducati | 1:28.585 | +0.204 |
| 5 | J. MARTÍN | Aprilia Racing | 1:28.603 | +0.222 |
| 6 | F. DI GIANNANTONIO | VR46 Ducati | 1:28.633 | +0.252 |
| 7 | B. BINDER | KTM | 1:28.650 | +0.269 |
| 8 | Á. MÁRQUEZ | Gresini Ducati | 1:28.702 | +0.321 |
| 9 | M. BEZZECCHI | Aprilia Racing | 1:28.811 | +0.430 |
| 10 | F. QUARTARARO | Yamaha | 1:28.817 | +0.436 |
| 11 | L. MARINI | Honda | 1:28.821 | +0.440 |
| 12 | J. ZARCO | LCR Honda | 1:28.865 | +0.484 |
| 13 | D. MOREIRA | LCR Honda | 1:28.939 | +0.558 |
| 14 | E. BASTIANINI | Tech3 KTM | 1:29.061 | +0.680 |
| 15 | P. ESPARGARÓ | Tech3 KTM | 1:29.091 | +0.710 |
| 16 | Á. RINS | Yamaha | 1:29.101 | +0.720 |
| 17 | F. MORBIDELLI | VR46 Ducati | 1:29.191 | +0.810 |
| 18 | F. BAGNAIA | Ducati | 1:29.266 | +0.885 |
| 19 | R. FERNÁNDEZ | Trackhouse Aprilia | 1:29.330 | +0.949 |
| 20 | T. NAKAGAMI | Honda | 1:29.596 | +1.215 |
| 21 | J. MILLER | Pramac Yamaha | 1:29.949 | +1.568 |
| 22 | T. RAZGATLIOĞLU | Pramac Yamaha | 1:29.982 | +1.601 |
Austrian MotoGP Saturday schedule — UK time
| Session | Date | UK time |
|---|---|---|
| Free Practice 2 | Saturday, September 19 | 09:10 |
| Q1 | Saturday, September 19 | 09:50 |
| Q2 | Saturday, September 19 | 10:15 |
| Sprint | Saturday, September 19 | 14:00 |
MotoGP today: FAQ
What time is Austrian MotoGP qualifying in the UK?
Q1 begins at 09:50 UK time on Saturday, September 19, followed by Q2 at 10:15. The Sprint starts at 14:00.
Who qualified directly for Q2 at the Austrian MotoGP?
Pedro Acosta, Fermín Aldeguer, Ai Ogura, Marc Márquez, Jorge Martín, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Brad Binder, Álex Márquez, Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Quartararo advanced directly to Q2.
Why is Francesco Bagnaia competing in Q1 in Austria?
Bagnaia finished Friday Practice in 18th place, 0.885s behind Acosta and 0.449s outside the top ten. It will be his fifth consecutive appearance in Q1.
Who advanced directly to Q2 at the Austrian MotoGP?
Acosta, Aldeguer, Ogura, Marc Márquez, Martín, Di Giannantonio, Binder, Álex Márquez, Bezzecchi and Quartararo advanced directly to Q2.
