Pedro Acosta leads KTM 1-2 in Austria MotoGP FP1
Pedro Acosta was fastest in FP1 at KTM’s home race at the Red Bull Ring
Pedro Acosta led a KTM 1-2 in the opening MotoGP practice sessions for the Austrian Grand Prix, with championship leader Marc Marquez fourth.
Across Thursday’s pre-event media day, several paddock figures pointed to Pedro Acosta as favourite for the Austrian Grand Prix and finally end his wait for a grand prix victory.
He did nothing to dispel these thoughts on Friday morning, after leading FP1 by 0.233 seconds ahead of KTM test rider and Tech3 stand-in Pol Espargaro.
Jorge Martin was third for Aprilia despite an early issue, with Marc Marquez - who sits level with him on 274 points at the top of the championship - fourth on the factory team Ducati.
Acosta set the pace in the early stages of FP1 with a 1m30.134s, which he would improve to a 1m29.851s with just over 35 minutes to go.
This would ultimately stand as the benchmark time through to the chequered flag, with nobody threatening his place at the top of the timesheets.
Acosta stayed on the same medium rear tyre he started the session on, and came close to beating his leading lap in the closing stages.
Espargaro - who was the only crashes in the session - fitted a fresh medium rear for the closing stages and jumped up to second with a 1m30.084s.
He headed Aprilia’s Martin, who also ran a fresh medium rear tyre in the closing stages, though didn’t manage to improve on his 1m30.159s.
Marc Marquez was the leading Ducati in fourth, 0.335s off the pace, as he stayed on the same tyre throughout the session.
Johann Zarco was fifth for LCR Honda, with Marco Bezzecchi sixth on the sister factory team Aprilia as he looks to bounce back from his San Marino Grand Prix crash.
Raul Fernandez was seventh on the Trackhouse Aprilia, while Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez was eighth.
The younger Marquez brother ran through the gravel at Turn 4 in the latter stages after one of his aero attachments came loose.
Diogo Moreira was ninth on the second of the LCR Hondas, while factory Honda team rider Luca Marini completed the top 10.
Jack Miller was the leading Yamaha in 13th, as Fabio Quartararo tested a new exhaust on his factory M1.
Pecco Bagnaia’s difficult run continued on Friday morning at the Red Bull Ring, with the Italian 1.122s off the pace in 18th.
Ai Ogura was 19th as he returns to action from a hand injury that forced him out of the last two rounds.
