Jorge Martin snatches Austria MotoGP pole from Marc Marquez
The co-championship leaders start 1-2 on the grid for the Austrian Grand Prix
Aprilia’s Jorge Martin snatched pole position for the MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix by just 0.015s over championship leader Marc Marquez in a thrilling qualifying session.
Starting the weekend level on points, Jorge Martin has taken a vital early win in his battle to try and retake the championship lead from Marc Marquez after scoring a third pole of the year.
Having topped Friday practice and coming into Saturday as the favourite, Pedro Acosta could only manage third on the grid, albeit just 0.071s from pole.
The pole shootout at the Red Bull Ring began with Marco Bezzecchi on the second of the factory Aprilias setting the early pace at a 1m28.919s.
Acosta looked on course to take over top spot, but found himself held up behind Martin in the final sector.
On his second tour, KTM’s Acosta found a 1m28.328s to hit the front, taking over from Ducati’s Marquez, who briefly went top with a 1m28.475s.
With around four minutes of the 15-minute Q2 to go, Martin, having fitted a new soft rear tyre, shuffled Acosta back to a 1m28.223s.
He then improved to a 1m27.917s, which would ultimately end up as the pole time.
Marquez ran him close, but missed out with a 1m27.932s, while Acosta completed the front row with a best of 1m27.988s.
Bezzecchi was fourth, but 0.249s from pole position, while Ai Ogura was a further 0.284s adrift in fifth on the Trackhouse Aprilia.
Alex Marquez faded to sixth on the Gresini Ducati after crashing late on at Turn 1.
Pecco Bagnaia salvaged seventh on the second of the factory Ducatis, having come through Q1, with VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio and Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo shadowing him.
Johann Zarco was 10th on the LCR Honda, with the Frenchman also coming through Q1, while KTM’s Brad Binder and Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer rounded out the top 12.
Raul Fernandez’s difficult Austria weekend continued on the Trackhouse Aprilia, as he failed to advance to Q2.
He will start 13th after missing out by just 0.118s, marking his worst qualifying since the French Grand Prix.
Pol Espargaro was 14th on the Tech3 KTM ahead of Honda’s Luca Marini and LCR Honda’s Diogo Moreira.
Enea Bastianini could only manage 17th on the sister Tech3 KTM, with Honda stand-in Takaaki Nakagami 18th ahead of VR46’s Franco Morbidelli and Yamaha trio Alex Rins, Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlioglu.
