Podcast: Has Pedro Acosta caused a shift in the MotoGP title fight?

Pedro Acosta is finally a MotoGP race winner, after he took an emotional first victory at the Austrian Grand Prix on KTM’s home turf.

The Spaniard had to wait 56 premier class starts before he could break his duck, something that seemed unfathomable when he made his debut at the start of the 2024 season.

Acosta was quick from the off at the Red Bull Ring, but he had to win the grand prix the hard way on Sunday.

A certain victory in the sprint was thrown away when he crashed with three laps to go, while he left his KTM team with more repair work to do on Sunday morning when he fell in warm-up.

But once he took the lead on lap nine of 28 in the main race, he never looked back, as he had the measure of Aprilia’s Jorge Martin.

It’s a win that closes a circle for the Acosta/KTM relationship, with the 22-year-old moving on to Ducati next season.

But could it get even better for both parties in the remaining races of 2026?

Though 72 points adrift in the standings, Marc Marquez firmly considers Acosta a title contender and has already branded him the favourite for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix.

On the latest Crash MotoGP Podcast, Amy Reynolds is joined by Lewis Duncan and Peter McLaren to discuss the Austrian Grand Prix and whether or not Acosta can still fight for the 2026 title.

The team also discuss Acosta’s character and what to expect long-term when he goes up against Marc Marquez at Ducati in 2027.

Elsewhere, they discuss Jorge Martin’s strong weekend and his 12-point lead in the championship, asking if this is the Spaniard’s true return to form.

Ducati’s difficult weekend at the Red Bull Ring is analysed, as most of its riders were well off the pace, while Marc Marquez battled a brake issue in the grand prix.