Pedro Acosta led Friday Practice for the 2026 MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix in 1m28.381s, continuing KTM’s strong opening day at home. Fermin Aldeguer was second, 0.127s behind, while the returning Ai Ogura took third in 1m28.568s. In dry conditions, 0.436s covered the top ten and just 0.004s separated the riders either side of the final direct Q2 place.
Acosta sets the benchmark early and holds on late
MotoGP’s official report stated that Acosta was the only rider to reach the 1m28s bracket after 20 minutes of afternoon Practice. In the second half of the session he first set 1m28.507s, then improved to 1m28.381s. Aldeguer moved into second in the final two minutes and Brad Binder also improved again, but neither displaced the leader.
Acosta had already topped FP1 in 1m29.851s, with Pol Espargaro’s 1m30.084s making it a KTM one-two. Binder finished seventh in the afternoon, putting both Red Bull KTM factory riders directly into Q2. Tech3 riders Bastianini and Pol Espargaro were 14th and 15th respectively and must contest Q1. The manufacturer’s morning one-two therefore did not translate into direct qualification for all four KTMs.
Ogura completes first day back as Quartararo holds the cut-off
Ogura missed Aragon and San Marino with a hand injury and was initially cleared only for Austrian FP1, with a further assessment required afterwards. MotoGP’s Friday update confirmed that he passed the post-FP1 check and was cleared for the rest of the weekend. The official timing sheets show him improving from 19th in the morning with 1m31.255s to third in the afternoon, completing his first day back with direct entry to Q2.
Marc Marquez was fourth in 1m28.585s, with Jorge Martin just 0.018s slower in fifth. Di Giannantonio, Binder, Alex Marquez, Bezzecchi and Quartararo completed the top ten. Quartararo’s 1m28.817s was 0.004s quicker than 11th-placed Marini, securing Yamaha a direct qualifying place.
All four Hondas face Q1, Bagnaia only 18th
Honda riders Marini, Zarco, Moreira and Nakagami finished 11th, 12th, 13th and 20th respectively, all requiring Q1. Bagnaia was 18th in 1m29.266s, 0.885s behind Acosta and 0.681s behind team-mate Marc Marquez. Rins and Morbidelli were 16th and 17th, Raul Fernandez was 19th, and Miller and Razgatlioglu completed the field. The ten direct qualifiers comprised four Ducatis, three Aprilias, two KTMs and one Yamaha.
| Position | Rider | Team | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pedro Acosta | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 1:28.381 | 22 |
| 2 | Fermin Aldeguer | Gresini Racing | +0.127 | 26 |
| 3 | Ai Ogura | Trackhouse Racing | +0.187 | 25 |
| 4 | Marc Marquez | Ducati Team | +0.204 | 28 |
| 5 | Jorge Martin | Aprilia Racing | +0.222 | 30 |
| 6 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | VR46 Racing Team | +0.252 | 26 |
| 7 | Brad Binder | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | +0.269 | 25 |
| 8 | Alex Marquez | Gresini Racing | +0.321 | 24 |
| 9 | Marco Bezzecchi | Aprilia Racing | +0.430 | 26 |
| 10 | Fabio Quartararo | Yamaha Team | +0.436 | 26 |
| 11 | Luca Marini | Honda Team | +0.440 | 26 |
| 12 | Johann Zarco | Castrol Honda LCR | +0.484 | 21 |
| 13 | Diogo Moreira | Honda LCR | +0.558 | 26 |
| 14 | Enea Bastianini | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | +0.680 | 27 |
| 15 | Pol Espargaro | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | +0.710 | 26 |
| 16 | Alex Rins | Yamaha Team | +0.720 | 22 |
| 17 | Franco Morbidelli | VR46 Racing Team | +0.810 | 27 |
| 18 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati Team | +0.885 | 26 |
| 19 | Raul Fernandez | Trackhouse Racing | +0.949 | 27 |
| 20 | Takaaki Nakagami | Honda Team | +1.215 | 28 |
| 21 | Jack Miller | Pramac Racing | +1.568 | 23 |
| 22 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | Pramac Racing | +1.601 | 27 |
INKA SPORTS analysis: When the benchmark was set, and what the cut-off costs
The timing sheets show that Acosta set his fastest time on lap 13 of 22, whereas second-placed Aldeguer recorded his best on lap 25, his penultimate lap. Alongside the official report’s account of Acosta leading through the middle of the session, KTM’s positive sign is that it established a benchmark relatively early and retained the advantage after rivals improved late on. That sequence is more informative than simply noting the 1.470s difference between the two sessions’ best laps. The timing sheets give track temperatures of 15°C and 19°C respectively, but do not list each bike’s tyre condition or testing programme. A fastest lap alone cannot establish long-run Grand Prix pace.
At the other end of the top ten, 0.004s may be small, but its cost is a completely different qualifying route. Three Honda riders were in the morning top ten, yet all four missed the afternoon cut-off, showing why FP1 positions cannot replace the Practice results that determine qualification. Under MotoGP’s current format, the remaining 12 riders contest just two Q2 places in Q1. Marini and Bagnaia face the same hurdle. The distinction between tenth and eleventh on Friday is direct access to the session that decides the first twelve grid positions; it does not mean Saturday’s grid order has already been settled.
Conclusion
Acosta’s lead, established in the middle of the session and defended at the end, gives KTM a positive competitive benchmark. Ogura secured a direct route to Q2 after being cleared to continue the weekend. KTM must now carry that relative advantage into qualifying, while Honda and Bagnaia first face Q1’s contest for two places among twelve riders. Friday has established two different preparation paths, but qualifying will still determine the official starting order.
