MotoGP Practice Results: Acosta shines as Ducati star struggles
Acosta is on course for his first MotoGP win (Credit: Red Bull Content Pool)
Updated: 16:23, 18 Sep
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Connor Andrews is Formula 1 and MotoGP writer for GPblog and various outlets. Having worked in motorsport for 15 years for leading companies, he has interviewed the sports biggest names and attended multiple Grands Prix.
Pedro Acosta hammered home his advantage at the Red Bull Ring with a comfortable fastest time in practice.
The Moto3 and Moto2 champion, who is yet to win a MotoGP race, was over a tenth clear of his closest rival, Fermin Aldeguer.
The performance further impressed the home crowd, who haven’t seen their Austrian KTM brand win a race since 2022.
Acosta will be joining Ducati next year as the top prospect in the sport, and will bolster that reputation even further if he can break his winning duck this weekend.
After Aldeguer came Ai Ogura in an impressive performance having just returned from a thumb injury that kept him out of the last two events.
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Championship leader Marc Marquez was in fourth with his closest rival Jorge Martin a place further back.
With the top 10 riders progressing straight through to Q2, it was good news for Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo who just squeezed in, while Brad Binder showed KTM’s advantage in seventh.
Eighth was Alex Marquez, who recovered from a surprise crash which got the session red flagged.
Having to go through Q1 again will be Francesco Bagnaia, who could only put his Ducati 18th, continuing a miserable run of form.
Full Austria MotoGP practice results
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| Pos. | Num. | Rider | Time/Gap |
| 1 | 37 | P. Acosta | 1'28.381 |
| 2 | 54 | F. Aldeguer | +0.127 |
| 3 | 79 | A. Ogura | +0.187 |
| 4 | 93 | M. Marquez | +0.204 |
| 5 | 89 | J. Martin | +0.222 |
| 6 | 49 | F. Di Giannantonio | +0.252 |
| 7 | 33 | B. Binder | +0.269 |
| 8 | 73 | A. Marquez | +0.321 |
| 9 | 72 | M. Bezzecchi | +0.430 |
| 10 | 20 | F. Quartararo | +0.436 |
| 11 | 10 | L. Marini | +0.440 |
| 12 | 5 | J. Zarco | +0.484 |
| 13 | 11 | D. Moreira | +0.558 |
| 14 | 23 | E. Bastianini | +0.680 |
| 15 | 44 | P. Espargaro | +0.710 |
| 16 | 42 | A. Rins | +0.720 |
| 17 | 21 | F. Morbidelli | +0.810 |
| 18 | 63 | F. Bagnaia | +0.885 |
| 19 | 25 | R. Fernandez | +0.949 |
| 20 | 30 | T. Nakagami | +1.215 |
| 21 | 43 | J. Miller | +1.568 |
| 22 | 7 | T. Razgatlioglu | +1.601 |
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Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Overview
Thursday 24.09.26
Practice 1
08:30 AM
Practice 2
12:00 PM
Friday 25.09.26
Practice 3
08:30 AM
Qualification
12:00 PM
Saturday 26.09.26
Race
11:00 AM
Thursday 24.09.26
Practice 1
Thu 08:30 AM
Practice 2
Thu 12:00 PM
Friday 25.09.26
Practice 3
Fri 08:30 AM
Qualification
Fri 12:00 PM
Saturday 26.09.26
Race
Sat 11:00 AM
Times are in your local timezone
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