Acosta Takes Maiden MotoGP Win at KTM's Home Race

Pedro Acosta took his first MotoGP victory at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday, winning the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix from World Championship leader Jorge Martin. The win arrived after 15 podiums without the top step.

A pass at the crash site

The 22-year-old started third but dropped to fifth off the line. On lap four, at the same Turn 2b where he had crashed out of Saturday’s sprint, Acosta struck cleanly to pocket second from Marco Bezzecchi. That recovery set the afternoon’s momentum.

Outdriving the champion

He shadowed Martin until lap nine, then outdrove the Aprilia on the run from Turn 1 into Turn 2a and took a lead he never returned. Martin hung close, and Bezzecchi crossed just 0.192 seconds behind him for third, but the gap to Acosta at the flag was 1.017 seconds. On lap 21 the margin shrank to 0.7 seconds, and the Spaniard answered with a 1:30.693 lap to stretch clear.

Acosta had won both the Moto3 and Moto2 world titles before stepping up in 2024, yet a Sunday win had eluded him. His Saturday fall on the same corner made the 28-lap performance read like a correction written in real time. On his slowdown lap he laid the bike down gently at the crash spot, a playful nod to the day before.

“The first one is always special,” Acosta told reporters afterwards. “Nice way to close a cycle with KTM in front of all the Austrian fans.”

For Acosta, it was both a door closing and a window opening, a farewell gift before factory changes arrive in 2027.