Marc Marquez led a frantic final shootout in MotoGP Practice at the Red Bull Ring, setting a 1m28.117s to end Friday fastest and secure a direct place in Q2.
The current World Championship leader jumped ahead of Pedro Acosta, who had snatched a tow from the eight-time World Champion earlier, in the closing minutes.
Practice started as frantically as it ended. Straight out of the bat, the final (MotoGP) session of the day was off to a chaotic start, when reigning World Champion Jorge Martin went down at Turn 9 on his outlap in a crash that Aprilia team boss later on blamed on a badly warmed-up tyre.
Another Turn 6 crash, this time @_moliveira88 👀#AustrianGP 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/X2Fqj9k5Bz
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) August 15, 2025
Midway through the session, Fabio Quartararo and Miguel Oliveira both went down at Turn 6.
Replays later showed fluid leaking from Jack Miller’s Yamaha had caused the incidents, forcing a lengthy red flag for clean-up and the repair of a popped air fence.
Was it all caused due to @jackmilleraus's Yamaha? 🤔
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) August 15, 2025
Also no further action taken about @_moliveira88's crash 👍#AustrianGP 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/TLkatzpZGi
Once Practice was back underway with 25 minutes left on the clock, rookie Ai Ogura briefly led the session, being the first rider in the 1m28s, before Zarco and Acosta traded fastest times and pushed the Japanese out of the Top 2.
Pecco Bagnaia was quick to follow and put himself second, a mere 0.040s behind Acosta, while Honda enjoyed a rare strong showing with Joan Mir climbing to fourth and Luca Marini initially holding a top-10 slot.
The final runs saw multiple shake-ups across the timesheet, with Marc Marquez stretching his legs in the closing minutes, taking top spot by more than two-tenths of a second.
Behind the Top 4, Raul Fernandez took fifth, with Honda’s best Joan Mir ending up sixth.
Franco Morbidelli, Johann Zarco, Fermin Aldeguer and Brad Binder completed the top ten.
Super save by @bestia23 👏#AustrianGP 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/e2IbSW8c6Z
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) August 15, 2025
Enea Bastianini’s scrappy session, which included several off-track moments, only yielded 11th, while Ogura’s earlier heroics left him 12th and outside the direct Q2 spots.
Big names fell short of the cut – Luca Marini, Fabio Quartararo, Fabio di Giannantonio, Jorge Martin, and Marco Bezzecchi will all face ‘the jungle’ of Q1 on Saturday.
After what looked like a promising FP1 in terms of his fitness, Maverick Viñales, still nursing his injured left shoulder, only managed six laps before calling it a day, ending last.
The Spaniard will decide on Saturday morning whether he will take part in any more track action.
