Martin takes Austrian MotoGP pole by 0.015s from Marquez

Jorge Martin secured pole position for the Austrian MotoGP on Saturday, edging championship rival Marc Marquez by just 0.015 seconds in a tightly contested qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring. The result sets up a direct battle between the two riders, who are level on 274 points in the championship standings. Martin, riding for Aprilia, posted a lap time of 1:27.917 to claim his third pole of the season. Marquez, on the factory Ducati, was second with a time of 1:27.932. Pedro Acosta completed an all-Spanish front row in third for KTM, 0.071 seconds off the pace. The qualifying session followed a dramatic Free Practice 2, where Marquez crashed at Turn 1 in the final minutes. Ducati assessed that his primary bike sustained no significant damage, allowing him to compete in the pole shootout. Alex Marquez also crashed at the same corner later in Q2. Martin described the session as intense. "I was pushing like hell," he said. "We did small steps from yesterday to today. We are prepared for the race now." Marquez acknowledged his rival's pace. "He was faster. The front row was the main target today," he stated.