Marc Marquez arrives at the Austrian Grand Prix as the new MotoGP world championship leader, buoyed by a “huge boost” after a dominant double victory at Misano last weekend. The Ducati ace has erased a massive 102-point deficit to draw level with Aprilia’s Jorge Martin, thanks to five Grand Prix wins in the last seven rounds—while Martin has managed just one Sunday win this season.
Momentum is firmly with Marquez as he heads to the Red Bull Ring, a track where Ducati has won at least once in each of the past ten seasons—including Marquez’s own double last year. “We come off a perfect weekend: the victory at Misano gave me a huge boost, also thanks to the support of so many Ducatisti fans,” Marquez said. “Here in Austria, I was competitive last year, and together with the whole team, we need to make the most of this positive momentum as we continue to fight with the best.”
In contrast, team-mate Francesco Bagnaia is in a slump, scoring just one point in the last six races due to ongoing grip and feel issues with the GP26. “We won’t give up and we’ll keep pushing to be back at the front,” Bagnaia insisted, determined to bounce back at a venue where he’s achieved strong results in the past.
Bagnaia now sits ninth in the standings, even trailing Gresini’s Alex Marquez despite the latter missing three rounds through injury.
With Marquez on a roll and Ducati’s strong Austria record, the stage is set for another dramatic MotoGP weekend.
